Holidays are upon us...

Wow....this year has gone by so quickly. It seems like only yesterday I proposed to my wife (and that was right around Christmas last year). Sometimes life seems to fly by when you're enjoying it the most - that sucks, really - I mean, wouldn't it be better if time flew by when life was horrible & likewise, wouldn't it be great if our favorite moments could be slowed down a bit, so that we would actually have time to "smell the roses." I digress.

I for one have yet to start my Christmas shopping. This year is going to be OUR first Christmas...and I can't wait. Tonight we'll put the tree up & I'm already starting to glow. Will Santa bring me a flat screen TV for the bedroom? Haha...just kidding. (I've actually never been good at putting together a Christmas list - I think it's because I feel a strange type of guilt when people buy things for me). Who knows, maybe I need to ask my therapist (Carson) about that one. I am, however, good at writing New Year's resolutions....not as good at fulfilling them. : )

One month down...

So, I've been married a month now. I know this because my wife told me "Happy Anniversary" yesterday. I don't know about you, but I thought anniversaries were annually. : ) Heather, if you are reading this, which I know you are, please note that I'm not trying to sound like I don't care about our one month anniversary, I just didn't know there was such a thing. : )

The crazy thing about being married...it seems like I have more time to take care of the house, yet I can never find time to do it all....which may sound contradicting, but maybe it's just that I'm no longer 100% in charge of my life. I guess what I'm saying is that now I have to not only worry about what I need to get done, I also need to worry about what Heather wants me to get done.

Married life....sigh....

Married life is wonderful. The first weeks after the honeymoon have turned out to be fun...but at the same time, it just seems like there is so much to do. I mean....if we're going to be putting new plates & cups & appliances in our shelves, well then, of course we need to re-paint, put down new contact paper in the cabinets....etc. There are a lot of things to put away, lots of duplicates, lots of boxes...and not much time to handle it all.

But, that's all part of it....like when you go into the military & they shave your head....I guess I'm in marriage bootcamp. I needed a haircut anyway.

Halloween is Coming!!!!

I can't decide if I want to do the "dress up" thing again this year....does anyone have good ideas for costumes? I've had my fun over the years....but am I getting to old for this? NO!!!!



I'm just getting started....from now on, I'm going to act like a child on a daily basis (wait...I already do that).

The Good Life

The Good Life....you hear it occasionally, rolling off the tongue of a person that is definitely having a "glass is half-full" type of day.....

The truth is, most of us ARE living the good life - everyday. What's better than being able to wake up in the morning....have something to eat, maybe some coffee....better yet, what's better than having family members or even dogs (cats, if you can handle them) to wake up to. I guess I'm rambling a bit, but basically....life is good. Don't let the stress get to you.

Every day, at some point, I get this feeling of being "overwhelmed." EVERYDAY. But, most of the time, I take a step back....think about it & realize....hey, I'm not a mosquito....or I'm not a catfish....and I think, thank GOD for who I am & for what I have. Each day is it's own adventure.

Our lives follow a chronological path....but that doesn't mean that everything has to be planned out.... Today, I have a challenge for you (all two of you that read this) - make a choice today, to do something you wouldn't normally do. This little choice might possibly change your entire life. Sounds ridiculous....probably is....but chew on this:

On a Friday in May, 1994 my brother called my cell phone...I was at school & normally would just ignore the call & return it later (since I was at school). I decided to do answer the call for a change. My brother said that a friend of his owned a restaurant & needed a new Dish Washer...and needed the person to start tonight. Again, usually I would say....no thanks....I decided, what the heck. Long story short....I worked at Espresso Caffe for 6+ years....met almost all of my current friends there & look back as that being the most fun of my life. If it wasn't for Espresso Caffe, I wouldn't know 3 of the four guys in my wedding (and the fourth one worked with me there also).....I wouldn't even be getting married, probably (as one of those 3 guys, Brad, invited me out for drinks with Heather & a girl he was "dating."

If I look further...the choice to answer that call has made hundreds of other direct impacts on my life & countless indirect & unknown effects.

Nothing like a BBQ to ease the mind

So today at work...did I mention that I work at an Ad Agency....an Ad Agency that has "beer 30" & BBQ's on the occasional Friday? Well, we do...and yes, I know, you wish you did too. Seriously, working here, I've learned many things....but the most important lesson that I've come to learn, is --- don't take everything too seriously. Make room for fun in everything that you can...if there is no fun, it gets old (maybe that's why I've worked here for nearly 10 years). : )

Well, today the boss & I BBQ'd burgers...we even took some over to our neighbors, had some beers at lunch....and now, it's back to work (and it seems like the day has flown by). So...my recommendation, have your boss read this blog - it may not convince him or her that your company BBQ is going to happen, but it's worth a try. Plus, that's one more person that I can indoctrinate. Ha!

