Stillers/Pens Night!

Well, it's been about 6 months since I've published but man, I'm bored right now. We have our super busy times and slower times during the day and this is one of the lull's in "action." Ah, the exciting life of the health care industry.

Anyway, I'm excited for tonight, Pens AND Stillers on TV! The Bratz Girl will have to watch another TV, 'cause dad is takin' over the set for his own personal enjoyment. No Josh & Drake, SpongeBob (although I actually like that show) or Hannah Montana...parents, you know what I mean! My wife is going to the game, to freeze, with our cousin. It will be his first Stiller game and it's always good to bring kids into the Steeler nation. I'll stay home, watch both events on the big screen and be WARM!

I'm a little irritated by this snowfall, make that a LOT irritated. As I've gotten older, I've grown to loathe snow. I grew up in area where we got tons of it and I have had enough! I would move if the wife would, but no such luck. I skied my brains out as a kid and teen and now don't like that anymore. Oh, I just can't wait for a long, drawn out winter that is starting out to early...ha.

Done ranting for today, maybe tomorrow I'll have something better to say or maybe I'll wait another 6 months to post...

Douglas "DW" Berkley-

Lazy Damn Day

I'm so bored today...things are slow and I'm the only one here. Makes for a long. long. day. But hey, I'm able to do work on my business plan and get closer to those millions. More on that another day.

Ok, so last night was one of those times where time seems to stand still and you see things in slo-mo. The Bratz girl was riding her little 2 wheel scooter (which she's quite good at), waiting for the wife and I to go for a walk around the 'hood. Well, I happened to step outside first and was watching her, coasting at a pretty good clip down the sidewalk. That's when it happened. It was in super slo-mo...her scooter hit a little bump, she fell off to the side and let go of it and after a step or 2 of running, fell smack on to her face for the most part in the driveway. As a parent, it was scary. I thought to myself that this was surely the time and place where she would loose her first teeth! So I ran down to her and as I'm on my way down, she has that delayed reaction of sitting up for a split second, then starting to cry. The picture here w/ the little war wound on the nose...that's nada compared to today. I need to get a little pic, it looks like she fought a cougar, poor thing! Other than a scratched up nose and a mark on the chin and hand, she was relatively ok. The wife came out wondering what the commotion was all about, then quickly came down as Bratz was asking for mom. It was a scary thing to see, but she's gonna be fine and that's all that matters and she's my world!

Ok, time to roll to the lake for the weekend! MUST pick up Miller Lite and watch the Pens on Saturday night! We're on a mission, Go Pens!

Back in the Saddle

Alright, I've decided to jump back on this horse and use the old blog to vent, educate, share the dumb things that happen to me and anything else I please. I'm finding I need an outlet and what better place than this ol' blog, where everything is public. Ha.

The only thing I want to say today is GO PENS!!! I cannot wait to watch this series, should be a very good one if the teams put on the skating display they are capable of doing. Detroit is good and a solid team, but they're sorta old and I think we have a good shot at beating their collective asses. My prediction is Pens in 6...players to watch will be Malkin and Staal. I expect things from those 2. Just a gut feeling.

I'll have to take a break from lake action...we're all heading up tomorrow night. If the weather holds, it should be real sweet and a great time. Our wives and kids all hang...so they bro-in-laws just drink beer. It's Lovely! The lake, sun, family, beer, food and Pens...sounds like a winner to me.

Teeth

Well, my holiday weekend was partially ruined by a bad tooth! If you knew me and all, you'd see really nice teeth, ones my parents paid a lot for when I was young. But thru general neglect and fear of the dentist, my teeth have slowly started to fall apart and could make me look like the hick I was born. Now, the front ones all LOOK good, but the back...let's just say ER root canal yesterday and over 3 hours in the chair. I felt like I was in a boxing match. Hell, I still may lose the tooth, they "think" they saved it.
I've learned a few big lessons off of this. #1, Vicodin can be a lifesaver for a short period of time but the stuff makes me feel really, really odd. Guess that's why some folks like it, not this one. #2, suck it up and get ye ass to the dentist, which I will from now on. Better to be afraid there getting something minor done than sitting for a 3 hour ass kickin'.
Still managed to have a good water-skiing and boating time. Lost 2 matches of golf (blamed the tooth of course) and was unable to drink booze after Saturday b/c of the painkiller. At least that helped me w/ the diet! Ha!

No Time...

No time to post anything...swimming, boating, hanging w/ the family and more. Well, some work as well I guess.

The "Insurance" golf tour has been beneficial. I've won quite a bit of nice gear and the side bets have been very, very good to me. HA! Those years pf lessons paid off, dad!

Runners Knee....ugh

I finally decide to get back to my "playing weight," watching the diet and running again. Things go real well for about the first 3 weeks. I dropped about 11 lbs. and was running well. Until I woke up last Wednesday w/ knee pain that was a killer.

Flash forward to today. It's just as bad as last week, more or less. However, I've taken the last 2 days off and it's doing somewhat better. I also was recommended to get this little band that goes right beneath the knee for support. That little band is a BIG help. I couldn't believe it. I'm gonna take another day or 2 off and ride the bike...but I'm ready to roll again I think!

I wonder what others think? I've heard I should rest it more, try to get thru it and more. The "getting thru it" was DUMB as I've been limping pretty good until yesterday/today.

