Monday, July 30, 2012

July 30

Time for a new blog entry and don’t forget to go visit my website at: http://www.thomnichols.com/
Ok, I don’t know why I’m still following them either, but the Rockies are now 26 games under 500. We lost all three games this weekend. One of them we even got seven runs. Unfortunately, the Reds got nine. We were totally shut out on Friday which really sucked. Sunday, we only made two runs to their seven. All in all, it was a bad weekend. Since the All Star break, we were winning one game out of each series. But, we couldn’t even manage that this time. We were off today, but we’re starting up with the Cardinals tomorrow then the Giants and the Dodgers. Our prospect for winning any of them doesn’t look good. The best thing I can say for the Rockies at the moment is that we aren’t last in the league. Houston still holds that honor, at least for now. They are 34 games under 500. (Man I can’t wait until football starts.)
My wife started her new schedule this week. She worked all graveyards. It was nice being home at the same time with her, but I don’t think it agreed with her very much. She’s not a night person and didn’t get very much sleep the entire week. This week she’s working the afternoon/evening shifts. I hope they work out better for her.
My son had an interview today with a moving company. He said it went well, but there were two other people interviewing for the same position. The other two guys had driver’s licenses so he thinks they might have a better shot at it. But, he’s eligible for his license in a few months and the job didn’t require one. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
My eldest daughter is in California with the Army. She’s in Palm Desert, but she said it wasn’t as hot as she expected. I hope that lasts. She left her car here and they bussed them all out there. She said it took 26 hours. That had to have sucked. As for her car, I felt it was my duty not to ignore it, so I’ve been driving it around here and there. It’s a really nice car, but it keeps yelling at me to put my seatbelt on. I also had to take the head rest off of the seat. It was angled forward and very annoying. I’m sure there was a way to tilt it back, but it was just easier to take it off.
We bought my youngest daughter her school supplies for college yesterday. She’s the first of my kids to go and we didn’t really know exactly what she would need, so we got a little of everything. So, she should be ok. When we got home afterwards, however, she said that she was already thinking about changing her major. I know most kids change it two or three times their freshman and sophomore years, but she hasn’t even started yet. I’m sure she’ll figure it out and will be all right.
My granddaughter has decided that cars should stop making glove compartments because no one wares gloves anymore unless it’s snowing and then they only wear them to play outside.
Since this might be our last weekend together for a while, (My job is going to have a bunch of overtime for the next two or three months) we decided to go out and enjoy ourselves. So, my daughter got us tickets to the movies. Total Recall and the new Bourne movie hadn’t started, so they dragged me to some new dance movie. Step up something. That’s the problem going to the movies with a bunch of girls. They thought it was good. There was even a preview for another dance movie and they were excited about going to see that one too. I’m going to have to go home and watch Die Hard or something just to get the dance movie out of my system.
Well, that about sums up my week. Slider is cranking on very nicely. I’m on chapter nine today. So, I’m going to put ELO, Rod Stewart, the Beach Boys, and Joan Jett in the playlist tonight for background listening.
See you next week.
-Thom

Monday, July 23, 2012

July 23

Please check out my website at: http://www.thomnichols.com/
It must suck to be a new person at any job. We, of course, get the leftovers from every other company. Saturday morning when I was leaving work, the guy that took over was one of our latest new guys. He was trained for five days and he’s got about a month or so behind his belt now. As I was leaving, he picked up the 31 day folder and very seriously asked which slots today’s reports would be in. I could almost see where he would be confused if this were February, but it’s July. There are thirty one days in this month. Oh well, enough about new guys.

