Work

I am excited to see this movie. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPH0ct2oXBg
I'm back at work. No kids yet, just meetings and preparation. I'm ready for day 1 and trying to get ready for the first week. It's not that I don't like work, but who wouldn't love to stay home with their kids during the day? (Please, do not mention this to my wife) I like my job and the people there as well. When I broke my leg, the HRA folks were there for me. It was pretty crazy how I broke my leg in the first place. I HATE TUG OF WAR! When Amaya was first diagnosed, the HRA folks were there for me in a HUGE WAY. They are simply a great group of people from administrators, to custodial staff, to teachers, to parents, to kids. And, no I'm not just saying that. I really mean that. Going to work isn't very stressful most days, and that is a great thing. A lot of people can't say that on a day to day basis. Working doesn't leave much time for facebook these days. I sorta miss it, but I think I really needed to detox. I was on there a lot when I was off during the summer. Oh, well that's how it goes sometimes.
Kai came to visit work on Monday. He is a magnet for pretty women. I'm jealous of him, already. I think he liked it too. I saw him wink at one lady and he told another to call him in about 15 years. The first two I'll have to scare the boys, and then with him I'll have to scare the ladies.
I don't have much room left for gray hair on my chin. I guess my head is next.
We have Cox Cable. Amaya has found out about the free shows and videos. If I see Taylor Swift's "Love Story" by Kidz Bop Kids one more time, I'm gonna scream! The part I hate the most is the fact that I like the song now and know most of the words!
I can't believe Payson was injured on Make It or Break It!

Nerd Rap video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qD0vJov5AI4&feature=related

Massive Attack is one of my favorite groups. This is one of their videos. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaef2NgwqHY

WEEKEND

This was a pretty good weekend. On Saturday, I had my fantasy football draft. I had a plan, but I had to scrap it very early. If you are a Colts, Dolphins, Panthers, or Redskins fan, I am sorry. The reason I am sorry is the fact that when I have a player on a team they get hurt. For example, one year I had 3 running backs for the Packers. One was called Samkon Gado. He was about 4th string, and he got hurt as well. Steve Smith was hurt the year I had him. I have Steve Smith this year. He was hurt before I even drafted him earlier in the preseason. It does not look good for Peyton Manning, Ronnie Brown, and Clinton Portis either. I can see a ingrown toenail keeping someone out for months. Once again, I am sorry for this ahead of time.
Today we had our back to school party. It is very good to see people I have not seen in a while. The school year starts on Friday. I won't complain since its been a long, relaxing summer.
I'm not sure if I'm really ready to go back, but I have no choice. I'll be ready by the first day though. Let's go to work! Kai is going up to visit this week. Hopefully, he doesn't go buck wild when he gets there.

Kai's favorite song - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9F444CELomo We listen to this when he is in a bad mood. He dances pretty well for a 2 month old. No backspin yet, but he does a mean sprinkler! This is not Kai, but they are almost as good as Kai. OK, right now these kids are better than Kai. This weekend though, we are gonna watch Breakin' and Breakin' 2! Boogaloo Shrimp!- http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=964146474

Just in case you didn't know....Usain Bolt is really, really fast.

