Big Fat Birthday

Well, I had quite a lot going on this weekend, none of which involved me picking up my new membership card from the Trim Gym.....I know, I'm terrible. I'll get it tomorrow! As some of you know, my Son and I share a birthday, and my parents are divorced, so that makes for one hell of a long weekend. I got both the kids on Friday, and we just kinda hung around the house on Friday night. It was a chore getting Gracie to STAY OFF of things. She kept climbing on the coffee table and screeching like a bird.

     I need to put a fence around the table or something! We went to Mom's house on Saturday for Pizza, Cake and Ice cream. It was fun, but Gracie had entirely too much candy and went all mental on me. I had to literally YELL at mom so she would quit giving her sixlets...We hung out over there until about 7, at which point Gracie couldn't stand to be awake anymore. Xander and I both got cash. Xander got $50 and INSISTED that I let him buy $50 worth of Microsoft Points. He got all excited, and then spent 400 out of 4000 pts, and started playing something else. I should have known better.
     This morning we got around, and went to Dad's at noon, for BBQ and cake and Ice cream, where Xander got yet more cash and Gift cards.

     Overall it was a great weekend, but I am worn out, and was ready to chill at home tonight and watch a flick. I just haven't decided what to watch yet. Here are some pictures of the weekend for those of you who arent my FB Friends.

Words aren't enough...

    Sometimes words simply aren't enough to convey one's feelings. The problem with words is that they are easy to use. Anyone with a 5th grade education could be eloquent with words. In the past I was very guilty of saying things that I think others want to here to make them happy. It was most likely the salesperson in me.
    I have learned since I have had to reconstruct my life that words alone aren't enough. You don't do anyone any favors by telling them what they want to hear, because it will eventually come back to bite you in the ass. It a lot harder to show someone that you mean it than to just say it. Let's face it, if you tell someone something enough times, and fail to follow through with actions, you simply become a liar at that point, then no matter how eloquent you are, are how much you mean it, they will never take you seriously again.
    I can't tell you how many relationships I have ruined because of this, but I am at the point where I am tired of just talking. I have a dug a hole so big in some of my past and current relationships, that it has completely ruined any chances I have of making a reconciliation. I am going to approach this at a different angle this time around. I want to make it clear, that I am NOT talking about my Ex-Wife here. I'm talking about my future, not my past.
     The sooner we can just start over, and forget the past, the sooner I show my friend that I really mean it this time.
There are certain people in this world that have been through a lot of bullshit. Sometimes, I glorify my problems, and think that I have it terrible, but I really don't have it as bad as some people. I have one particular friend that has put up with so much bullshit from me, and still, against her best judgement befriends me. I just wanted to make it known, that I am thankful.

I'm flawed. Im Damaged at best. I wont pretend I don't have my issues, but I will promise this much....Im getting better, and the better I get, the more I see just how much what I do affects others feelings. I have been nothing but selfish for the past year, and Im getting tired of it.

It's time to put on my big boy shoes and start following through.

Let's Go Blues! (Thats St Louis, right?)

     Any person that knows me, knows that I'm not much of a sports fan, but there is something about going to an actual event that is a blast. You don't have to be a huge sports fan to appreciate the atmosphere of a live game.
     My birthday is coming up next weekend, so my best friend Bill decided to take me to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in St. Louis. Furthermore, the cards played out to where if they won they would closeout the first round, and there would be a huge celebration. Bill paid for EVERYTHING except some of the gas, and my food. He even bought me a blues cap!
     We stayed at the PearTree Hotel on Market St. which is about a block from Union Station Mall. We got there about 2, and the room wasnt ready so we went to the mall and walked around. From the hotel parking lot we had a great view of the skyline.