I took my granddaughter swimming this weekend. We had a great time, but I forgot to put on some sun block. Yes, I’m a hurting puppy right now. My granddaughter barely got a tan, but I’m a lobster. It’s weird how you can have such a great time and not even realize that you’re cooking. I’m so burned that even the bald spot on the top of my head is red. I barely even wanted to move today. But, my granddaughter wanted to play today when she came over this evening so, what could I do? We just played inside.
The Rockies are still doing horrible. My brother and I went to the game on Tuesday. We had a great time, but the Rockies lost. They were playing the Pirates and if I remember correctly, we dropped two of the three games against them. We’re playing Arizona today. When I left it was like five to nothing or something like that. It was in the sixth, and I haven’t even looked up the final score yet. But, I’m sure it’s not good.
My wife finally decided she’d had enough at work this week. She requested a transfer and tomorrow will be her last day. I could give you a list of reasons, but the biggest was that she wasn’t appreciated. She does… or did… so much for them and all she ever heard were the negatives. It was time for her to go and do something else anyway. She’d been there for over five years and she’s has wanted to do something different for a while. Now is her perfect chance.
My girls have been talking about getting an apartment together. They were going to move into the basement, but I guess that idea is out. One of their cousins might move in with them. They’ve always been close and he graduated at the same time as my youngest.
My son has started talking about getting a job. He did odd jobs, but he was mostly a stay at home dad. But, now that my granddaughter is going to be going to school, there isn’t a need for him to stay at home. With two full time incomes, they will be able to afford to do a lot more.
I went to see Batman on Saturday. It was good, but I didn’t like the Bane character. I didn’t like the storyline very much. I did see a preview for the new Superman movie. Let’s hope it isn’t as gay as the last one. Maybe they’ll even include a fight scene in the new one. The movie that does look good is the new Total Recall. I can’t wait for that one. I think it comes out next week or something like that.
We spent the whole morning at the dentists on Saturday. I got off at six and my wife got off at seven. Her appointment was at seven thirty and we just made it. She was just supposed to get x-rays and a consultation on the work she needs. Instead, they started the process. Even though we were there for so long and I almost fell asleep in the waiting room, it was better that they started. That way my wife won’t be able to back out. And, the insurance paid for much more than they were going to last year. So, after she gets hers done, I’m going to go in and get mine done. Mine will be much more, because I don’t think the dentist has a procedure that I don’t need. Yes, I haven‘t been to a dentist for more years than I have fingers.
Well, on a happier note. I’m on chapter 7 in Slider. It is developing very well. I usually only work on it for about two hours a night, but lately I’ve been putting in an extra hour. So, I hope that continues. I’m putting Twisted Sister, Ratt, one Helix song (I’m sure you know which one. There was only one good one) and Motley Crew in the playlist tonight for background listening. So, I’ll see all of you next week.
-Thom