This is one of the funniest parts of this movie. From the water boy....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZpDnXYIFjo
On Tuesday, we went to Water Country or as I call it...Hades Country. It was soooo hot out there on Tuesday. It wasn't a bad day though for the most part. Kai was great and hung out and watched people in the shade. Hopefully, he can go in the water before it closes. Amaya and Taylor had a good time as well. We went to Busch Gardens on Thursday. It was even more hotter. I know that's not proper English, but its my blog so there! I don't think I had enough water since my head hurt just a little bit. I really need to rectify that. The main issue is that water at BG costs $35 plus tax. A little too much for my taste. I know it doesn't cost that much, it just seems that way.
We just finished a bike ride. It was Sharon, Jeanine (sp?), & myself. I did a lot of thinking. My goals for the next year fundraising wise are now almost clear. I was going to do a triathlon this year, but my knee hurts when I run. There are 2 reasons my knee could hurt: it is from when I broke my leg or I'm fat. I would love to say its the injury, but I believe I need to lose a few pounds. So, my plan is to do a tri next year. If that doesn't work out, I am going to raise money by doing a century ride. The fundraising is not done for this year as of yet. In October, there is the Milestones Walk in Norfolk. I am going to join a team to help raise money for Childhood Cancer. http://host.curesearch.org/site/TR/Walk/Milestones?team_id=6720&pg=team&fr_id=1330&et=UujyXXjLqKSQJIA_KJQ5Kg..&s_tafId=7850
So as you can see for the next year, I am going to be asking people for money. I just wanted to warn everyone up front. Here is the site for the virtual walk. http://host.curesearch.org/site/TR?fr_id=1340&pg=entry For those of you that walk, run, swim, or cycle you should join a group and raise money as well. There are several good causes out there. CureSearch Athletics, Alexs Lemonade Stand Foundation, Rally Foundation, and Team In Training are examples of a few.
A jam packed weekend is ahead. The Fantasy Football Draft on Saturday, and my Back to School Party on Sunday. I think I'll draft all Steelers this year. At the party I think I'll wear a bikini or speedo to the party to liven it up. I already have my floaties blown up and ready to roll. Usain Bolt is amazingly fast. I think he may even be faster than me on my bike. It would be really close though.

Run DMC w/Pete Rock & CL Smooth - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr8kFOwxGnk

Its official

We received the call today that Amaya's tumor has grown above 25%. After the tumor board next week, we will know what is next for her. It could be chemo, radiation, or just watching the cancer. It's out of our hands and in a higher powers hands right now. I didn't get upset like I thought I would because I was prepared for this unlike the first time. I have to be strong for my family.
Kai, Taylor, and I went to see G.I. Joe. Kai was upset because he didn't see anyone with a kung- fu grip like in the old days. Actually, Kai slept the whole time. Overall, it wasn't that bad of a movie. I was kind of skeptical since it was something I grew up enjoying. Most times remakes aren't very good. Yes, Life Size comes on tonight I CAN'T wait. Tyra Banks & Lindsay Lohan are incredible! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=156q2w_ca1U
I have an addiction. Not drugs or alcohol. No not even cookies and ice cream. It's hip hop music.
I love old school hip hop especially. Run DMC, LL Cool J, MC Lyte, Eric B. & Rakim, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Public Enemy, Whodini, Beastie boys, and Biz Markie. There aren't enough lines to go through the whole list. I bought a Sirius radio just so I could listen to it whenever I wanted to on the Backspin channel. As bonuses I get to listen to 80s, jazz, reggae, and smooth electronic as well. I would tell anyone that asked to get a satellite radio. There are so many great options. I didn't even talk about the NFL games I can get as well. Amaya enjoys it because of Disney Radio and the station that plays kids songs all the time. So I suggest you not challenge me to a break dance or rhyme battle contest. As LL said, "I'm Bad!"
This is Amaya's favorite commercial. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy_WqicWcHg by the way, I have never seen an ice cream cake for $9.99 at Baskin & Robins.
I am watching a show called Make it or Break it on ABC Family. I should not be watching this show. It is PURE TRASH! The bad part is that I LOVE IT. It's sort of like a teenage Dynasty or Falcon Crest. It's much better than General Hospital, though. Dang it, I missed Life Size!
I hope it comes on again, soon.

Rainy Days

If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Maya Angelou

First I would like to ask you to pray for some people:
1. All of the families in Asia that have been dealing with all the horrible weather.
2. Our friend Vickie and her family
3. Jose & his family

Friday, was a weird day. After getting up we were headed up to Busch Gardens. It was raining when we left and I hoped that it would continue the rest of the day. It didn't continue and I saw some crazy sights. Why were people wearing hoodies when it was extremely humid? It wasn't like it was 70 and cloudy. It was cloudy, but it was also hot. That confused me greatly. Not sure why they had them out of their closets. Kai slept through most of the day. He's like a vampire since he really doesn't go out during the day. Vampire Joker Brother! It's just too hot most of the time. He seemed to like the breeze as we were leaving. Of course, everyone said "ohhh, look at the baby." I think he knew since he winked at a couple of ladies. Or it could have been gas.

