PaleBlueScot

More Thread space

jamesjk@gmail.com — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:33:33 GMT

Here's a shiny new entry for you all to thread away. Thread at will. Thread with abandon. Cheers.

Happy Holidays

jamesjk@gmail.com — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 15:29:00 GMT

I'm amused at the continuation of comments on the blog but I can assure you that I truly did end my contributions to it with the last post. If you're curious as to what I'm doing, join Facebook (and/or Twitter) and watch me try to summarize my thoughts in a very-restraining 140-character limit (as per Twitter's limitations).

A good 4 years

jamesjk@gmail.com — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:51:08 GMT

Yep, I’m doing it again. I know, I know, the last time I did this it was about a month and I was right back into blogging again. I can’t guarantee that I might or might not do that in the near future but for now I figured what I’ve written since 2005 (3-5 times a week) was a good snapshot into my life. Obviously there are things I don’t put out for public consumption since I always have to assume my employer and future employers will scan anything I’ve put out there and use it against me and never for me. When I reference future employers I’m not implying I have a new job, nor have I interviewed for any. I’m just saying that in today’s Facebook/MySpace/Twitter world, anything you post could have ramifications down the line.

One thing that I wanted to do when I installed Google Analytics on this blog last year was to see what states and countries were hitting the site. I half-heartedly joked to myself that once all 50 states had perused the site at least once that it would be time to place the site to rest. Interestingly enough, the only state that hasn’t sent a request to the site (on purpose or inadvertently) was South Dakota. So to heck with you, South Dakota! I’m turning out the lights and not waiting for your call.

Blogging’s a tricky business. While it gives any schmoe an outlet to express their opinions or to spread news around, very few people do it properly. I do like how it keeps entities like the government and the standard media outlets in check, calling them out on inaccuracies or flat-out lies, but there is a seedy underbelly to it too where unchecked rumors can ruin people and there’s nothing a public figure can do about it. I compare blogging to Las Vegas – it represents all that is right and also all that is wrong with the world today.

The fact remains that when I initially expounded on semi-lucid rants and random life occurrences, I wanted to keep family stories out of the site. What happened though is all I really care about at this point are my two precious daughters and awesome wife. What doesn’t need to happen is me putting their life out there for all to review. Since that’s all I seem to concentrate on and care about in this stage in my life, there’s no sense maintaining a site to give updates on mundane family life. This isn’t an attack on those who have blogs about family life, as there are a few sites that I love reading their updates. It’s just that I don’t want to do it and since my inspiration to write lately is all about family, I’m gonna keep those entries offline.

I really want to thank my blog host who, in addition to providing me with a place to host the site also was the one to purchase this URL for me and keeps renewing it. He didn’t have to do that but has done so all these years out of the goodness of his heart and I appreciate all he’s done for me. I’m also extremely thankful to all those who post comments and keep me in check. For those of you who lurk and read only, I’m amazed at just how far this blog spread and for that I’m grateful for you reading it too. One thing that’s become obvious is I’m in the wrong freakin’ profession! I have printed out my output for the past 4 years and the manuscript is almost 6 inches thick. And that’s from only writing for 5-10 minutes a day, usually during my lunch break.

Again, this doesn’t mean I’m done writing online but if I do revive my passion, it will be good to change the focus on what and how I write about things. In the meantime, I’ll be actively updating my Twitter and Facebook feeds (see the links on the lower right) and anyone can still email me using the Contact Me box (also on the lower right corner of the site).

Adios, amigos. Let’s all hope the next time you’ll see me writing online it will be when we’re based in an area of the country that has one or more of their sports teams that are named after the Ursidae family (Yes, that’s a hint and there are several possibilities, none of which I will confirm or deny).

It’s been fun.

Where's my head?

jamesjk@gmail.com — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:22:59 GMT

Who TF knows

Photos from the week

jamesjk@gmail.com — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:46:20 GMT

In the spirit of trying to be positive today, I figured I’d post some phone pics I’ve taken the past few days.

Here is one looking out from our office building. The leaves are at peak color down here.

A TV screen capture of a very uplifting moment for a lot of Americans last night, myself included.

My two precious ladies walking hand-in-hand at the park this weekend.

Here is a link to some Halloween pictures I just posted.

In case you hadn’t been able to view Mindy’s or Tanya’s Facebook updates last night, here is the latest about Susan’s memorial.

Susan Dallas Memorial
Friday 6-9 PM
North Suburban Evangelical Free Church
200 Lake Cook Road, Deerfield IL 60015
Phone: (847) 945-4630

Donations to American Heart Association or American Cancer Society in lieu of flowers.
http://www.northsub.com

Susan Dallas

jamesjk@gmail.com — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:22:43 GMT

The world lost a giant smile on Sunday.

