Hello,
So I did have time to write this blog. Laura just got just reading some book and turned off the lights. I put on some "ambient" music to get me into the mood...I'll probably be writing for a bit.
Anyway, so where I left off. The 28th. I'm not going to look back at what I wrote then, but skipping on to the 1st of December, it was Laura and I's 5th year anniversay. Man, that's a long time. We decided to take a mini vacation and head down to Denver. I got us a hotel room at the Grand Hyatt...wait, now that I mention that, I think I did write about the reservations already. Anyway, so we stayed there and went to the Cheesecake Factory, watched the coincidental Parade of Lights or Christmas Parade (whatever it was) and we went to the hotel room to exchange cards and this slideshow I made for Laura. Afterwards, we got into the bed after getting ready to go to sleep and I, nervously, popped the question...yup, THE question to Laura and she said yes. :) We were full of emotion for the next couple of minutes, but we were super excited. What a long way we've come. The important people have already talked to Laura about the details and how I was nervous and all that, so no need to write it here, although, I haven't told my blog yet, so...but anyway.
So with that said, that opens up a whole new conversation...that of planning the wedding, who to invite, etc. We've talked a lot already about that, but there's the actual plan of executing it, which I think we're still waiting on. We're finding a place to have it right now and everything else seems to come after that, so. Laura already has a big pile of wedding stuff...planners, receptionists, her sister's notebooks, etc. I think next year is when we'll really start to do it. We're just enjoying the moment right now I think.
So and we're here in Oklahoma where we are staying with our parents right now. The trip here has been nothing short of inconvenient. The plan was the leave Wednesday afternoon, get about 1/3 of the way, spend the night and finish the rest the next day...but no...luck has it the worst blizzard of the last couple of years/this year hits the Wyoming/Colorado area on the DAY BEFORE we leave. Planes are cancelled, roads (including I-25 and I-70 are closed). WTH! So we had to wait until the next day and even then, we were only able to head down to Fort Collins. We had to wait another night until we can leave for Denver to pick Ellen up, since her plane got cancelled. We then drove to Tulsa. Fort Collins > Denver took 2-3 hours! Another 2-3 hours to the Kansas border and the rest of the way we made great time.
Overall it's been fun here, albeit a bit hectic, not much to do for me, etc. Laura has been catching up and hanging out with family. I wonder how my family is doing? Today/tomorrow are the days that my Mom said she'll be going to Blackhawk. I think she decided that because my sister's family is out of town until tomorrow I think in Hawaii. Hope the roads aren't bad.
Anyway, fast forward to today. Wow, what a Christmas day. Spend half the day OPENING presents as there were so many. Everyone looked like they were getting tired of opening presents, as difficult as that may sound. I got a lot of cool gifts, though. I gave everyone theirs too, except Ellen's as the package didn't arrive in time. Hopefully it arrives soon so I can give it to her.
Some of things I got (that I can remember right now) are:
1. New camera memory card
2. Alien book
3. Car power inverter!!
4. Wii Zelda: Twilight Princess (what a torture, not having the Wii)
5. Lots of little things like tool organizers, candy, cookies, chocolate, etc.
Lots more, but I really can't remember much right now.
Tomorrow is another day of hanging out with some of Laura's friends and family and I'm not sure what Wednesday is. Relaxation day? Thursday we'll be driving home, about 12 hours, stopping by Fort Collins on the way up. Friday, it's back to work and then another 3-day weeked for New Year's...cool.
Work related news. We just hired a new admin assistant that'll be taking over my position, I'm not sure when, but I'll be moving over to a "sales fulfillment" position. Sounds cool and I can't wait to get started, but the details are still unsure and I'm just waited for something to happen. I'm just training the new admin assistant (who's a female addition to the office and pretty cute), but I'm starting to run out of things to train her on...since I didn't really do much. Well I did, but it's things that are hard to teach, if you know what I mean. Dealing with suppliers, getting a good relationship with them, etc. Hopefully I move soon so I can let that responsibility go of training her. Since this last week I was the only guidance I had for her, since our boss or anyone else really trains her. Hopefully I'll get some sort of pay raise for the move for the next year. Keep you posted.
