Not feeling so good

Hello all,

This morning at 12:15 I was paged out for work. Then the alarm went off at 8:00 for church. I'm tired and cranky. I feel like I am coming down with a cold. I can't wait for winter to be over.

-Andy

Long Day

Hello all,

This afternoon Ali qualified for the Pepsi bowling tournament in St. Louis in May. Great Job Alexandria! I am very proud of you.

This morning Zac's team played a great game of basketball. At 3:00 he was my assistant coach for the Lady Gator's and he did a great job keeping the team's spirits up during the game. I could not have done it without you Zac. It was great having you on my bench this afternoon.

Tonight we just got back from Larry and Pattie-Ann's house where we celebrated Jeff and Jennifer's birthdays. I am tired.

Good night,

-Andy

Skating Party

Hello all,

Tonight Jennifer and I took the kids to Benit's 7th birthday party at Wildwood skating rink. The kids had a great time skating and showing their mom and dad. Ali stayed to the inside of the pack of kids where the route around the rink is the smallest. Zac however just rolled with the pack of boys. After the party, we used one of our gift certificates to IHOP and enjoyed dinner out as a family.

-Andy

Both Kids Had Great Days

Hello all,

As a reward for both kids having outstanding days at school, I decided to stop at Family Video and grab two movies for the kids. It was an unexpected surprise that really brought out a smile on their faces.

-Andy

Zac Basketball Practice

Hello all,

Tonight was a good night for Zac's basketball team. The team worked really hard on their shooting from within the lane. As a treat, if the team shot 50% for a rotation, the coaches would run a lap. As the practice progressed and their shooting improved, coach Joe and I added a new wrinkle and had the kids run a lap if they failed to shoot 50%. It was a risk/reward that both parties had some fun playing.

-Andy

Happy Birthday Jennifer

Hello all,

I want to take a moment to wish my lovely wife a Happy Birthday! She is another year wiser and still looks great. I am looking forward to going to Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse for dinner tonight with you and the kids. I will let the staff know it is your birthday so they bang on the drum and sing to you. I know you like it so much. ;)

-Andy

No School

Hello all,

Seriously? Can the North Kansas City School District have school if the snow falls? My kids will be going to school in JUNE at this rate. Right now the end of the year is 5/28. That is the last Friday of the month of May. If we have one more snow day the kids will be in school into June. When I was growing up, F-M may have had a two hour late start to allow the roads to be cleared. This is insane! They will need to have an early dismissal due to the HEAT in June. I have officially become the old man yelling in his yard.

-Andy

Rain to Snow

Hello all,

If yesterday was not bad enough, it has been snowing all day. Now I have three inches of snow to shovel on my sidewalk and driveway. I'm not motivated to clear it. As far as I'm concerned it can stay put until the sun takes care of it.

-Andy

Daddy Daughter Dance

Hello all,

Tonight Ali was my date to the Gladstone Daddy Daughter Dance at the Community Center. It was a lot of fun. Ali was in her new dress and I wore my blue suit. We had salad, mashed potatoes, rolls, green beans and chicken tenders for dinner and cupcakes for dessert.

After dinner, we got down on the dance floor. Ali showed me how to dance to Lady Gaga and the Black Eyed Peas. The rest of the dads showed our daughters how to do the Electric Slide and the Cotton Eyed Joe. Both parties were equally impressed by the other I'm sure.

After the dance, I took Ali to McDonalds for ice cream. We picked some up for mom and Zac as well to make it equal. I did have a great time with Ali and look forward to our next date night.

-Andy

Snow

Hello all,

It is raining today. Yes, the rain is falling and the sky is gray and dull. Oh I wish it was April. At least the rain would be bringing the smell of cut grass and outdoor baseball. The cold damp days are taking a toll on me. I now know what cabin fever is all about. I just want to be able to be outside for a while to get some fresh air and NOT feel like I'll catch a cold by my actions.

Spring is only a month away.

-Andy

Friday

Hello all,

We survived! Yes, Jennifer is back in control at Unimed. It only took her 48 hours on medication to start to kick the bugs out of her system. I'm glad that she decided to take some time to recover from her illness. I'm sure she will have piles of paperwork to get through this weekend to make up for her absence on Wednesday and Thursday.