In life, you have several categories of acquaintances. You have family, distant family, friends, school friends, worker friends and friends of friends. With few exceptions, family always comes first. Then there are your expanding circles of friends. But within that circle is always what I call an Inner Circle of friends. These are the people who you have known for an extended period of time and have created a close bond with. They know your likes and dislikes. They’ve been there for you during the happy times but they are also the first to be there in the sad times. Even when members of this inner circle go to separate parts of the world, that friendship has been so cemented with your shared life experiences that it’s a bond that typically is never broken. These friends in your inner circle are closer to you than extended family in most cases.

Susan Dallas (formerly Smith) was one of those people in my and Megan’s life. She was close friends with a group of Delts at Bradley, myself included, and always had one of the sunniest dispositions I know. Hands down, she had one of the best smiles on campus and it was impossible to stay grumpy in front of her if she flashed her pearly whites. There is a special place in heaven for those who help others like the way Susan did throughout her life.

Do you know how hard it is to try to capture someone’s essence in a few short paragraphs when it involves someone you really care about? Do you know how hard it is to do that through a wall of tears in your eyes? I’ve actually typed and deleted several paragraphs from this because it doesn’t do Susan justice. I’ll let those of you who knew her remember your happy thoughts about her and hope the memory of her always resides at some place in your brain when you think of selfless and loving people you know.

At the risk of sounding like a petulant child, it just isn’t fair. I understand that life is comprised of happiness and also heartaches and that, in the natural order of life, parents hope they die before their children do. But it’s NOT supposed to be at this age. It’s NOT. And I keep on hoping that somehow I’m in an alternate reality and this all goes away, but I know it won’t. A wonderful husband lost his wife and a darling son lost his mother. Our loss of Susan is nothing compared to Chris’ and Evan’s loss. Our job now is to help and hold them, not just in this time of need but for forever until Susan can hug and hold them again.

Susan, we love you and miss you immensely. That hole in our hearts hurts like hell and we have trouble letting go but I can guarantee you that after the initial hurt goes away, any time we think of you a smile will appear on our lips.

But for now, we cry.

Sad news

jamesjk@gmail.com — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 16:04:01 GMT

For those of you who went to Bradley around the same time frame as I did, I have very sad news. A truly good friend of mine - Susan Dallas - passed away in her home last night. She is survived by her husband Chris and son Evan.

I'll write more about her when I can compose my thoughts. For now, please keep Chris and Evan in your thoughts as they traverse through this extremely difficult time.

Social Circles and Groups and Webs, Oh My

jamesjk@gmail.com — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:27:06 GMT

Overexposed? Yes.

Lunches that don't cost bunches

jamesjk@gmail.com — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:03:05 GMT

Bringing my lunch to work a majority of the time (3-4 times a week) has three benefits for me personally. One is to watch what I eat. The second is to save money. Third, and I consider this a key component in my “decompression time”, is to be able to read the newspaper or peruse stuff online during my break (followed by a short walk). I’m fortunate where I have a job that allows an hour lunch break which allows me to eat and relax at a leisurely pace.

I bring all this up because, at the risk of sounding like an old fuddy duddy, I’ve noticed the increase in, at least what I consider, the Mendoza Line for a cheap lunch. Back when I started working in 1995, you could find lunches for under $5 if you looked. As someone who wasn’t making much scratch right out of college, I considered it a good fiscal move to eat at the Chinese outlet in the food court at the Merchandise Mart (Lai Lai) where the orange chicken, generously served, was just under $5 total if I ordered an ice water.

Now, $5 wasn’t a breaking point for me but I’d say most lunches at “quick eating” places in the Loop in Chicago would run anywhere from $4.50 - $8. Obviously there were plenty more expensive options but those were not a reality unless my boss was buying. Periodically I’d splurge but always have that guilt that I didn’t really need TWO Portillo’s hot dogs plus onion rings plus a drink or some other comparable lunch.

There were always the exceptions like the time, as an intern, my boss took me and another intern to a bar where we proceeded to have a burger, fries, and pitcher of beer each. A nice buzz at 12:30 sure takes the sting out of being in relative poverty but it also makes it hard as hell to concentrate on your afternoon tasks! When a co-worker back at the office suggested we all should chew gum, I realized that a liquid lunch really isn’t a professional way to go about your business, even if it’s your boss getting you loaded and paying for your alcohol.

But I digress.

Fast forward to 2008 and any lunch under $8 or $9 is considered a bargain now. If I go to the local noodle or sandwich shop, a basic lunch will be in that price range without any extras. A walk to the local pub for Friday lunch with co-workers will set you back $15 with tip (no beer, just burger, fries and Coke). This really isn’t a complaint but more of an observation, mixed in with the curiousness of what will constitute an “affordable” lunch in 2021.

Of course, with 2 kids who will be of college age by then, I won’t be worried about my “cheap” $100 lunch from the food court. It will be the $15,000 per credit hour that will put Megan and I into the poorhouse.

Dipped in magic

jamesjk@gmail.com — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:02:45 GMT

It’s just now getting to be cool down here and finally feeling like fall. One of our maple trees out front is just turning and I took a picture of this partially-changed leaf.

And for the sake of contrast, I placed the same leaf on one of our retaining walls.