Catching up is hard to do

Ich bin ein Blogslacker. It's been a long time since I've updated here. I've done a bit of updating on my my writing blog from time to time over the summer, but not here. I've spent most of my free time on Facebook playing bloody Farmville. I haven't even played my Webkinz lately--only three times in the last two months or something. Poor Fletcher is probably sitting there all, "uh....".

So much has happened this summer. It's hard to figure out what exactly is the coolest thing to tell you. I suppose the coolest thing is that Lynn and Brad, our friends from church, adopted a lovely newborn baby boy named Bailey and asked Darlene and me to be his godparents. He's about two months old now. That was cool, and we've enjoyed getting to know him (and them) better over the last few weeks. We babysat today, in fact, and Darlene and me, and her parents, and Bailey all went to IHOP. Bailey had French toast. It was cool.



I'm still digging my job and the rest of the family is back in school. The twins are in the 6th grade and Steven is in the 8th. They're all at the same school and their school has made the big switch to wearing uniforms this year. That's been different. Sage is in the 3rd grade and is having a good time, and Darlene has started a new year with 2,000 clowns in the cafeteria. Gracie is just a clown in her own right, as usual.

I've been doing some writing on and off. I submitted a short story to an online SF/Fantasy magazine about a month ago and am anxiously awaiting a response. Nanowrimo is coming up in November and I'm going to be making a push on that again. Like I said above, I updated my writing blog a few times during the summer. I will be doing a restatement of purpose over there in the next few days--laying out what I hope to accomplish over the next few months. I do that from time to time so I can actually have a list of goals to look back on in February and say, "Man, I meant to do that." Keep an eye on the writing blog. Here's the link again. Set a bookmark. Hit the RSS feed, whatever. Check it out!

The other thing that's going to be trying to bring me back here over the next few months will be my fantasy football updates. My UFFL team is currently behind in Week 1, 31-19, with Cousin Tom Brady and Wes Welker playing tomorrow night. I have a couple of other teams on Facebook and Yahoo, but as usual I'll try to limit my fantasy sportswriting to the UFFL front, as that's my first love as far as fantasy football goes.

I think that's all I really have to say right now. With football starting up I should be a more frequent poster. Summer is always a slow time for the blog. Autumn should pick it back up nicely. Take care, and please support your local blogger. And add comments, darn it!

Grandma

I've been a blogslacker lately. I have good reasons and bad reasons. I've been getting caught up on Battlestar Galactica and 24, I've been re-reading the Mistborn books, and I'm developing a Facebook addiction that gets me into trouble with my wife from time to time when she starts to feel neglected. Depending on your perspective, those reasons are some combination of good and bad. The main reason I haven't done much blogging lately, though, is that we've been spending a lot of our time cheering for Darlene's mom. I've dropped some hints about her status from time to time, but today things went a long way towards getting cleared up, so I thought the time was right to sit and write about it.

A few weeks ago she had a biopsy run on some tissue in her throat. She had been complaining of strep-like symptoms but antibiotics weren't doing anything so the doctor ordered more tests. The biopsy turned up some malignant tissue in the area around her tonsil. We were told it was a stage one carcinoma and low-grade worrying began. An MRI was scheduled a couple of weeks ago but was unable to be completed due to her claustrophobia. She just couldn't bring herself to get into the MRI tube. It was too tight. She tried hard, though, and we were proud of her. They were able to run a CAT scan last Monday and the results came back last Friday.

The news was about the best we could have hoped for. The cancer is apparently confined to one of her tonsils, although there is a lymph node they're a little suspicious of. We found out today that they've scheduled her for surgery on February 24th to remove the tonsil and the lymph node (which they will immediately biopsy). She will require five weeks of radiation treatment--not chemo, just radiation. Due to her age and the location of the cancer they want to make sure the risk of spread is lessened as much as possible. We're all relieved the news was good and everyone is making plans to be at her side when she comes out of surgery on the 24th.

