I would have written sooner, but my computer was infected by a virus and I could not access my computer for a whole day and a half. Our IT guy got it taken care of today. Phew!
Some of the stuff that took place since I last wrote:
1) I cooked dinner for a friend of Anna whose wife gave birth to twins not too long ago and they live not far from where she lives. I made some fried rice, chicken kurma, and fish dish. They were so happy to have someone cook for them. Needless to say, they have a lot on their plate with twins and an older boy. The twins looked so cute and adorable!
2) We had a board meeting the agency was presented a check for $11,000 from the UPS foundation to our agency for direct services to our clients. I had a role to play because it was through out volunteer program that we got connected with UPS. They wanted to do a volunteer project over the summer and I got them hooked up with a case management client. The experience was very positive for all involved and word got back to UPS corporate headquarters. They soon wanted to find out more about our agency and asked what else could they assist with? The rest as they say is history!
3) The leader of Anna’s band invited a group of people including everyone in the band over to his house for a pot-luck. We had a great time and the meal was excellent. I got to meet a lot of the spouses of the guys in the band which was really nice and they got to meet me too!
4) Over Christmas we spent it up in Maple Grove. Prior to arriving at Heidi and Mark’s house, I met up with a friend from college at a Malaysian restaurant. The last time I saw Arani was in 1998 if I’m not mistaken. She’s now happily married and working in the Twin Cities. Her husband, Abraham is a really neat and fun guy. We definitely had a great time catching up with one another.
5) I wanted to make sure I left DM with more than ample time to spare since the weather was going to turn sour over Christmas. I’m glad I made it up north safe and sound. There were some snowy parts, but I can always deal with snow – I don’t like snow and ice because that’s not a good mix one bit.
6) A lot of the time in Maple Grove was centered around Baby Mikey as it should be. He’s such a cute little baby and he’s definitely grown since the last time Anna saw him. There’s a ton of different noises that come out of him, in a very cute baby way. He also has not idea or control over his facial expressions so it was really cute seeing how he makes different kind of faces. Needless to say, he entertained all of us for a good portion of the time. As new parents, Heidi and Mark are doing an amazing job with Mikey and they are just such amazing parents.
7) On Christmas night, Anna, Al, Karen and me went to the Malaysian restaurant in downtown Minneapolis. They were more than happy with the meal and we were stuffed to say the least and we got to try a wide variety of food. Everything surpassed everyone’s expectation including mine. I won’t be surprised one bit that every time I make it to the Twin Cities, I’ll be dropping by this restaurant to get a taste of Malaysian cuisine.
8) Mikey was baptized on Sunday and Anna and I were his Godparents. Heidi had called Anna when I was working at Paradise and asked her if we would be willing to be his Godparents and she knew I would be more than exhilarated by the invite! Yes, we are now responsible for his spiritual growth and upbringing – some pretty major responsibilities on our shoulders, but we’re more than ready for it!
9) I made it back to DM on Monday after a very interesting drive. There were close to 35-40 cars in ditches and a number of them were overturned. Needless to say, the roads were icy and it made driving difficult for a lot of people. I’m just glad I made it back safe and sound.
10) While in Maple Grove, I did catch the movie, Avatar (which is highly recommended for it’s 3D effects for sure!), Up in the Air, and the Pixar movie, Up.
That’s pretty much all the news from me. Today is New Year’s eve and I’ll be working and closing the restaurant. I’m not sure what to expect. We may or may not be busy. Time will tell. After I’m done at the restaurant, I’ll be heading over to Joel and Kathy to ring in the New Year. It’ll be a fun evening for sure. Well, Happy New Year to all of you!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
End of the year note.
Overall it’s been a tremendous year especially because I found someone that has brought infinite joy to my life and we’ll be getting married next year! Yay!
1) Wedding proposal – I proposed to Anna on February 16th and believe it or not, she said yes! I am such an anti-Valentine’s Day person, and now I don’t ever have to worry about that day because the focus will be on the 16th, not the 14th. Nice.