In 5 months, I will be 40 years old. I'm getting up there and I really don't mind. Growing up in the 80s was so cool. I have a goal. Not that this has not been a goal the last 15 years or so. My goal is to have the body of a male stripper. Don't think I've ever seen a chubby stripper except in that movie The Full Monty. I really just want to be able to take my shirt off in public and people look at me and cringe. I'm letting people know this so they can help monitor me when I'm out in public. I will need all the help I can get. It helps when someone says, "Hey Chunky butt! Put down the cookies!" Also, if you are trying to lose weight as well, maybe we can do some workouts or trade recipes with each other. It's called the 40 and fly challenge. (I stole the name from Steve Harvey) It's about time I do this, since I'll be 56 when Kai is 16. I want to be able to still beat him in something by that age, except for eating cookies.

The rain can stop now. Last summer it never rained. My water bill could have evened up the national deficit. This summer it won't stop and for some reason my grass is 3 different shades of green. That worries me somewhat at this time. Not sure why its so many colors.
Next week is my fantasy football draft. Side note: How many Bring it On movies do we need? I have been on ESPN doing mock drafts. It makes me upset when people don't finish the draft and decide not to use autopick. You are stuck when it gets to them and the draft stops. It stops for a LONG time. That stinks when that happens.

deer/beer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr4VHamZ27w&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj0DbCBqF80 - Wayne Brady is funny.

Choices

I used to love this show. Hong Kong Phooey! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CW54W9y6-eU&feature=related Saturday mornings were awesome. I got up early to watch cartoons and then saw the old school karate flicks. The ones with the bad voice overs! I will defeat you Chung Lee! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZBYKpQv2p8
I have two choices. I can handle this situation (Amaya's tumor change http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/amayarose) like I have done the last few years or I can go back to being the "old" me. At lunch a few weeks ago my wife's Aunt Maria said something to me. I really like Aunt Maria because she is a unique personality. She does what she wants and doesn't care if anyone has a problem with it. I love that about her. NO false pretenses whatsoever. She told me as we were leaving, "That's the Ron I remember. The one that laughs and jokes with everyone." I'm kinda funny. Not Eddie Murphy Beverly Hills Cop 1, Nutty Professor 1, or Trading Places. I'm Norbit or Bowfinger funny, but not Meet Dave funny. I guess I'll try to relax and do what I need to do for Amaya and not worry so much about the bad stuff that can happen. Having a positive attitude will be the best for everyone. I still dislike cancer, but I can't let it drive me nuts.

Its good to hear that Jose's family had a great vacation. He and his family had a lot of fun. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/joseandres

We went to see G Force yesterday. It was good if you can get over the whole guinea pig rolling around in a souped up hamster ball thing. I may set one up for my hamster I keep at school. I won't lie, I laughed more than I should have at the animals.

Today we went and got blizzards. They were tasty! There's still time to get another one. They don't close for a few hours. Kai was upset that he couldn't have any. Hmm..ice cream. I think my favorite is cookies, ice cream and then cake. Kai slept through the whole movie. He still gets up at 230 am. He eats and goes right back to sleep which is a good thing. Right now he is watching Hannah Montana with Amaya and Taylor. Amaya really likes that show. Taylor not so much. Kai doesn't look to happy either. I'll have to turn on the Steeler game later. He needs to get a jersey for Christmas!

My bathroom sink really stinks. I'm not sure how to fix that smell. It smells like something died down there. Maybe it did. There are many wild animals in Tabb.