She's had a lot of prayers go up on her behalf--three churches that I know of have her on their prayer lists, and we've been sending them up every chance we get--but we'll gladly take more. If you're the praying kind, remember her in your prayers over the next couple of weeks as she prepares for her surgery. If you're not the praying type, send some good thoughts or healing energy, or whatever support you can muster. We'll take all the help and positivity we can get. We love you, Grandma!

That's all for now. Look me up on Facebook if you haven't already and always remember to support your local bloggers.

I'm back!

Did you even notice I was gone? You haven't missed much. The fantasy football front was pitiful. SFC split the last two games of the season and missed the playoffs, finishing #10 in the Power Ranking. We lost to Lethal Weapon 4 15-2 (that's right; we only scored two points the week we played the team with Keyshawn Johnson starting at WR. Gack. Then we turned around in Week 14 and beat a decent Hook-Ups team 20-16. Go figure. Maybe next year we'll have better luck choosing kickers and Tom Brady will be healthy again. Congrats to Rake, though, on his successful season, and Ben, for his successful season in our Yahoo league. Good luck in the playoffs, guys!

Christmas choir rehearsal was chaotic tonight. Kids everywhere, four babies in various laps in various stages of excitement, and in the midst of it all, eight people trying to sing and hear the director's cues over the uproar. It was a great time. That performance is coming up in a couple of Sundays. Wish us luck!

That's it for now. My blogslacking is over for now. Take care, and as always, support your local bloggers.

In which I refuse to resolve for the new year

Happy New Year!

I'm not going to make formal resolutions this year. I was brave enough to do so last year and it blew up in my face, so I'm not going to take that chance this year. They would probably have been similar to last year's, though, since I didn't do so well with them the first time around.

One thing I am serious about is trying to write more often. I've said so several times, but the desire remains strong. Ben's friend Megan has expressed her desire to post something every day in January. I'm not nearly that ambitious; I know I'd never maintain that. I am going to try and get on once or twice a week, though. I did well in fits and spurts last year, but this year I want to try and maintain throughout the entire year.

I'm going to keep messing around with videos, too. That's been kind of fun so far. All I've done so far has been slideshows. I want to try a regular video at some point, and see how that works out. Who knows? I might be the next whoever that guy was who put videos on his blog for the first time then got better at it. Remember that guy? He was awesome.

Anyway, Happy New Year to all. Oh no...my kids are currently giving my mother-in-law a makeover. Lord help Grandma. Support your local bloggers in 2008. Holla!

In which I have nothing to say but post anyway

I have nothing to say. I could tell you about fantasy football or my job, but...enh...where's the pop and excitement in that? I don't even know why I bothered to log in.

Enh.

In which I (hopefully) resume blogging

Well, here we are. It's almost November. A perfect time to review the resolutions I made at the beginning of the year. I was all aslather with fervor and hope and optimism. HA!

I was going to write in my journal every week. HA! I haven't written anything but a pathetic little haiku since March.

I was going to see my friends at least once a month. HA! I haven't seen Walter since that meeting in January that I was so effusive about in that other post. I've seen Ben and Wanda once since then, I think.

I was going to lose 15 pounds. HA! I've gained five.

As you can see, my resoluting skillz are not up to snuff. I should just learn to avoid setting any sort of goals. A wise philosopher once said, "I find my life is a lot easier the lower I keep everyone's expectations." Words to live by.

I'm not going to promise to write more frequently. I'll try, but see what I just said about expectation. The less I promise, the less I have to uphold. I like it that way. I'll write when I think to, and I'll try to keep it fun.

Two more things, then I'll be on my way for tonight...

My fantasy football team is kicking major bootay this year. Sandy Springs FFC is 6-1 in the UFFL behind the efforts of my cousin Tom Brady, Plexiglas Burress, and Maurice Jones-Drew. I've made some prize money, and am leading the league in scoring. We'll see what happens this week.

Finally, Steven is blogging again. You can find a link to his new blog over on the sidebar, or you can click here. Tell him Sam sent you.

Thank you for coming by. Support your local bloggers.

I'm out of things to say.

A Blogslacker's Haiku

Blogslacking since March.
Read my pathetic haiku.
An update? Um...

Not.

In which I resolve and stuff

Happy New Year!