2) Paradise Pizza – I quit my job at the residential facility, and took a job at Paradise Pizza Café (www.paradisepizzacafe.net) I’ve always wanted to work in a restaurant, and I got my wish. I started off as a server, and within a couple of months, I became a team leader. Overall the experience has been nothing short of wonderful, and I’ve really gotten to know the regulars. It’s a lot of fun working in a restaurant. Try it!
3) Vacation – My vacation this year took me to Chicago, St. Louis and Bismarck, North Dakota. While in Chicago and St. Louis, I caught up with dear friends, and there’s not like reconnecting and reminiscing old times. Anna’s older sister lives in Chicago, and we stayed there and got to hang out with her and her boyfriend. I got to visit Bismarck, ND for the very first time, and it’s where Anna is from. It’s a gorgeous city and state. Let’s just say I was more than pleasantly surprised.
4) Aging Conference – I attended a National Aging Conference in the Twin Cities for the very first time, and it was a great conference because I got to see what some of the national trends were when it came to aging issues. It also helped that I got to exchange ideas, and share my experience with various people from different parts of the country.
5) Baby Mikey – Heidi (Anna’s twin) gave birth to Michael James Mankey on 11/11/09. He was a month premature, but he’s doing fine now, and gaining weight. Yay! Mikey will be my little nephew once we get married, and mark my words, he’ll be a soccer superstar and a die hard Liverpool supporter if I have anything to say about it! I’ll see him over Christmas, and I’m just counting the days!
I realize that it’s been a tough year for a number of people with the global recession, and some people losing their jobs, but we can all choose to focus on the negatives or positives. I chose the latter. There are too many good things going on in, and around the world for me to be burdened by some minor setbacks. The economy will bounce back and in time, we’ll all be OK.
So why not during this holiday season be thankful that we have family and friends who love us unconditionally, a roof over our heads, and a bed to rest our weary bodies at the end of the day? Blessings to all during this season and let’s not forget what the real meaning of this season is truly about!
1) Wedding proposal – I proposed to Anna on February 16th and believe it or not, she said yes! I am such an anti-Valentine’s Day person, and now I don’t ever have to worry about that day because the focus will be on the 16th, not the 14th. Nice.
2) Paradise Pizza – I quit my job at the residential facility, and took a job at Paradise Pizza Café (www.paradisepizzacafe.net) I’ve always wanted to work in a restaurant, and I got my wish. I started off as a server, and within a couple of months, I became a team leader. Overall the experience has been nothing short of wonderful, and I’ve really gotten to know the regulars. It’s a lot of fun working in a restaurant. Try it!
3) Vacation – My vacation this year took me to Chicago, St. Louis and Bismarck, North Dakota. While in Chicago and St. Louis, I caught up with dear friends, and there’s not like reconnecting and reminiscing old times. Anna’s older sister lives in Chicago, and we stayed there and got to hang out with her and her boyfriend. I got to visit Bismarck, ND for the very first time, and it’s where Anna is from. It’s a gorgeous city and state. Let’s just say I was more than pleasantly surprised.
4) Aging Conference – I attended a National Aging Conference in the Twin Cities for the very first time, and it was a great conference because I got to see what some of the national trends were when it came to aging issues. It also helped that I got to exchange ideas, and share my experience with various people from different parts of the country.
5) Baby Mikey – Heidi (Anna’s twin) gave birth to Michael James Mankey on 11/11/09. He was a month premature, but he’s doing fine now, and gaining weight. Yay! Mikey will be my little nephew once we get married, and mark my words, he’ll be a soccer superstar and a die hard Liverpool supporter if I have anything to say about it! I’ll see him over Christmas, and I’m just counting the days!
I realize that it’s been a tough year for a number of people with the global recession, and some people losing their jobs, but we can all choose to focus on the negatives or positives. I chose the latter. There are too many good things going on in, and around the world for me to be burdened by some minor setbacks. The economy will bounce back and in time, we’ll all be OK.
So why not during this holiday season be thankful that we have family and friends who love us unconditionally, a roof over our heads, and a bed to rest our weary bodies at the end of the day? Blessings to all during this season and let’s not forget what the real meaning of this season is truly about!
Monday, December 14, 2009
What a week and weekend in Des Moines!