Keith Sweat is coming to Af'ram fest this year. Brenda likes Keith Sweat. Not sure why, but she does. Back in the late 80s he was the man though. He could whine with the best of them. Brownstone is going to be there as well. Not sure why they got back together. That worries me. BBD is going to be at Af'ram too. That girl is Poison! We may need to get a room in Norfolk to see all of these groups. I'm still trying to talk Brenda into going to the Bobby Brown show. She doesn't think its good to hope for an implosion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocvGduMduHE - Keith Sweat

BBD - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdF2zqs1bxQ

This is good news from the childhood cancer front about Stand Up 2 Cancer. http://curechildhoodcancer.ning.com/

Manic Monday

I noticed something yesterday. When I post a picture of my kids, people say "cute". Nothing is said when I post a picture of myself. That is probably a good thing that no one posts anything. If they did it would probably be one of the following:
1. Wow, he needs Joan Rivers' doctors for some help.
2. He must have done a lot of drinking since I knew him in school. He looks rough.
3. Wow, is his wife blind or something?
4. He looks really, really old. I hope I age more gracefully than that.
5. Doesn't he know that just for men only costs about $6 a box?
6. Those kids must be adopted, they look nothing like him, and that's a good thing.
7. Is he sure those aren't his grand kids?

This morning I went on a ride with my new bike homey Sharon. She kicked my butt. I am so TIRED right now. She was rolling along through Poquoson. I wanted to tell her to slow down, but I didn't want to seem like a wimp. I need a nap.
We went to County Grill yesterday for our anniversary. For a treat we ordered a "table" banana pudding. It was HUGE! Needless to say we brought some home. I was going to eat it for breakfast, but I thought better of it since I was going riding.

I found out yesterday that Bobby Brown, Ralph Tresvant, and Johnny Gill are coming to do a concert I really wouldn't care, but I am a voyeur of a few reality shows. Dog the bounty Hunter, Dog Whisperer, Snoop Dog, Hammer time, Run's House, Flavor of Love, and the Bobby Brown Show. I just want to go to the concert and see what happens. Bobby intrigues me. How scary will Bobby be? Will Mike Tyson show up and do a duet with Bobby? Will Eddie Murphy do a duet with Johnny? I've got to go to see what happens. Bobby let me down at the BET awards. I'm ready for him to let loose!

Funny story from the onion. ttp://www.theonion.com/content/news/legion_of_terra_cotta_mouseketeers

If possible, send the fat cyclist http://www.fatcyclist.com/ a note. His wife's funeral is today. He is one of the reasons I started to blog. Most of the time, he has me cracking up. I noticed on someone else's blog that their writings are copyrighted. Should I copyright my stuff? I could make a lot of money if someone stole this stuff. It's good. Yeah, right, I wouldn't have enough for a Starbucks cafe mocha.

Saturday

Yesterday was a good day. I went on one of the fastest bike rides ever. My new bike homey convinced me to join the B group this week. They went pretty fast through the 37 miles. A cop pulled me over because of my excessive speed. It will be on speeders in a couple weeks. At least I'm not on Dumbest Police videos where Todd Bridges & Tonya Harding gets to talk about me. That would be embarrassing.
Then it was home for the day. I hung out with Kai, my eldest daughter Taylor, and cousin Kyra. We watched The Bourne Supremacy on TNT and then I watched Shooter. I changed a zillion diapers. Kai went to sleep at 920. He was tired of watching Shooter I guess.
My phone twitter isn't working. It is a national emergency. I think that should be on the news as much as Paula Abdul's not having a job. Don't shed a tear for Paula. She's still making money off of the "Forever your Girl" single. That was my jam. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgVhmly4s-M I listened to some crazy stuff in the 80s.
This is old, but it is very funny. Mad TVs Bon Qui Qui. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZkdcYlOn5M There are some really dumb things on YouTube. I bet me changing a diaper would get 400000 hits.
Today is my anniversary. Not too much planned. It's HOT already. I think I'll wear my speedo today to keep cool. That would be a great anniversary gift. Have a good one.