I realize that the last day of January is a little late to be saying that, but as usual I'm way behind in my writing, so here I am now.

Before I get to the meat of the entry, I want to report that the Brady Bunch attended their first hockey game the other night. We went and watched the Atlanta Thrashers lose to the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 at Phillips Arena. I was the only one who had been to a hockey game before. We all had a blast and fully intend to go back, either to the Thrashers or the Gwinnett Gladiators (an ECHL team that plays in Buford).

On the way to the Thrashers game


With the New Year comes resolution time. I'm already a little behind on one of them, as you'll soon see, but I wanted to put on the record what I intend to do with my life in 2007. Of course, this doesn't include the "common sense" stuff like being a better husband and father, working hard at the office, and perfecting my Irish accent--everyone has those aspirations, and renews them year after year. My resolutions are the things I intend to do differently this year--the things I want to change about myself.

• Write more often
  
  Every entry I've entered in this journal over the last few months has stated my intention to write more regularly. I've never followed through. I really want to make an effort, though, to write at lest once a week. It's hard for me to keep to a schedule--heck, I'm still two hours behind on 24--but I'm going to really buckle down and try to build the discipline it takes to write on a schedule. It's an outlet that I've always loved, and over the last few years I haven't indulged in it nearly as much as I would like. In 2007, that's going to change.
  
  
• Lose 15 pounds
  
  Even thinking of writing those words leaves one side of my brain saying to the other, "Yeah, ok. Let me know how that works out for you." The other side then responds, "I know you are, but what am I?" and pandemonium ensues. Next thing you know I've polished off a package of Sugar Wafers and gained another pound. I spent quite a while between 212-215 pounds and lately have gotten down to the 207-208 range. Darlene is on Weight Watchers so I'm going along for the ride and am trying to eat better; partly to support her, but also to achieve my own goals. I'd like to get down to 190-192 pounds. My cholesterol was a little high last year and my potbelly, no matter how sexy my wife thinks it is, is starting to bug a little. Both are areas that need improving. We'll see what happens. I'll post updates in my written-more-regularly entries.
  
  
• Socialize more
  
  Since I have been married, my family and friends haven't seen me nearly as much as they did before. They haven't seen much of my wife and kids, either. I want us to plan on getting together with my friends at least once a month, and my family as often as we can. We got off to a good start on this one a couple of weeks ago as Ben and Wanda, Walter and Merry, and Bill and Liz (and Mia) came over for a celebration of Steven's and Sage's birthdays. It was great seeing everyone again, and Walter took pictures out the wazola. I still need to get those from him. Walter: send me a clicky, you goobahed! To my friends--see you in February!

That's really all the big ones. Write more, eat better, and spend time with the people I love. That's the ingredients for a pretty good year, I think. Hopefully they will result in habits that will continue into 2008 and beyond and won't need to be resolutions any more. Common sense rocks.

See you next week!

(Don't you love my optimism?)

It's been too long since we took the time...

It almost does feel just like starting over. I don't write here nearly as often as I'd like. I haven't reached that phase of marriage yet where I'm really comfortable doing my own thing, away from my wife. I feel like I want to be with her every second, and it's hard to take time away from that to write.

She's dozing on the couch, though, so I thought I'd take a few minutes to write and get everything caught up. I'm going to have to pause in a few minutes to go make sure the kids are in bed, but other than that I should have some time to put some words into the ether.

It's been a busy month. Work has been busy, for me and Darlene both, and sick kids to boot, on top of it all. Jessica got strep again a couple of weeks ago, but the upshot was that the doctor finally agreed it was time to take her tonsils out. Last Tuesday she went in for a tonsillectomy and came out like a champ. Her Grandma and Pop came down from Maggie Valley to support her and babysit during the week. She was out of school all last week, and won't go back until after the break. She's feeling a lot better lately, I think. She's certainly starting to act silly again.

Jewel is making good headway in learning her multiplication tables. She passed her 6's the other day and as far as I know is still working on 7's. We're certainly proud of her for what she's doing.

Steven is a beginning drummer and had his first concert the other night at school. He played bells and snare. It pleases this old trombone player to see a musician in the family. Of course, Jewel and Jessie have decided to join the band too, when they are old enough.