I'm no runner, how do I get runners knee? Likely b/c I'm NOT a runner, that's how I get it!

Damn.

DW-

The Graduate

The Bratz girl did it, with honors no less! She made it outta preschool! Now, I thought it was a little much to have a celebration at first. BUT, they made it a nice one lasting about 40 minutes. It was good for the grandparents to be there, one never knows how many graduations they'll see. They sang a ton of songs, danced, etc.

Best part was when they did a little piece on the student before they were called up to get their "diploma." Bratz girl intro went a little like this: "this is a girl who will be gracing the cover of all the fashion and modeling magazines. She's also dressed so stylish and has been known to wear a little fur coat and shades into school on winter days." "We've called her Ms. Hollywood as a nickname for the last 2 years and it seems to fit her well."

Well, the kudos for all the clothes go to my bro and his wife. They don't have kids of their own and spoil mine w/ top line stuff. Now, I hope this doesn't spoil my gal! Hollywood, I'm not so sure, but she does sing and dance very well. Neighbors enjoy it (seriously!) She does have a wonderful little smile that she isn't quite showing here...but I love her!

Finally, I shed a few tears of joy...I can now make BMW X5 payments w/ the money we'll be saving each month! Preschool is expensive stuff here, and she wasn't even in some elite school! I want to look at my X5 in August!

DW-

Altoona 'n State College Travels

Spent half this week on the road in Altoona and State College. Now State College is fun, no doubt about that...a lot of nice sights as well. Good eats and had a beer or 3.

Now Altoona is a different story. It's a little depressing and bleak. But, I managed to have a great time due to a nice little ballpark and watching the Altoona Curve, the AA team of the Pirates (these guys actually win). The park is like a little PNC field, very nice and new. Now, being the VIP I am (HA), I was sitting in a box and was able to enjoy free food and drink. But in walking around the park I was shocked to see a large beer only cost $2.75...not the $100 at PNC! Place was sold out w/ a lot of families. A really nice time.

Even better (or worse for my work), the visiting team was staying at my hotel. As an old minor league player myself, I wandered into the hotel bar about 9PM and spent half the night hanging w/ these kids and talking. Good times and good beer.

Now, I was ok at a mtg the next day...but the team lost. I like to think it was my fault keeping a couple of them out past curfew ;) So I did my part in helping the home team win! Yea!

DW-

Good Weather...Finally!

This stretch of weather has been mightily appreciated by me and no doubt everyone in the tri-state area. I've been golfing up a storm (and winning some dinero in the process), up to the lake house for some R&R, out w/ the Bratz girl constantly, washing cars and so on.

The thing I hate to do is mow...and the sun has made my yard take off like the bunch of weeds it is. If it were up to me, the yard would be dead or astroturf. However, I'm sure the homeowner association (brownshirts) would fine the hell outta me in either of those cases, damn it. Where's my freedom to have a crappy yard?!

In summation, thank you for the nice weather, mother nature and don't hold this against us. I don't want to have 20 rainy days in June now!

Just Pics...

Tough day here at work...need pics of the Bratz girl to make me smile!

Send over your children to annoy me!

Nothing ticks me off more than having to watch other people's kids. I mean, for family, it's different and i love kids in general. But after a day at work, the last thing I want to see are all the neighborhood kids at MY house.

Ok, I pick up the Bratz girl at preschool. She and I are having a good time, talking about school and wacky stuff on the short drive home. I'm in a good mood...until I round the bend and see my house. Kids all over the front of my driveway, like they are waiting for me. Scary. They start running around the Tahoe, looking for Bratz and the moms across the street do nothing to stop them...oh no, can't have your kids behavin' like that! Get out of the car surrounded by 5 kids (it's 5:25 mind you and I'm thinking work), all hootin' and hollerin'...let the headache start!

Make a long story short, they all end up in my backyard w/ me and Bratz....the moms have somehow disappeared into the neighborhood, damn it. So I proceed to have to sit there for 40 mins, watching them all and listening to one 2nd grader in particular tell me her whole life story talking faster than the speed of sound. I was tired...I was hungry...and I was IRRITATED! The moms finally show up and I'm ready to give them a piece of my mind when in walks the wife. Game over...I have to clam up and be nice! Grrrrrr.

So that was the fun evening. Watching everyone kids. FUN. Well, at least Bratz girl is still my gal and the best behaved girl ever! Ha.

Here's her jammin' w/ her Ipod from the bro in law....love's "Sweet Escape!"

DW-

Missing a friend

Damn, I love this warm weather but it's making us miss our dear friend Hannah. Hannah, our choco lab, died on Xmas eve at the age of 10. I've had other dogs die before, but Hannah was the first that I hand picked at 7 weeks, went thru my marriage and the addition of our daughter. She was my friend. It's odd, I know, for non-pet people to understand but there is a lot one goes through emotionally when you lose an animal. We still talk about her all the time and have pics up. She loved this warm weather and loved to swim, I guess that's why it is hitting me again. Love ya, Hannah!

On another note...I hit the course this weekend and played fairly well. The beer went down smoothly and provided a "swing oil" that helped me to shoot a 83 for the first time out. Need a little practice and things will round into shape nicely for the summer "insurance industry" tour I like to play on in the summer!

DW-