Friday

I'm off from work for a couple more weeks. That gives me time to search the Internet for interesting stuff in between feedings and diaper changes. I found this sight along with a funny picture of Will Ferrell. They give scholarships to kids that have won the fight against cancer. This is the section that has some stories that happened to cancer patients. If you need some sunscreen check out the Will Ferrell section. The bottles are really funny. Much funnier than Semi Pro, but not as funny as Elf or Ricky Bobby. http://www.cancerforcollege.org/The_Lighter_SIde.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74Obm6bEH80&feature=related - Ricky Bobby
This video always makes me laugh. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSDXcpXJr4M I guess its because I sound like him when I sing.
Boy, I'm sleepy. Kai was up at 3am again. He isn't up for a while, but it disrupts my sleep.
I don't sleep that well anyway, so 3am comes early. He appreciates it though. He only spits up on my old clothes. We get to hang out tomorrow, since mommy is going out. I can't wait! He raises my cool points 100%! I'm thinking about going to the mall or something like that. People will probably think I'm his grandfather or something. The Alley is back open! I should go, but I would fall asleep on the dance floor.
Rakim has a new song!!! For those that don't know he is known as the greatest MC of all time in most circles. Paid In Full is a classic CD. I'm going to give you a list of 9 CDs/albums/downloads that you may not have and should pick up.
1. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill
2. Dummy by Portishead
3. Sweetback by Sweetback
4. Sketches of Spain by Miles Davis
5. Blue Lines by Massive Attack
6. Gentle Side of John Coltrane by John Coltrane
7. Mecca & the Soul Brother by Pete Rock & CL Smooth
8. The O Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack.
These are the types of Cd's that you can start and not mess with until its over. And they are all kid friendly. I can't have Kai walking around talking about *&%$#@ and *&<>?$#!!! He can listen to that if he chooses when he gets older. Not as a 3 year old. Nowadays most Cd's you buy for one song and get mad when the rest of it stinks!
I have so many of those around here. Soul For Real's second album was a letdown.
Twitter is so great. I learned from Bob Villa that all patio furniture is 70% off!
We haven't heard back from CHKD about the MRI results. One reason is the nurse that usually tells us was not at work today. There is always confusion. The radiology people tell the oncologists that they see a change & the neurosurgeons say, maybe a little, but not enough to change the status quo. The status quo is a MRI every 3 months and to watch the tumor(s).
We are told radiology people are just that way and may or may not see the slightest change.
The Onion is really funny sometimes. So we should know in the next few days or maybe not. We go back on the 19th to meet with the docs. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is hilarious. Psych comes on tonight! Not sure if I'll be able to stay up and watch though!
http://www.fatcyclist.com/ is a pretty funny blog most of the time.

Your favorite bloggers, favorite blogger

Today was an okay day. Of course, we ran into traffic going to CHKD, but we have such a large window, so it worked out fine. Amaya was upset this morning about the MRI. Her premeds really made her tired after the MRI. She slept for a while and didn't want to wake up. Her legs were wobbly afterwards as well. We came home hung out with Kai while Amaya played with her dolls. I went to the HRA summer league game. I'm glad I didn't take Kai. It was hot in that gym! Good job Navigators! I saw this on twitter and thought it was pretty cool:
Romans 5 -3 - We have joy with our troubles ,because we know that these troubles produce patience , & patience produces character , & hope

Amaya told me about this link. I thought it was kinda funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=astISOttCQ0

This is some old classic Eddie Murphy & Arsenio Hall. It still makes me laugh! Sexual Chocolate!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGDtM-UVfuo

Hello This is Kai Sims. I need your help. Please, please, please, come visit me or something. My father watches bad movies. Yesterday it was a 2006 Dolph Lundgren. Today it was Howard the Duck. Yes, I said Howard the Duck! He tells me that he has seen every Wesley Snipes, Jean Claude, and Steven Seagal movie! No more Double Take! Rodman was only good at getting rebounds dad! Don't put me through this stuff. This is cruel and unusual punishment! No daddy, I don't want to see Leprechaun 5 back to the hood! If I see Star Wars one more time I might have to go Darth Vader on him! He wanted to name me Chewbacca Calrissian Anakin, but mommy said no. Thank goodness! She's the smart one in the family anyway. I don't like syfy either. Dragon Keeper is horrible! Sincerely, Kai.