Monday, July 16, 2012

July 16

As always, check out my website at: http://www.thomnichols.com/


What a week, what a week. Let’s start off with the big news. My eldest daughter bought my granddaughter some goldfish. Then my wife and my daughter went in halfsies (Yeah, halfsies isn’t a real word, even if you stick a v in there instead of an f.) on a small tank. My granddaughter named them Rosie, Juliet, and Pretty Head. They told her to feed them every other day and take care of them. Well, she took that to heart. She usually stays over at our house on Friday’s so the kids can have some time to themselves and we can get in some quality granddaughter time. But, when she heard that her mom and dad were going to go out, she complained all evening about going home so that she could watch them and so they wouldn’t be lonely. So, we broke down and took her home. After she got there and found out that her parents weren’t going to leave her home alone to watch her fish, she started begging to come back.
I went to see the Spiderman movie today. I think I like the actor who plays Peter Parker much better than the old guy. They did a great job on the Lizard and the special effects. I’m looking forward to the next one. I’ll probably go see Batman next week. The previews looked really good. I also want to see the new Bourne movie, even though Jason Bourne isn’t going to be in it. (I don’t see how they can have a Bourne movie without Jason, but I’m not running things.) The action and effects look like it’s going to be really good. But, the best special effects I saw in the previews are the new Total Recall movie. It looks like it’s going to be great. I liked the old one a lot, but this one looks like it’s going to be great.
The Rockies started off with a bang after the All Star Break. They took apart the Phillies in that first game. They brought up a double A player (Rutledge) and he did really well. Then, after that big win, they lost the next two and dropped the series. Today, they’re taking on the Pirates. It was a close game all the way until the fifth. They scored one and we scored four. We held them off until the ninth. At that time, I had to take my granddaughter home, so I was listing to it on the radio. Of course, they go into a rain delay with one out and two people on base for the Pirates. I just checked the score before I started writing this blog and we’re tied 4-4. But, it’s the bottom of the ninth and we have one man on first with no outs. I got my fingers crossed. Tomorrow, I’m taking my brother to the game. One of the guys I work with came back from vacation in Mississippi, but he got in late, so I traded shifts with him. I worked this Saturday and he’s going to work for me tomorrow. So, I get to see the whole game. Well, looking at the game on the computer as I’m writing this, I see that the new guy, Rutledge just got out. I’ll keep you informed as the game and blog progresses.
My youngest daughter turned down a job at Subway. She had a great interview and they offered her a job. But, she decided not to take it. I’m actually glad about that. She’s starting college in August and working two jobs would be a little too much in my opinion. I would rather her focus on her studies so that she isn’t overwhelmed.
Speaking of August, my wife is organizing an end of summer barbeque. Wait a minute, Giambi singled to center sending Rosario to third. We have two runners and only one out. Anyway, it’s not going to be her family or my family, we’re going to put them both together and have an us against them kickball or volleyball game. It should be fun. Since we haven’t told anyone yet, if anyone is reading this from either family, this is your heads up. My wife is going to reserve a park and she’s already planning her menu. She told me that she wasn’t going to organize anything ever again after she helped do her dad’s side of the family’s family reunion last month. I guess that didn’t last.
On the subject of my wife, she finally got fed up with work and asked for a transfer. She was a little upset when I went to pick her up today. But, now that we talked it out and she really thought about it, it’s a good thing. They were really taking advantage of her and treating her badly. So, she’s going to take the transfer but start looking around at other options. I’m still voting for the bartender school. She’s a very personable person and she could make a killing in tips. I also mentioned bartending to my brother. When I take him to the game tomorrow, I’m going to mention it again. He’s having some problems now, and needs to find a job quickly. The Bartending School is only a week long and from the website I saw, they have an incredible placement record.
I know you’re on the end of your chairs wondering about the end of the game, so here goes. Dexter Fowler hit a sacrifice fly to score the winning RBI.
My wife just called. There was a horrible accident at my son’s house. One of my granddaughter’s goldfish died. She tried talking to my wife, but she was crying too loudly to be understood. It looks like we’re going to go to the pet store and pick up a new one.
Well, that’s about enough for today. I’m on chapter 6 of Slider, so I’m going to work on that tonight. I’m putting Stray Cats, U2, Reo Speedwagon, and 38 Special into the playlist for background music tonight.
See you next Monday
-Thom

Monday, July 9, 2012

July 9

Like always, please visit my website at: http://www.thomnichols.com/
It’s the All Star Break and we really need it. The Rockies are sitting at 33-52, not the score we wanted to see them at ending the first half of the season. I missed the Home Run Derby, but hopefully I have it recorded. Carlos Gonzales didn’t win. He was the only one from the team that was in it. He only hit 4 homers. But, that’s better than none.

We had a family reunion on my wife’s father’s side. It was a two day event, but I only went to the second day. On Saturday, one of the guys didn’t show up for work and wouldn’t answer his phone, so I had to stay until eleven. So, my wife went by herself while I slept. The second day of the reunion was more fun anyway. We had a barbeque at the park. It was a very cloudy day, but it didn’t rain. My wife was one of the three organizers, so I helped bring tables, chairs, and most of the food. A couple hundred people showed up. I recognized some of them, but I mostly didn’t know anyone. Luckily, there was a volley ball net. We got a game together and it was pretty fun. There were way too many people on each side, but it just made for a better game. After a while, three quarters of them went to challenge another section of the family to a game of kickball. I was going to go, but I was having too much fun with the volley ball. We ended up staying all day. My wife had to get up in front of everyone and talk over the microphone about her side of the family. She was pretty embarrassed and kept it quick. Her dad had a great time with his relatives. My wife said that she was never going to volunteer to be part of the organizers again, but towards the end they said that they were going to have another reunion in two years. Yep, she’s one of the organizers. At least she has two years to recover from this one.
The bad news of the week is that my brother lost his job. He has five kids and can’t afford to be out of work. He applied at Safeway, but his wife is trying to get him hired at her company. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. The whole thing happened at the worst time. He called me asking if he could borrow some money for rent. But, I had just put all of our savings into a down payment for my daughter’s car last month. So, I couldn’t help. But, I called him over the weekend and he thinks he can scrape together at least enough to pay the landlord. That just means he needs to find a job right away and squeeze his belt for this month.
One of his boys and one of my nieces had a birthday this week. I’m not sure what my brother did for his son’s birthday, but from the posts on Facebook, it sounds like my niece went gambling to celebrate. There was a post that said my nephew was up four hundred bucks in Roulette.
More bad news, my son and daughter in-law aren’t pregnant. I was all ready for a new baby. So, I guess they just have to keep practicing.
I’m still on chapter four of Slider. I should finish that up today or tomorrow and start of chapter five. It’s still looking like a fun book. So, I guess I better get started. That means that it’s a wrap for last week’s events. I’m putting Eddie Money, Meatloaf, and the Eagles in the playlist for tonight’s background music.
-Thom

