40

In a week or so, I turn 40. I have nothing to really say on the matter. I'm tired a lot of late. I manage my time poorly. I don't do goals, so I need to strive towards a general outcome.
Year in review: Kids are doing well. They have things to do and do well in school, at least. Wife doesn't always seem annoyed with me. I can do much better. I work more than I like. I had an accident and an injury at work. Hopefully, I learn from my accidents enough to avoid future one. I haven't walked much. Have a lot of stuff to do around the house... tiling bathroom and staining the deck are the two biggies.
I don't see how we can take a vacation without pulling kids out of school. My work schedule sucks like that.
Year preview: Probably should give up on time bandits like Twitter, blogger, MLB, and following politics. Need to work on the things that have meaning, like THAT NOVEL I've been putting off a couple decades.

I miss my uncle Howard. I miss my cousin Byron. My dad missed them too before he choked on his last grilled cheese sandwich.

I may never be famous, but I hope to leave an impression upon my children to strive to be better than me. I drive a truck for a living. It's not bad, just not meaningful beyond a paycheck.

power outage just as the TV gets mounted.

For a few days, our Roku 3 remote ceased working for stretches of time. Rather than replace the controller, or even replace the Roku device, we got a Roku TV.

The space where we have had our TV is a bookcase with a cabinet designed for the old box variety of televisions which existed back in 2003. Rather than destroy the cabinet, we got an expandable wall mount. Spent a bit of time doing measurements and such to get the mount perfect, only for the power to go out in the neighborhood a couple hours.

 

Pictures are online from the previous week's Muddy Mayhem.

Youngest had ballet during the summer, but we're not sticking with it.

A few weeks ago, we saw Hotel Transylvania 3. Later that Sunday, I decided to play some PTV, and Darcy found it dance worthy. We went to the movies 4 Sundays in a row, I think.

First day back to preschool was Monday. I finally have some time to myself in the afternoon. Probably will start doing plasma donation again since my schedule seems to allow it. One week of donations equals a session of speech therapy. Already spent a few thousand dollars via HSA savings account this year, just don't have much in HSA now. It's worth it to hear her speech improve. Nothing worthwhile is without sacrifice, right?

caves and mud

On Sunday, we went to West Liberty. I wasn't too impressed with the caverns. Jennifer wanted picture taken. No one gets my jokes.

Jennifer bought a bag of dirt from the gift shop. The kids sifted flint, shark teeth and various rocks from the dirt. Kiefer was gross with his rock candy on a stick. Darcy lost hers to the muddy water.

 It was hot, but the caverns are 54 degrees year-round, so they brought jackets.

Today, the girls played in the mud. Again, Jennifer paid for the dirt.

 Kiefer felt left out, so I spent $10 on his wrist band.

end of summer, longer hours and lingering shoulder pain

Not sure how times flies, aside from being constantly busy and having to be places and such.
Since I've been back on-road, I've been working 7 hour days, again. Last week I had a few 8 hour days. Considering I'm part-time, and I get up before 9am during the week, working until 10:30 at night has been taking its toll.
I have no idea how much I weigh, but I seem about the same. I've been consuming a can of Coke with a Premier Protein bar for my evening meal. I eat 3 other times during the day: an hour after I wake up, an hour before work and 15 minutes after I get home.
Eating 4 times a day is a habit I started at the carwash. I was always coming home at 2:30 hungry
I worked without a break a couple weeks ago. I felt horrible until I had a mini break with my Coke and Premier Protein bar.
My shoulder has become sore. I try to do my doorway exercises when I think about it, but I think I will be sore a very long time until cease doing physical work 5 days a week.
Since she leaves as I get up and goes to sleep when I get home, I don't see Jennifer throughout the week. Our communication is limited to texts or a quick phone call. During the summer, Saturdays start with us alternating between going to ukulele or ballet lessons for our daughters. Ukulele is the easy one, though it's at 10am. Dance is a long 10:30-11:15 given the 4 year old needs help focusing.
Yesterday, Jennifer said something snide for I was up before 9.
Tomorrow marks the last day of rowing for our son, but he had it every Monday and Thursday at 10:30 for 2 months. 
My youngest has had speech therapy sessions at 9:30 every Tuesday and Friday this year.
We've gone to the movies the last 4 Sunday mornings.
For being Summer, I've not really rested. Kids start school August 8th, so I will have to be up before 8. I won't have to leave the house early aside from the days my youngest has speech therapy.
I've been in a bad mood. B broke the headphone plug in her's iPod Touch's jack on Tuesday. I had slim hope of fixing it, but it was slimmer after circumstances occurred. Now I've conceded defeat on fixing it.
I ordered contact lenses after trialing a pair for 10 days. I couldn't see well when I was in the office in the beginning of month, but got a quote on costs and was told they had some in stock. When I called to order them, I couldn't since the script wasn't on file and doctor wasn't in until the next week. When I got my lenses, I was under the impression I'd get a $100 rebate, then it turned into a Visa card, then it turned into an application for a Visa card. I looked at the paperwork on Wednesday after I had the kids gone to their grandparents. Paperwork said I had to have purchased the lenses in June to get the rebate. Eye doctor's office probably thinks I'm jerk for not knowing that B&L extended their rebate timeline.
I get pissy when it comes to money. I've been in debt for so long, I'm tired of costs of things being piled on. I've been very lucky to have a job where I am wanted and am able to get fulltime hours though I'm only part-time. My kids are mostly healthy. My wife is a loving mom. I need to manage my time better, for I'm up too late and not getting out aside from shuttling kids or running errands. I'm on my phone too much around my family. I need to make my schedule with pen and paper and avoid electronics as much as possible.
I can see the light at the end of debt tunnel. I just spend too much time thinking about it and my 401(k)s. Twitter and Drudge Report also zap my time. I need to designate a better time and place for such activities along with blogging.

biology

Wife has been mad at me. I hadn't felt like doing stuff between the kids being home, my shoulder being hurt and the weather making my work environment hot... I'm mostly exhausted during the day. Last week was better, but she's mad again.
We saw The Incredibles 2 last weekend and The Avengers this weekend. Both have left me feeling less than wonderful, I'm thinking my light sensitivity may be causing my detached mood.
Ever since the bunk bed got put up, the basement was a mess. We got me a mattress when we had to clean up in the laundry room, but had no where to put stuff until my daughter's old bed was put together.
Weird to think I didn't sleep on a bed aside from when I was taking a trip for 12 years, but after my sleep schedule changed drastically from Jennifer's, I never wanted a bed when I was content with the couch or air mattress.
My night owl personality may have caused my photophobia to get worse.

handler days

Sorry, a work heavy post.
I drove 4 different trucks one day last week. Had been a while since swapped trucks a couple times in a day. Seems I havea semi regular gig of going to Monroe for pick-ups then breaking and meeting up and swapping trucks after my break. Mostly easy stuff... stuff I used to do when I was a handler, essentially.
When I get back from my truck swap, I do handling. I probably do more handling than I used to do considering I have unloaded truck a bit since getting off restricted duty.
It's easy, so I expect it to change.