I love Mondays

Yes, that's right I said it. I love Mondays! Most people hate them, but not me. I'm thankful for Mondays because its the beginning of a new week. 7 days to try something new and different. Maybe its a food, movie, TV show, book, website, CD,or whatever. I used to hate Mondays. Now I like them. Who knows what will happen this week?
I love music. All kinds of music. Hip Hop, pop, rock, country, jazz, classical, & Christian. My favorite has to be mostly every thing from the 80s. Journey, Wham, Men at Work, Michael Jackson, Culture Club, Run DMC, Eric B. & Rakim, Whodini, Beastie Boys, and others. I remember on a middle school trip to New York I bought a Run DMC King of Rock cassette tape. I also had the coolest Walkman that let you record off of the radio. I was able to record LL Cool J's "I need love". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amHsMkeeCbs I was SO excited. I have Sirius XM and my favorite stations are the 80s ones. I miss the 80s TV shows as well.

I remember watching the Sunday night CBS line-up with the Jefferson's, Alice, and One Day at

a Time. Thank goodness I can get my fix with TV land.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmcA9LIIXWw

I like twitter alot. But most of the people that follow me want me to look at their "sexy" profile. Ummm..why? I'm 39 with a wife and 3 kids. I want someone cool to follow me. Like the Jonas Brothers, Rockwell, or the Cheetah Girls. I went to see them in concert (Cheetah) when they were in Richmond. It wasn't that bad. It's scary that I say that.

Today was a pretty good day. We went to see Horton Hears a Who at the library. It was not bad. I laughed a few times. Much better than I thought it would be. My son looks nothing like me. He actually looks like one of the joker brothers in the movie Next Friday. Maybe its good he doesn't look like me. He was up again at 3 am. There should be a law that babies must stay asleep all night. I shouldn't complain though since most nights he's only up once a night. I just jinxed myself so expect blogs ever two hours tonight. The rest of the day we hung out at home and changed diapers. Its too hot to be outside a lot. I don't like heat or diapers.

Tomorrow is Amaya's three month MRI. We haven't told her since it stresses her out.

She doesn't sleep well leading up to them. It's at 900. We have to be there by 700. At least the traffic isn't horrible that early. The MRI's don't really stress us out. We get the results in a few days. Not sure how they will be. NO matter what the docs tell us we're ready for it. Good or bad we're ready. Ain't doing alone anymore, we got the best backup around. Better than the A-Team.

Thanks for reading.

If possible please send a kind word to Jose and his family.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/joseandres

The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind.
William James

Therapy...

I really need this right now. The reason is I hate something. I know its not right to hate, but I hate it with all my being. It's not like a brussel sprout, Ravens, reality TV hate. Its deeper than that. I hate Cancer! Not just for my daughter, but for anyone who has had to deal with this scourge. Not too long ago a friend of ours had to deal with the death of her mother because of Cancer. Now she gets news that her sister has it as well. Please, pray for her and her family. She is one of the best people in the world! She is the type of person that makes people around her better. Both she and her husband have helped me so much over the last year with a lot of things. If anyone deserves happiness it is her and her family! Hopefully, her sister can get healed and be healthy. Instead of politicians using pork to line pockets, why not use the money to help find a cure for this disease at all levels! That makes sense to me. Am I the only one who thinks this way? Who do you know that hasn't been touched by this disease? The list is very short! People, I need your help. If you give to charities help out one that deals with cancer. Bypass Starbucks or fast food a couple times and make a donation. There are a lot of different organizations that can help. My goal will be to help in any way to eradicate this disease! It has to happen. I HATE CANCER!!!!
Today was a pretty good day. We went to the store after church. It was Wal-Mart. It wasn't very busy and I didn't get angry once while shopping. That's a plus for me since Wal-Mart always makes me upset for some reason. Three (myself, Brenda, & Kai) of us took naps today which means I won't sleep tonight. Amaya doesn't take naps. She didn't take a lot of naps when she was younger either. Hence, some of the gray hair. Then we went to community group. It's a small church group. We talked about marriage again tonight. I am supposed to submit to my spouse this week and always. I can start by doing the little things. Waking up to feed Kai, taking dishes out of the dishwasher, folding clothes, etc. You find out that staying in love is tough, but its worth it. I'll do the best I can. Tomorrow should be a busy day since I'll be home from work.