Well, what a week and weekend we had here in DSM! We had a blizzard on Tuesday and all day Wednesday and the average snow accumulation was the highest in 38 years. That tells you how much snow we got. I worked at the restaurant on Tuesday night, but we ended up closing at 7PM since we only had two tables and one to go order. People were asked to stay off the roads and the vast majority of people heeded the advice. The drive home was eerily serene because there was barely any vehicle on the roads. Wednesday was spent indoors pretty much all day since the wind chill was very low and a good number of places were closed. The news basically said that if you did not really have to be somewhere it’s best to just stay indoors. That’s what we both did. Anna’s school was cancelled on Wednesday and Thursday. We were open on Thursday and most everyone was able to make it into the office. For me personally, it was good to be outside. One can suffer from cabin fever for sure.
I worked at the restaurant on Friday and it was a nice steady busy. No one at the restaurant ever felt overwhelmed which is always a good thing, but we were all busy.
On Saturday we left to have breakfast with John at 8AM a French bakery. I was there with John roughly a month ago and we’ve both been extremely impressed with the place. John gave me a call and asked if Anna and I wanted to have breakfast, and that’s what we did. It was good to catch up with him. After breakfast, we signed the contract for the wedding cake. Looks like things are just tooting right along. Once that was taken care of, I spent give and take two hours in the library while Anna attended a Pampered Chef party. We both got to do what we wanted to do. When we were done, she had a piano practice with one of her students and while she was giving lessons, I walked around at Costco and got a couple of items for the holiday party at the agency this coming Friday. Anna’s high school presented the play, Get Smart and were had planned on going to it on Thursday, but because school was cancelled, the play took place on Saturday at 3:30PM. I thought it was a fun play and the students did a fine job.
We had dinner at a Russian restaurant that we’ve both been to before and the food did not disappoint. Anna’s band had a gig that night so I helped them set up and pretty much listened to them the entire night. I was a little concerned that there was not going to be that many people, but 30 minutes after the band started, the place was packed. Everyone had a good time and the band fed off the energy of the crowd. As much as Anna loves playing with the band, she really does not like the four hour long gigs because it makes for a very long night and by the time they get done and have to pack everything up, they would be done by 2AM.
On Sunday, Anna conducted her women’s choir at St. Kate’s and they sounded really good. I worked at the restaurant and we had a good number of people during brunch and I had a couple of tables for dinner. All in all, it was a good weekend for the both of us. This coming weekend is the last weekend before Christmas and something tells me that the malls are going to be packed. Friday is the last day of school, but I don’t think Anna will head up north for Christmas until the 21st or the 22nd. I’ll be leaving on the 22nd, but I’m still not quite sure what time. I do have three and a half hours of comp time and I could use it after the reports are sent on the 22nd. I’ll just have to play it by ear. I will be there till the 28th.
That’s all from me for now.
I worked at the restaurant on Friday and it was a nice steady busy. No one at the restaurant ever felt overwhelmed which is always a good thing, but we were all busy.
On Saturday we left to have breakfast with John at 8AM a French bakery. I was there with John roughly a month ago and we’ve both been extremely impressed with the place. John gave me a call and asked if Anna and I wanted to have breakfast, and that’s what we did. It was good to catch up with him. After breakfast, we signed the contract for the wedding cake. Looks like things are just tooting right along. Once that was taken care of, I spent give and take two hours in the library while Anna attended a Pampered Chef party. We both got to do what we wanted to do. When we were done, she had a piano practice with one of her students and while she was giving lessons, I walked around at Costco and got a couple of items for the holiday party at the agency this coming Friday. Anna’s high school presented the play, Get Smart and were had planned on going to it on Thursday, but because school was cancelled, the play took place on Saturday at 3:30PM. I thought it was a fun play and the students did a fine job.
We had dinner at a Russian restaurant that we’ve both been to before and the food did not disappoint. Anna’s band had a gig that night so I helped them set up and pretty much listened to them the entire night. I was a little concerned that there was not going to be that many people, but 30 minutes after the band started, the place was packed. Everyone had a good time and the band fed off the energy of the crowd. As much as Anna loves playing with the band, she really does not like the four hour long gigs because it makes for a very long night and by the time they get done and have to pack everything up, they would be done by 2AM.