Monday, July 2, 2012

July 2

Like always, please check out my website at: http://www.thomnichols.com/

Ok, since we did good news last time, let’s get the bad news out of the way this time. The Rockies lost again tonight. We only took one game from San Diego over the weekend and now we lost the first game to the Cardinals tonight. We’re 19 games under five hundred and if we lose tomorrow and San Diego wins, which they did today, we’ll slip into last place in our division. The only good thing that happened today was that Carlos Gonzales was picked to go to the All Star game in Kansas City and will participate in the home run derby. I like the derby and I hope he does well. And, hopefully we can come back from the All Star Break and turn our season around.
My brother starts his new job tomorrow. He was so excited they’re going out and buying a new car. He told me what kind it was, but I don’t remember car stuff. So, all I can tell you is it is a hybrid.
The kids still haven’t given me a finite answer if they are expecting or not. I’m still going with a yes.
My eldest daughter’s first car payment booklet came in the mail today. There were so many pages in the thing it took two little booklets. Her first payment is on the 12th. Then, it’s just a million more to go. Welcome to the adult world of bills.
My youngest daughter is going down to the college campus tomorrow to pick up her book list and student ID. I hope the books aren’t too much. They won’t let her get them on a Kindle or IPad which I think is stupid. More and more colleges and high schools are going to them. She should be able to choose if she wants to or not. And, we have that Kindle just lying around. It would make things so much easier.
Something strange happened today when I looked at the schedule. Somehow, I have another week with two days off. That hasn’t happened in I don’t know how long. I still have some overtime, but it is only a couple hours in the morning. So, instead of getting off at 6am I get off at 8am. Let’s see how long that’s going to last.
We had a mandatory meeting this Saturday. It was only for three hours, but it was right in the middle of the day. So, my wife dropped me off so that she could have the car. My daughter was going to take her and her friend out to the movies. When I got out of my meeting, I was supposed to walk over and meet them in the lobby of the theater. So, I brought my book and sat down on the little bench. I had to wait for about an hour and found that I couldn’t concentrate on my book. The movie theater is located on the 16th street mall, so there are always a few strange people in any of the stores. But, for some reason, every time the door opened, very flamboyantly gay men started pouring in. Where I was sitting, I could hear all of their conversations as they stood in line and bought tickets. They were all aflutter about going to see a movie called Magic Mike. I’d never heard of the movie, but when I asked my wife about it. She told me it was about male strippers and there was quite a bit of nudity in it. She’d already seen it a couple of times. I told my mom this little story, so now she’s going to go see the movie. She’ll probably run into my wife who wants to see it again.
I didn’t get to see a movie this week, so I’ll make sure to go to Spiderman this coming up week. It comes out tomorrow. So, that’s about it this week. Next week we have a family reunion on my wife’s side of the family. I’ll let you know how that goes.
I’m on chapter 4 of Slider. It’s coming along nicely. So, I’ll work on that tonight. I’m putting ELO, April Wine, and Ratt in the playlist tonight for background music. So, I’ll see you next Monday night.
-Thom