-Andy

Day Two

Hello all,

The world continued to spin correctly without Jennifer watching over it yesterday. I hope we can all survive without her at her desk today.

I hope that you feel better tomorrow Jen.

-Andy

Jennifer is Sick

Hello all,

Call out the National Guard. My wife is actually staying home from work today to recover from a sinus infection and ear infection. The world will stop rotating on its axis now. The world will need to operate without my wife being at her post for 24 hours.

I hope you feel better soon Jennifer.

-Andy

Watching the Olympics

Hello all,

This will be a short entry tonight. I've been watching the Olympics with the kids for an hour or so and love to watch the snowboard events. I would be scared to death if Ali or Zac decided they wanted to fly down a hill on a waxed piece of wood, but I would bite my tongue if that is their passion in life. It sure was amazing to see how high some of these young people fly into the air and flip around. Simply amazing to watch with the kids.

-Andy

Company Holiday

Hello all,

I'm home all day with the kids. We all played Mario Bros. Wii and then I played Tiger Woods Golf. We went out for lunch at Wendy's and then picked up the dogs from the kennel. By the time we finished our errands, it was time to start making dinner and get ready for the basketball practice.

-Andy

Happy Valentines Day

Hello all,

Happy Valentines day Jennifer! It was a hectic day of driving and getting Zac to urgent care for his ear infection, but at least we were able to spend a little time together once the kids were in bed. Things will slow down one of these days... I think...

-Andy

Hello from Branson

Hello all,

Good morning from Branson Missouri! We are down here to shop for the kids summer clothes and visit Jen's aunt and uncle that live in Springfield. It was a long drive yesterday afternoon and a very uncomfortable night's sleep. I hope that the rest of our trip is better than how it has started.

-Andy

Kids Valentine's Party

Hello all,

I went to Ali's Valentine's Day party at Clardy Elementary school today at 11:15. What a great time. The class was in a great mood for their party and it was good to see many of the parents I had a chance to meet at the Christmas party in December. I met Ali's boyfriend Ethan. He is about a foot shorter than her. I think I'm safe for a few more years. But oh boy.. the years are coming quick!

-Andy

Back to Work

Hello all,

Today was my first day back to work all week. I feel almost normal. I am very tired, but made it through the day with good stamina. Now I am off for the next four days!

-Andy

Recovering

Hello all,

I am feeling much better today. My fever has almost broke. It was 99.9 when I took it this morning at 10:00 AM. I hope to feel better soon.

-Andy

Strep Throat

Hello all,

Yuk. I have strep throat. No fun will be had for a few days.

-Andy

Not Feeling Well

Hello all,

I am not feeling well today. I went home sick with a fever of 102.2. Yuk. I don't like not feeling good.

-Andy

Superbowl and Laundry

Hello all,

Well, the Saints won. Now we can put the football season behind us and move on to NCAA basketball! I am looking forward to the tournament this year. I am hoping that the basketball is good to watch.

Oh, yes... I did laundry again. I wish that it would magically just be washed, folded and put away each week. :)

-Andy

Basketball

Hello all,

I'm worn out! Two basketball games in three hours just wipes me out. I need to go home and take a nap, but there is always something that the kids want me to do with them. I would feel guilty not spending time with them on a Saturday. Uf-Dah. I can't wait to go to Branson next weekend for some R&R.

-Andy

Umimed Get-together

Hello all,

Tonight Jennifer and I went to Wild Bill's at the Legends for Unimed's belated Holiday party. It was nice to sit down and get to know the people I have heard so much about through the years.

-Andy

Working on Taxes

Hello all,

Tonight Jennifer and I started our 2009 taxes with Turbo Tax. It was much easier this year since our 2008 forms were imported into this years form. We made a lot of headway and think I'll be ready to file by next week.

-Andy

Very Long Day

Hello all,

It was a very long day. We received news at 4:00 that our team was not losing anyone. Thank you God! I don't think I could have handled losing my job today.

-Andy

They were true

Hello all,

The rumors were true. DST is laying off 7% of its workforce today and tomorrow. My building will be addressed tomorrow. It is going to be a long, sleepless night for me I believe.

-Andy

Rumors

Hello all,

The rumor mill was churning hard today around 3:00 with an announcement that DST will be laying people off tomorrow. I thought this part of my life was over now that I worked for a stable company.

-Andy