The Delta House

My son is walking now. He started last weekend, just as my parents were leaving for home. He was crawling all over the place, then stood up and walked across the room to my Dad. He has a flair for the dramatic.

Have you ever heard the song How to Save a Life, by The Fray? Yeah, I'll tell you how to save a life. Quit playing that ass-whipping of a song on the radio because every time that I hear it while I'm driving I want to jerk the steering wheel and crash into a bridge embankment.

The new house is coming along nicely, although the budget is looking sort of sad since the old house hasn't sold yet. We originally wanted to get Corian countertops, then downgraded to granite. Now I think that we will be getting formica countertops, and if it doesn't sell soon, they'll be made of cardboard. Just like the cabinets will be.

Next week is my favorite week of the year. It starts with the college national championship basketball game and baseball's opening day and culminates with the end of the NHL regular season and The Masters Tournament. As a Flyers fan, I think that I am most excited about it being the merciful end of the season. My bold off-season prediction is the Peter Forsberg re-sign with the Flyers this summer.

Some friends and I have compiled a list of things that a fat guy should absolutely never do. Most of the list comes from our experiences as fat guys, so it wasn't meant to be funny, just informative. What do you think?

1. Skimboard
2. Ride a mini-motorcycle
3. Dance to techno music
4. Play tennis
5. Sit in plastic lawn chairs
6. Play Twister
7. Wear leather pants
8. Play Dance Dance Revolution, the boxing game, or any other virtual reality games at the arcade
9. Sit in a papasan chair
10. Participate in a paintball war
11. Sleep on an air mattress

One of my coworkers just bought a new mattress and he hates it. It's one of those temper-number-inflatable-adjustable-space-aged ones that costs like $2500, too. Is there anything more frustrating than spending a boat-load of coin on a mattress then being up all night because its uncomfortable?

My mortgage on the new house through GMAC was sold to a new company last week. The new company also happens to be the same mortgage company that services my loan for my old house, Ocwen. Last Wednesday, they left 27 messages on my machine asking me to call them back. I'm not exaggerating, 27. I called them when I got home to see what was the matter, and all they wanted to do was verify my personal and employer information (Which they already had!!). Oh, then they proceeded to call another 9 times.

While driving in to work this morning, I heard some terrible news. Larry "Bud" Melman is dead.

On October 7, 2002 at around 8pm, my wife and I were in a horrific car accident on the Mass Pike. We were driving towards Boston when we came upon an abandoned car in the high speed lane with no lights or hazards on. I swerved to avoid hitting it, lost control of the Explorer, and rolled the SUV for approximately 300 feet.

In no particular order...

A good hockey fight.
A funky bass line.
The brush-back pitch.
Southern Cross.
General Tso's Chicken.
Rolling down the window on the "mile stretch", smelling and tasting the salt air, and knowing that I will be at my mom's house soon.
Watching my son sleep.
Key Lime Pie.
The E-Street Band.
Amstel Light.
Hearing Radar Love or LA Woman while I am driving on the highway.
When the bone falls out of the pork shoulder with no meat on it.
Understanding an obscure reference when no one else does.
Well-placed sarcasm.
John Wayne movies.
Sleeping in.
Back scratches from Mrs. Flounder.
Navy Bean Soup.
Having weekends off (from work, at least).
Red Sox Nation.
The word vigorously.
Ubie when she's got her Irish up, Brooke when she is amazed by her students, and Todd pretty much all the time.

Have a great weekend, y'all!

No, I did not get Buffett tickets...

Yet!

But there is still a chance. The promoter may be moving the stage back 20 feet, and that would open up some more seats for sale. If they do, we are on the waiting list and should get good seats AND the luxury suite. (Or shall I say SWEET!!) There is also talk of them adding another show.

Today began yet another round of layoffs here in telecom world. My company will be making RIFs (Reduction in Force) the first Friday of each month from now until whenever, and we lost three guys today. Thankfully, I wasn't one of them... this time.

I feel badly for those three guys, but I am glad it's not me. It's a strange feeling, rejoicing when you know that its at the expense of three other people. But as Hyman Roth said in The Godfather Part II, "this is the business we've chosen." If you work in telecom, you work in a field where every day could be your last.

In other news...

I am hoping to have the new house ready to move in by Jake's birthday, but it doesn't look good. I am gimping a little bit with a broken pinky toe on my right foot, believe it or not. It only hurts when I breath, though, so that's cool.

I was nearly killed by a squirrel last weekend. Not a real one, and not a man dressed up as a squirrel either. I'm going to post about this next week, but this is a nice tease for you.

I am giving away a 32" LCD HDTV at my open house next weekend to the person that puts in an acceptable bid within 24 hours of the end of the open house. I really need to get this place sold and I will try any gimmick. Just call me PT Barnum!

Some time before Monday, Extreme Makeover, Flounder Edition will be taking place. Let me know if you like the new layout.

Have a great weekend everyone!