Worry

I decided that this may be a two blog day since something really amazing happened to me this morning at church. Pastor Stu Hodges did a sermon on breaking free of worry and anxiety. Boy, did I need to hear that. I worry about so much stuff. Is my grass really dead, will A Tribe Called Quest get back together, will I lose my house/job, will my car break down, did I do a good job coaching the team, will my son be the nerd in school like myself, and assorted other things. But my main worry item is my daughter's cancer. It doesn't consume me like it used to before, but I still worry. A lot. Too much it seems. That's why my beard is gray like a 60 year old man. Anxiety!!! Will she have go back to chemo, or have radiation, will it grow, will it shrink, will it go away, will we have a long hospital stay, will she grow up, will she have late effects, and it goes on and on. It was good to know that even a pastor worries about some things as well. He did give me a list of things to try: 1. I will think like God says to think. 2. I will do what God says to do. 3. I will trust God with everything else. I'm going to give that a try and see if that helps.
I love my daughter and would trade places with her in a second if I could. I want her to grow up and be happy and make her husband buy her the purple car that she wants when she gets older. I'm looking forward to doing the Bad Boys 2 seen with someone on each of my daughter's first dates. No parent should have to lose their child like so many people that we know from CHKD. They all deserve to grow up. It breaks my heart.
http://www.caringbridge.org/ninahermes
http://www.caringbridge.org/tommygosser
http://www.caringbridge.org/samanthatrost

I wondered about something last night at 230 in the am when my son wanted me to feed him and change his diaper. I wondered why he couldn't wait till later. Actually I thought about how I haven't done a better job of keeping in touch with people. There were some great people that were my friends in my numerous stops during my life. Weirton, Williamsburg, basic training/advanced training, and Charlotte are some of my destinations. I can't figure out how or why we lost touch. It might be because I smell funny or I owe them money. I'm still broke so you're not getting your money. I still owe ODU for loans and now I have 3 kids. I think I paid for at least 10 uniforms and helmets since I left. I need to do better with that in the future. I'm glad for facebook so I can get back in touch or keep in touch with those people. Two of them are the Banks Sisters, LeMaige, and Ladoris. I've added a couple of their websites that you can check out.
http://www.vimeo.com/rebirthmusic
http://www.reverbnation.com/rebirthmusicministries

Please, pray for Jose' and his family. They deserve some peace at this time.
http://www.caringbridge.org/joseandres Edmarc, another great organization is trying to help them out at this time. They do a lot for families that have children in treatment and have life threatening illnesses. http://www.edmarc.org/

If you haven't done so already please sign the petition at http://curechildhoodcancer.ning.com/. It only takes a minute. Also, use this information to write a letter to the President http://curechildhoodcancer.ning.com/forum/topics/pac2-initiative-why-mr.

Support Jordin Sparks! I am not an Idol fan, (my friends Jeffanie like that Dance show, but I don't watch that either) but she supports Alexs Lemonade Stand Foundation! http://www.alexslemonade.org/home Who is she anyway?
More later about my day or maybe not. I gotta go feed Kai. He's getting louder!!!
PS I forgot something. I'm gonna become a rapper! My name is gonna be Clark Griswold, King Joffey Joffer, Willie Wonka, Yoda, or SuperNerd! Let me know what you think!

Why do I need to blog?

