Almost Completely Out

We've almost removed all of our stuff from our old house. It's a good thing that the buyer is my niece, or we'd have been in trouble trying to vacate.

Now, we just have to make some headway on getting all the stuff moved in where it goes in the new house. I'm thinking we need to throw a bunch of stuff away. We couldn't do that before the move because much of it was boxed up. I am really considering imposing a rule that if something hasn't been touched in six months, it goes out the door.

Special items and mementos will be excluded.

A Pox upon Me for a Clumsy Lout

Last night, I was installing a line filter for the ice maker. I went to Lowe's and bought the hardware I needed to do the job and headed home to finish the task. Everything was going well until I proceeded to assemble the first connector. I applied teflon tape to reduce the risk of leaking and tightened the part. Once I got it hand-tightened, I thought that I should get it as tight as possible. So, I got a pair of pliers and began really torqueing that thing down.

Did I mention that the parts in question are plastic?

You have probably already foreseen where this is heading. As I tightened and tightened, I heard that dreaded sound:

CRACK!

I had broken the plastic. I went ahead and finished the connections and tried it out, but obviously, the cracked part leaked like a sieve.

After work today, I'm stopping by the Home Depot on the way home to see if they happen to have a part I can use as a replacement. I can order replacement parts from the manufacturer of the filter, but they cost more than $11, and I'd have to wait until the middle of next week for them to arrive.

For My Friend, Sherry

I chatted on AIM with a friend yesterday, and then I stumbled across this. She'll really appreciate it.

If the video doesn't play for you here, click the image again and another window should open and play it.

New Theatre Blog Button

Thanks to Moose of Casey and Scotty comic fame for creating my new button you can find to the right.

Now, go check out his comic and vote for it.

Immigration Issues

Now that the Senate has killed the Immigration Bill (at least temporarily), I'd like to address this. I am convinced that we are going about the effort to stop illegal immigration the wrong way. Enforcement plans always seem to focus on the illegal immigrants. From an economic standpoint, in the Supply and Demand model, the immigrants are the Supply. They are the cheap labor that employers (mainly agricultural, restaurant, and hotel if you believe the anecdotal claims) hire because, supposedly, Americans don't want those jobs. These employers represent the Demand portion of the economic equation.

We should have learned from years of failed enforcement efforts that stemming the tide of the supply of illegal immigrant workers is impossible. For every illegal we catch and send back home, dozens replace him. We can't stop or even realistically slow down the supply pipeline unless we build a concrete wall between the entirety of the border with Mexico.

In order to win this battle, if it can be won, we must go after the Demand side of the equation rather than the Supply side. If there are no jobs to be had for illegal immigrants, much of the impetus for their coming is removed.

So, if we really want to stop or greatly reduce illegal immigration, the solution is to enforce stiff penalties against employers who hire illegal immigrants. Make it hurt. Heavy fines for first offenses. Subsequent offenses should include jail time. If we really care about this issue, this is the only way to solve it.

My Favorite TV Show

I grew up a TV-head. When I was in school, the television would be turned on the minute I got home, and I watched it until I went to bed. I did my homework with the TV on. It stayed on while we ate dinner. In short, I watched a lot of TV growing up.

Now, I don't. Admittedly, that's because I spend almost all my leisure time on the computer, but my TV viewing time has declined from my childhood average of between 40 to 50 hours per week. These days, not counting sports, I only watch 1.5 hours of television each week. Two-thirds of that time is spent on Lost. This show is intelligent and entertaining. It reminds me of Twin Peaks before it got too weird.

Other good links:

Oceanic Flight 815

The Hanso Foundation

The Fuselage

Lost Forum

Lost Podcast Also available via iTunes

Moving, Part the Second

Well, we got the beds in the new house, but there are still tons of boxes and other stuff piled up in the garage of the new house. We're also not out of the old house completely, yet. It's a good thing that my niece, who bought our house, is patient.

The new neighborhood seems to be very quiet, and it is really dark in the house with the lights out.

I've already met my neighbors on either side of me, but I was so focused on the moving that I don't remember their names. Our 7, 5, & 3 3/4 year olds have made some friends and went and played at a house across the street yesterday.

My wife told me last night that she doesn't ever want to move again. Not because she loves the neighborhood and house so much (although she does), but because she doesn't ever want to have to pack everything up and move it again.

Moving is the Pits

One of these days I am going to learn to hire a moving company to get my stuff moved from Point A to Point B. This was not one of those days.

I rented a U-Haul 26 foot truck and started loading it about 3:30 this afternoon. At about 7, I hadn't made much progress. Thankfully, my father and my brother-in-law showed up and helped load while my mother and my sister helped my wife get more stuff packed up. We got the truck loaded about 9:15, but we can't get into the new house until the morning because we gave the sellers a day to get the rest of their stuff out. The rest of our stuff is going to require at least one more load of that truck.

I am dead tired, but I'm just not sleepy, yet.

Okay, so it's nothing more than an excuse

I will be suspending the posting of weight updates until I get done with The Odd Couple. I'm not gonna let myself gain weight during that time, but I am not going to be actively attempting to lose weight, either.

Oscar is supposed to be "husky," and that's what I am right now. I could probably afford to lose the 8.5 pounds I've gained in the past month, but I'm just not going to be focusing on it.