So, now onto my year-in-review, now running in it's 3rd or 4th year. Times flies man. Recapping the important events of this year, which was another year of big leaps and bounds (in semi-chronological order):
1. Started the year off still working for Cathedral Home for Children
2. Ashley moves back to Missouri
3. Ashley's Chris goes overseas on a mission (or something to that effect)
4. I find a new job at Thought Equity, informally "quitting" Cathedral Home, but still on ER list, I think.
5. Laura works over Summer with a student
6a. We move to our new town home!
6b. We get Kip!!!!
7. TJ and Ashley visit us
8. Chris quits market, works for a little bit at a construction site administering computers, and quits (still unemployed, lazy bastard)
9. Laura proposes thesis
10. TJ and Ashley move to Chicago
11. Laura goes to Chicago for conference, does poster board and visits TJ
12. TJ gets a new job at the museum
13. Ashley is still sad in Missouri and new pastry job.
14. I propose to Laura. :)
15. Christmas time with the Scharfs
That about sums it up. Time flies, like I said, and it's hard to keep up with the little things, which I always try to stress to myself that they're the important things in life. In this case, big things are of course important (hello, engagement!!), but the little things, like moving to a new town home, friends and family visiting us, Laura and I doing home improvements, getting Kip and becoming a little "family", Laura and I (mostly Laura) doing Christmas decorations, etc. were all important this year in getting through the tough times.
When I went to mass with Laura yesterday, I was thinking about how weird it is that humans do what they do, in this case go to church and mass and pray and sing and all that. I was just looking at all the people going up to the people or whatever to do the bread/water thing and all the different walks of life and races of humans that were doing it. They were all there for a united reason and nice to each other. Now, were they just tolerating it or whatever, I don't know, but it's just weird to see (anywhere, anytime) huge groups of people doing something they like or believe it. Going to church, watching a movie, etc. I was think humans are weird in that way. And it's even weirder them doing it on this day especially. I thought, I wonder if most of them won't see each other ever again or not until Easter or something.
That was a rambling of nonesense as I just read it, but it made sense to me. TJ STILL hasn't updated his blog, even though he sent me a "test blog" a while back and he could have just copied and pasted that.
Are we all were we want to be in life? I think so. 100%. All the mistakes and achievements I've made have brought be here. I'm so happy to be with Laura whom I care about and who cares about me. That's why I can't wait to marry her (albeit in 2008!). Getting Kip and forming a mini "family" was cool too. I like the times and days where we are just lounging on our bed, the 3 of us, passing time away. I know we can't do a lot of the things that we used to do because of Kip, like going somewhere for a few hours or a night or two, but it's a lot better in terms of a "richer" life, so to speak.
When we were opening presents today with everyone in Laura's family there, I was just thinking about what it'd be like in 10 years, when our kids are opening presents and we're exchanging gifts. And then in the blink of an eye, 20 years pass and they're graduating H.S., hopefully going to college and starting their own lifes. I wonder if they'll be geeky enough to keep their own blog and write about their thoughts. I think it's a good thing. Reflection is a big part of life I think. I find myself reflecting back a lot, particularly to my junior high days.
Going on a tangent, I always have a few thoughts that strike as important to me when I'm bored and thinking about my life. I rememer when I used to go to my Mom's work. I remember a big building that was mostly empty and I'd just hang around until my Mom got off work. I remember visiting family and I was leaning back on their chair, falling over and breaking it. I remember going with my Mom to Little Tokyo in L.A. to this japanese grocery store, library and book store. We always had a routine. We'd go there after my Japanese class and each lunch at this ramen place. We'd then head to the grocery store and do some shopping. On the way back we might, and usually did, stop at a japanese video rental store. My Mom would get some videos to watch over the coming week (they were 1-week rentals). I would get some game show videos and stuff too. I never really watched TV during that time. We got this Japanese channel and watched that a lot (I did that with my friend a lot). Was I deprived because I didn't really watch TV until I was in H.S.? I don't think so. I think it was better that way. Then we'd repeat the week over again next week.