I think the reason I need to blog is because I'm angry. Always angry. About almost everything. For example, too little rain has made my grass die, cookies make you fat even though they taste good (why couldn't brussel sprouts make you fat, they are gross), there isn't a magic pill to lose weight, my neighbors chickens run in my yard, and I need a new car because my old one is getting up there in miles. But seriously I think the main reason I'm angry is that my daughter has cancer. It is a part of our lives every day. So like the line says in the Public Enemy song I do think, "I gotta right to be hostile!" It's not like a cold that we can make go away or a boo boo that a band-aid can fix. We've seen so many kids die from this disease that it can get too you at times. Megan, Nina, Sam, Anthony, Tommy, Payton, and so many more have passed away. Then there's Jose', Averi, Jake, Sarah, Andrew, Declan and others that will have to poked and prodded for the rest of their lives. It makes no sense to me that kids should have to go through this mess. They haven't been able to live and enjoy life. Their parents won't be able to see their first dates, marriages, graduations, and children. That just doesn't seem fair to me. When my own daughter does something crazy is that my parenting or is it the chemo brain? I just can't tell. I love her to death, but sometimes she drives me batty!

It's really hard to blog and feed my son at the same time. At one month I was shooting 3's and he can't even hold his bottle.


My life isn't all bad though. I have a wife that I've been married to for almost 12 years (August 9, 1997), an old car that still runs (and has a cassette tape deck and I have a LOT OF TAPES), a beautiful 16 year old daughter, a newborn son, great family and friends, and a job I enjoy doing. I don't just say that. I like my job and the people I work with. When my daughter was first diagnosed they were there for me and my family. And when I do something to raise money they help as well. My wife Brenda deserves a medal for putting up with me for so long since I am angry all the time. I have also met some wonderful people at CHKD. Nurses, Social Workers, Doctors, Security, and Families. The people I have trained with while with TNT have been great as well.
One of my missions in life is to help eradicate childhood Cancer by using the following sites:
http://www.alexslemonade.org/home
http://curechildhoodcancer.ning.com/
http://curesearch.org/
http://www.fightplga.org/foundation
http://www.curetoday.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/article.show/id/2/article_id/937

We have been blessed with my daughter being relatively healthy for 2 years. Also, the last few years, I have grown closer to God. I knew that I couldn't handle all this anger alone. God helps me relax and give all my worries and fears to him. It has worked more and more lately. So its not all bad. I think I need to blog to let me vent and talk about my day. And to ramble if I want to.



Please, pray for Jose' and his family. They were given some bad news last week. Also, pray for the fatcyclist and his family. His wife has cancer and its not going well.

http://www.fatcyclist.com/
http://www.caringbridge.org/joseandres

http://www.caringbridge.org/ninahermes

http://www.caringbridge.org/tommygosser

http://www.caringbridge.org/amayarose

http://www.paytonwright.org/

Today was an OK day. I went on a bike ride with members of the Peninsula Bicycle Association. It was a good ride. Then we went to Sam's Club. I was not happy since they said that they would have tons of samples and then the samples were not very good. That made me angry, but I did pick up some Alex's Lemonade Stand Lemonade since some of the money goes to help cure childhood cancer. I don't really drink lemonade, but the ladies of the house drink it. We went to lunch/dinner with Grandma Evelyn, Aunt Debbie, and Aunt Barbara. It was a good time as well. Aunt Debbie may move to Vegas! I hope so, that would be fun. Kai (my newborn son) has been an eating & bathroom machine again today. Wow, that's a lot of diapers. He also has baby acne. Do they have baby Proactiv?

Amaya, my 7 year old daughter/cancer survivor, had some good and bad moments as usual. At times she is a beautiful, caring little girl. Other times, she is the sister of Damian Omen. I hear the music when she does something crazy. He haw Damian, He haw Damian! My 16-year old daughter is out of town visiting family. That's enough for today. My son just threw up on me.
I guess he didn't like my jokes. OK, I forgive him, he just smiled at me.