On Sunday, Anna conducted her women’s choir at St. Kate’s and they sounded really good. I worked at the restaurant and we had a good number of people during brunch and I had a couple of tables for dinner. All in all, it was a good weekend for the both of us. This coming weekend is the last weekend before Christmas and something tells me that the malls are going to be packed. Friday is the last day of school, but I don’t think Anna will head up north for Christmas until the 21st or the 22nd. I’ll be leaving on the 22nd, but I’m still not quite sure what time. I do have three and a half hours of comp time and I could use it after the reports are sent on the 22nd. I’ll just have to play it by ear. I will be there till the 28th.
That’s all from me for now.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
DSM Blizzard.
I would have written last night, but after driving home in blizzard like conditions, I was pretty tired. I needed to shovel the driveway too so I could park the car. Let's just say it was an interesting evening. The office is closed today as with most places. Reports are saying it's one of the worst storms in recent history. You can definitely hear the wind outside and my heart goes out to those who don't have to a choice and have to be outside for one reason or another. Des Moines is pretty much at a standstill today. I believe all the schools are closed and some big companies decided to close. It's just not worth having people on the roads especially with the road conditions and the weather.
Joel closed the agency at noon, and I had gotten in touch with the owners yesterday afternoon asking him if the restaurant would be open and he said he was planning on it. Joel and Kathy graciously offered to let me stay at their home if after the restaurant closed I could not make it back. All in all, we had two people come into the restaurant and they both lived right around the corner. I also had one order to go. When I called the owner and let him know about the business, he basically said it made no sense to keep the restaurant open so closed at 7PM. I was out of there by 7:30PM.
The drive home was slow and in many ways, fun because there were so few cars on the road and I felt like I had the entire road to myself. Those of us who were on the road were driving very slowly. I made it back safe and sound, but I do know that late last night, things definitely got worse. The wind picked up and the weather dropped. Tomorrow, I do believe everyone will be back in the office again because they are expecting things to die down this evening.
How was the weekend? Well, I really did not do much. I called it my sports weekend. I watched college basketball and football, then it was soccer. That's pretty much all I did. Oh, I did watch the movie Taking Chance which I borrowed from the library and it was a very powerful movie. It's about this officer who accompanied a soldier who died in the war in Afghanistan to his final resting place. Wow, what a powerful movie. On Sunday, after work at Paradise, Anna and I watched the movie, Brothers playing at the theater and it's definitely one of the best movies I've seen this year. Very real and personal and it talked about the impact the way has on returning soldiers.
I can't believe but Christmas will soon be here. I've got enough at the office to keep me busy, but it'll be nice to take some time off and just enjoy the holiday season.
I guess that's all the news from me.
Joel closed the agency at noon, and I had gotten in touch with the owners yesterday afternoon asking him if the restaurant would be open and he said he was planning on it. Joel and Kathy graciously offered to let me stay at their home if after the restaurant closed I could not make it back. All in all, we had two people come into the restaurant and they both lived right around the corner. I also had one order to go. When I called the owner and let him know about the business, he basically said it made no sense to keep the restaurant open so closed at 7PM. I was out of there by 7:30PM.
The drive home was slow and in many ways, fun because there were so few cars on the road and I felt like I had the entire road to myself. Those of us who were on the road were driving very slowly. I made it back safe and sound, but I do know that late last night, things definitely got worse. The wind picked up and the weather dropped. Tomorrow, I do believe everyone will be back in the office again because they are expecting things to die down this evening.
How was the weekend? Well, I really did not do much. I called it my sports weekend. I watched college basketball and football, then it was soccer. That's pretty much all I did. Oh, I did watch the movie Taking Chance which I borrowed from the library and it was a very powerful movie. It's about this officer who accompanied a soldier who died in the war in Afghanistan to his final resting place. Wow, what a powerful movie. On Sunday, after work at Paradise, Anna and I watched the movie, Brothers playing at the theater and it's definitely one of the best movies I've seen this year. Very real and personal and it talked about the impact the way has on returning soldiers.
I can't believe but Christmas will soon be here. I've got enough at the office to keep me busy, but it'll be nice to take some time off and just enjoy the holiday season.
I guess that's all the news from me.
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