What did you say?

So, I'm a huge Entourage fan....but last night they put Modesto on blast. E (Vince's manager) was complaining to a Casting Director about how his client got low scores on the "focus group" - and said something like, "you're not going to cast my client because a bunch of idiots from Modesto, with nothing better to do than watch a pilot for $20, gave him a low rating."


Although initially stunned - not quite offended, there are a bunch of idiots here that could fit that quote...heck, if I was bored, I'd do it. : ) Modesto is a small town (for California's standards), but obviously still a large enough town to have a recognizable name......so take that Hughson/Riverbank/Ripon.

Feeling goooood....

Wow...I feel so good today. Hopefully this isn't a fluke.....maybe it's the steak I enjoyed with Heather last night....maybe it's the new client we got....maybe the ferocious clouds of this sickened economy are starting to thin....

I don't know, but I feel good & I hope you do to, whoever you are.

I leave you with a candid photo that my sister-in-law (to be) took of me and Heather...and buddy (Carson).

I have a new baby

Ok...so she's of the canine variety, but she's still my baby....well, Heather's baby technically - Heather gets to be the nurturer...I'm the scolder. I know my role, the quicker YOU know yours, the better off we'll all be.


Anyways...here's a picture of OUR little princess, Bailey....isn't she adorable?

Case of the Mondays!

Wow...today is boring. I wish this whole economy thing would, like, fix itself (airhead tone on poypus). Seriously though, I'm done with the depressing state of things in this state...I mean country...oops....I mean this whole darn world. In the words of someone I'll quote for the only time in my life, Rodney King, "Can't we all just get along?" I mean, is it that complicated....why do people have ill-intentions. What wire in the brain is malfunctioning, that would cause someone to kill their family, threaten other countries (or their own citizens), and the list goes on....

On a less serious note, I was listening to some Hip Hop the other day...and it donged (is that a word) on me....Why do rappers / hip hop artists talk so much crap about one another....and I'm not even talking about Gangster rap....listen to any rap song....it's always....My $%^# is better than yours, etc.... Imagine hearing some of the legendary musicians in our past talking like that (the Beatles, "Your melody is so boring, our poetic verse is soaring."

Ok...so I'm not a lyrical genius ...but compared to (insert blogger name here), I'm the Einstein of the blog world. haha...I digress.

Conservative Fear

As a conservative, (not a republican - anymore), I feel like there is a shared feeling of fear....that we cannot express our political viewpoints openly - AND THAT IS SAD. I feel like anyone should be able to speak their mind & talk about their opinions, their beliefs, their annoyances & their fears....but it's not that easy, is it?

We Conservatives are afraid of the personal repercussions of speaking our minds. How many of my friends are going to shun me? How many of my business associates are going to label me a close minded individual, because of how I voted on issue XYZ...

I mean, maybe I'm being ultra sensitive, or maybe I'm right on....who knows, but I do know that many people, especially conservatives feel the same way. Anyways, I'm just venting....don't judge me for being pro-life, against government run healthcare, for closing our borders...

Oh, and God bless you.

68 days left...the path toward the yellow brick road.

In 68 days I'll be Mr. Hegwood....oops, I'm not changing my name, I mean, she'll be Mrs. Bach. That's awesome...someone to take my name, not my family name, my name....as in, she's mine. I'm kidding...but in reality, there is some truth to that, just as I AM HERS. She owns a very big piece of me....I guess I see the "we" on the horizon & I'm excited about it.

Marriage Fun

Today I get to go to the post office and have the clerk "hand cancel" my invitations...my fiancee asked me to do this - I guess this process is so they look perfect. I'm sure the clerk is going to be very happy to do this with 75 envelopes....but, anything for ma' lady. (I know she is reading this right now). I leave you with a picture of my two favorite girls...Heather (fiancee) & Meg, forever my little baby (rip).

This is my first post....so take it in....hold your breath before exhaling, to make sure it absorbs. : )

Hopefully I'll get the hang of this pretty soon, as I have so much to say (either that, or I've once again drank a few too many cups of coffeeeeee).

So, I get up this morning...and find out that I have to watch a live webinar on Social Network Recruiting....that sounds like a bucket of fun. Not really....once they worked out the technical "snafus", it seemed to be a big sales pitch as to why we should all be using SM. (That's why we all showed up....we do use them, we just want to know how to EFFECTIVELY use them).