   
     Bill bought him a jersey and a cap, and bought me a cap, and we ate at the food court. I was stoked because I've needed a new hat for a long time. Bill bought some fancy expensive jersey, but unfortunately they don't make size fat, so I had to stick to the accessories. We decided to get a cab to the game even though it was only about a mile from us, just because I didn't want to risk walking on a sprained ankle. With it still not being 100%, I didn't want to risk re-injuring it. I had meant to buy an ace bandage and wrap it up, but I didn't have time to stop. So, I toughed it out.
    When we got there it was CROWDED, and there were some very odd people around and about. Some were uber fans, and others were homeless and begging for money and/or cigarettes, streetside evangelists, you name it.
     We get into the game and the whole atmosphere was amazing. It was a sea of blue. I didn't like how tight everything was. There was no room for anyone to walk past when you are sitting down. So, anytime someone on the row wanted to get up to pee, everyone had to stand up. Of course, I'm sure it didn't help that I am not exactly small. Plus the game turned into question time, so the majority of the game was spent leaned over yelling embarrassing questions to Bill because I didn't know what was happening most of the time
     Once the game was over, and the Blues clinched the first sound the place went NUTS! Everyone was high fiving, and hugging, air horns, screaming, shouting whistling, swinging rally towels....as we left the stadium everyone was driving by honking their horns 3 times followed by pedestrians shouting LET'S GO BLUES!! If anyone saw that you were wearing a Blues logo they would yell GO BLUES! to you. Everyone was drunk and Bill and I could do nothing but laugh about it. Between the ScottTrade Center and the hotel was an Irish Pub called Maggie O'briens, and while we were waiting, we saw this. I really cant explain it....

That my friends is a guy in a khaki SKIRT. Thankfully he was wearing underwear, but I feel like this is illegal in AT LEAST 19 states. We should have gotten free drinks just for having to witness this. The pub was PACKED but the food was fantastic. By the time we ate, we were exhausted and decided to head on back to the hotel. It was definitely the most fun I've ever had in one night.

Here are some other pictures from the trip :)

Hey Bill, Your Rally Towel is Upside down :P

Bill in front of the Scottrade Center

All moved in and immobilized....

    So with the looming move last week I really wasn't looking forward to the work of starting a new job and moving in the same week. My mother told me about this local "Handyman" service that also did moving services. It was insane how little he charged. He came to the house, and then 1 hour later, all my stuff was in my apartment, and I was only out $150. Of course, I had all the small stuff moved already, so he just moved my bed, couch, loveseat, recliner, chest of drawers, washer and dryer. Here is a link to his facebook page if you are interested in moving for cheap.  Grimes Handyman Service

     So, I was lucky enough to have over to visit a few later (Friday), and we decided to go out. At about 11:30 or 12:00 we were leaving a local restaurant when I missed a step and rolled my ankle. I told Bill that I felt like I needed to go to the hospital to make sure that it wasn't broken. I went, and they told me it was a sprain and sent me home in this cute little splint.

     I say cute, because no quicker did I get home before I rolled my a second time, this time ended me up in the floor writhing and cursing. I had enough, so decided that I would just hobble to bed to sleep it off. I woke up the next morning, and my wrist and especially my ankle was KILLING me, but it looked about the same. I just took a couple of painkillers, and relaxed Saturday. I started noticing late Saturday, that my left side of the ankle hurt especially bad, and was very tender to the touch, but I dismissed it as just tender from the sprain. Sunday, it hurt even worse, and I noticed my foot was swelling as well. This is what I ended up with before deciding to go back to the ER.

     I went back last night, and explained the second rolling of my ankle, so they did X-Ray's again, and found "Severe Ligamenture Damage" and gave me a referral to an orthopedic surgeon stating that it was actually a bad enough sprain that it could require surgery and a cast. They can't do anything until the swelling goes down more, so I am sure hoping that no surgery needs to be done.

Gracie got some spring pictures that are just adorable. Of course she does look like me....I'm kidding of course (kinda)

Here are Gracie's most up to date pictures.

A Bloody good time...

    So, I started moving odds and ends into the new apartment today, and I got to thinking... this is the first time I have been able to decorate my own place how I want to, and I want to do something fun with one of the rooms. I chose the bathroom. I decided to do kind of a horror psycho theme. I thought it would be fun. It may be offensive to some, but I am going to love it, and I made sure to run it past Xander as I didn't want him to be scared by it. He says he loves it, so I decided to go for it.
   Here is what I decided to do with the bathroom :)

Im going to have a lot of fun with it! The rest of the apartment will be conservative, maybe.