I had fun in Japanese school too, even though it was once a week, 3 hours on Saturday. I looked forward to it a lot. Did it suck having 1/2 my Saturday shot? Hell no. I had fun. We did festivals (that was my favorite) and plays and I had some good friends. We talked video games, etc. On the way back once, I remember stopping by the rental store and I saw a video game that I REALLY wanted. Yup, I forgot about video games. I played that a lot, mostly RPGs. I told my Mom I wanted it and she finally got it for me. Looking back, I probably could have done without it. My Mom was working by herself and I never could figure out how she gave me allowance, paid the Japanese school tuition (not much per month, but still) and all other important things that went with living there. I don't think she really had time for herself, other than watching videos and stuff. We did hang out with work friends and such, thought. Maybe that's why I want to do as much as I can for her these days, although I'm doing a crappy job at it. I always think about how if I win the lottery, the bulk of that is going to her. I don't need it. She deserves it. Ken is doing a lot for her too, flying her to Vegas, LA, etc.
Seems like though, I've been the biggest burden so far (look strictly at my life), though I know everyone has probably caused some inconvenience at some point (mostly Yoshi, lol). By the time I was around Junior High, even Elementary school, my siblings were on there own. I wonder what would be the case if I wasn't born? I know I caused a lot of trouble, mostly financially when I was in Juinor High, High School, ESPECIALLY in the first year of college, at which point I realized that I need to get back on track, stopping messing around and GROW UP. I didn't have the luxury to play around and all that jazz. Spring of 2001, I think is when it hit me. To stop burdening my Mom. From then on, I've been trying my best to do this. I think I'm doing pretty good. I've come a long way to be completely dependent, to being completely independent.
I guess that's why it annoys me when like Chris is doing what he's doing. Sure, his parents probably don't mind helping him out, but come on...it has to hit him sometime, hopefully sooner than later.
Well that was a long tangent! Anyway, 2006 was a big year in terms of progression. Everyone is continuing further and further with their lives. Is this growing up? :) The days of H.S., not really having to do homework, hanging out and playing ping-pong or video games with friends seem just yesterday, but long gone. Maybe everyone goes through this feeling around this time, maybe they don't. But one thing is true, I'm thinking about the future a lot more than I was when I was in H.S., that's for sure. I can't wait to have a life with Laura and with our kids and the fact that in a blink of an eye, I'll be the one in my Mom's shoe 15 years ago (well, Laura too), deciding whether or not they can go spend the night at a friend's, explaining to them why grades are important, worrying about where they are at night when they're late for their curfew...lol.
2006 was a year of learning and getting on with life and taking the next steps toward that. I hope that 2007 is better in every aspect than this year. I know lots of stuff is going to happen next year and although I can't be prepared for everything, I hope that I am wise enough to make the right decisions. We ain't kids anymore, my boy! :)
So, with all that said. I want to wish everyone a great new year. There'll be highs and lows, but just remember that in the big picture every little thing is a welcome and positive experience in your life, but only if you let it be that. Find a way to make it was positive experience. I know I'll be trying to do that.
Have a safe 2007 and I'll probably be/hoping to be writing again before that.
My new "picture a day" site is going well too. :) Still a long ways to go, only finished with 25 days...ugh.
P.S. TJ you really should write in your blog! Since I don't talk to you often on the phone, reading your blog kept me caught up with your life and what you were thinking at the moment. It's fun reading your blogs. Just a request. :) I know you're busy with other stuff in your life, though, so don't strain yourself to write, but it'd be nice.