We have a new addition to our household this month. Gracie the Jack Russell-dachshund pup has come into our lives and filled our home with joy, wonder, chewed-up bits of paper, and little piles of poop. The girls call her the "four-legged ankle biter." She's a trip, and we're digging having a dog.



Darlene and I recently passed eight months of marriage. That amazes me. Two years ago I was on the verge of thinking I would never get married and now here I am, eight months into the rest of my life. It's been the best eight months of my life. Our first Christmas as a family is approaching, and I can't wait to see what 2007 brings.

Before I go, a quick shout-out to Ben and Wanda with luck and paternal thoughts as the Great Wall process continues.

I'm reading Dune again. Good stuff.

That is all. Thanks for stopping by. I'm not going to promise to write more often because I keep doing that, then I keep not doing that, if you get my meaning. So I will just say I'll write when I can. Take care, Happy Holidays to all, and love from the Brady Bunch.

In which I finally get it over with

You ever heard the word "blogslacking"? I picked it up while trolling the Ben/Wanda/Megan blogumverate. It means you have a blog but you don't write in it. My name is Sam Brady and I am a blogslacker. By trying to cure my blogslack, I have now become a workslacker as well, in that I am writing in my blog when I should actually be working. Lo, I am a master of the myriad forms of slack-fu.

I've been meaning, at some point, to tell the long, sort-of-funny, fully annotated version of the stove story but it's been four months now, so what's the point any more, really, you know? I'll beat that long-dead horse by giving you the down-and-dirty, then move on with my blog and my life. Our stove caught on fire in June or July (might have even been May). Twice. In one day. Pithy e-mails were exchanged between my wife and me. We eventually got a new stove, but it was too big for our stove hole. My brother came over one night and made our stove hole bigger. Yay Bill! And Steven helped. We have been enjoying our new stove for many weeks now. I think it's this one. If it's not, it looks a lot like it, so roll with it.

So that's the stove story. I'm sure you're saying, "We waited all this time for that?" Talk about your anticlimaxes.

I know I had other things to tell you, but I really can't think of any of them right now so I'll go away and try and get some work done before I go home. Hopefully the amount of my blogslack will decline. I'll do my best, but no promises.

Return From The Murk

I'm back.

When last I posted, it was with a simple haiku telling you I was mere days away from being a married man. Now here I am, married for nearly four months, the beginning of school upon us, and far, far too much to talk about for one post.

Suffice it to say, married life is wonderful. Darlene keeps me sane, keeps me fed, and completes me in every way. She also takes great delight in sending out wacky e-mails to her friends, that I tell her should be blog entries. Not that they write back. Maybe someday she'll start her own blog and wow the world with weekly stories of marriage, love, crazy kids, and Kroger sales. Until then, you'll have to make do with me. Isn't that bizarre? Aren't you just going, "Ooooh"?

So anyway, there has been far too much happening over the last four months to tell you about now. I could sit here and write for pages. Even summing up would take far too long. So, what I'll do is tease you. I'll list a few topics, then sit back and see what kind of comments I get on this entry. Ask for an explanation, and the topic that gets the most (or the most creative) requests, will get its own entry. Maybe I'll do more than one, if the urge takes me (and if enough people care). Check these out:

The wedding weekend! (ask me about balloons, high-fives, and the screen door at the hotel!)

Our Southeastern Tour 2006!

Steven's new cell phone! (actually, he might write about that in his own blog at some point)

Mom and Dad's European travels! (check their blog for updates)

Fun with Scrabble!

Fun in the shower!

Our stove catching on fire!

Darlene's Curious George obsession!

My Darlene obsession!

My return to the UFFL!

Oh, and if you get the chance, read Lee's blog. He's a friend of Ben's who has his own blog now. He's an actual award-winning writer and has a lot of real talent (unlike myself, who has no awards to prove anything concerning my writing). Check him out, and tell him Darth Sam sent you.

That's all for today. I'll try to update more regularly from now on, especially if I get comments and know that people are reading what I write. Positive feedback is always welcome. Please support your local blogger. Peace out, yo.