Have no fear. Once that show is over, I'll get back on track.

Of course, if all goes well, I'll be in a musical or two right after The Odd Couple closes, so I'll be dancing and getting some exercise that way.

The Odd Couple

I was cast as Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple in Rockwall. More HERE.

Getting in Shape Update 67

Another bad week of not paying attention to what and how much I was eating.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 228.0

Saturday's Weight = 230.5

Weight Gain in past week = 2.5 pounds

Weight Gain in past 4 weeks = 8.5 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 36.5 pounds

Let's face it. I'm pooped!

I got home from work yesterday and promptly took a 4 hour long nap. Because of that, I found it incredibly difficult to fall asleep last night. Thus, I had a hard time getting out of bed this morning.

AH, the cascade effect of things we do.

I won't be able to sleep in tomorrow morning because I have to be at the County Republican Convention at about 8:30. I'll be serving as Parliamentarian. The last time I was a Parliamentarian was at the 1996 State Republican Convention in our Senatorial District Caucus. I fear that my knowledge of parliamentary procedure is a bit rusty.

Next week is likely not going to provide any sort of respite, either. I have court three days, and then on Friday, we are supposed to close on the purchase of the new home.

Auditions for The Odd Couple at Rockwall Community Playhouse are next Monday and Tuesday nights.

Ace-Deuce Suited is NOT a Good Hand

My wife and I got a few days away from home and went to the Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City/Shreveport. My dad is a frequent slots player over there, and he got us a comp room. Wait, let me clarify that. He got us a "High Roller" suite on the top floor of the hotel. I believe the suite may be about as big as our current house.

I played in the weekly Monday evening Hold 'Em tournament last night. Seventy-four players vied for a top prize of $5816. The top nine positions would win some money. I got off to a good start and relaxed for a bit. Made a few less than brilliant plays and went into a bit of a hole, but then got a string of good hands.

I made it to the final table of 10 players in second chip position. Blinds and antes were eating my stack away until one hand when I was in the small blind. We were down to seven players, and everyone had folded around to me. I looked down at Ace-Deuce of Diamonds. I had 2 choices at that point. Call the big blind, which would have been just $2000 more in chips, or go All-in with about $25,000. If i win the hand, I'm back in a solid position to last to some good money.

I went All-in, and the big blind quickly called me.

He had a pair of Jacks.

I didn't catch an Ace, three Diamonds, or the 3-4-5 I would have needed to make a straight. Finished 7th, and won about 2 1/2 times the amount I had paid to play.

It was fun and nerve-wracking at the same time.

Getting in Shape Update 66

The drive just isn't there right now. When I first decided to lose the weight, all it took was a decision. I think it was easy to get started in the first place than it will be to re-ingite the burners.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 227.0

Today's Weight = 228.0

Weight Gain in past week = 1.0 pound



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 39.0 pounds

Second Blog

I've created a new blog to keep track of my theatre stuff.

There I Am . . . Up on the Stage

I'll still mention acting and theatre items here, but I'll go into much more detail over there.

The Upside of Losing

Now that my campaign is over, I will have a little more time to pursue my main hobby, acting. I will be auditioning in a couple of weeks for a production of The Odd Couple at the same Theatre where I appeared in Neil Simon's Rumors. I'm also planning on auditioning for Garland Summer Musicals. If I get cast in one or both of their shows, I get paid. Ensemble members get a small amount, but featured roles get a pretty nice check.

After that, my "home theatre" is doing Grease, and I may try out for that show.

I guess what it boils down to is that I need something to do, and now that politics is over for a while, I can get back up on stage if all goes well.

Movin' On Up

Our family will soon be moving to a new house. We finally got a "Yes" to our offer on a house in Forney.



The house has almost 3000 square feet, which will be a 150% increase in the space we will have. We'll finally have adequate closet space, and plenty of room for all our stuff.

I am looking forward to being able to park my car in a garage. At our current house, we have had to use the garage for storage, so my car has never been inside it.

The new home will only cut a small amount of time and mileage off my commute, but I believe it will add up. It should mean about one less tank of gas every month, and at current prices, every little bit helps.

Disappointed but not Discouraged

Some of you may not know that I have spent the past few months in an effort to gain the Republican nomination for Judge of a newly-created Court at Law for Kaufman County. The Primary election was this past Tuesday, March 7th. My bid was unsuccessful. Looking at the final results, I can honestly say that I don't think there was anything I could have done that would have resulted in my winning the nomination outright or even my leading in the vote count among the four candidates. It is apparent that a substantial number of Democrats crossed over and voted in the Republican Primary in Kaufman County. In 2002 & 2004, approximately 3100 people voted in the Republican Primary. This year, that number more than doubled to 6800.

Both the candidate who obtained the most votes and the candidate in second are former Democrats who switched parties for this election in an effort to get elected. I don't begrudge them this decision. It was the only way they would have a chance of winning this position, so they had to do what they had to do.

What is disappointing to me is that despite the cross-over voting, I should have been able to run stronger and challenged for second place and a spot in the Run-off election. My failure to do so probably stems from three main reasons: 1) The Democratic cross-over; 2) The fourth candidate in the race siphoned off some of the "true Republican" vote; and 3) I refused to believe that the cross-over was going to be as significant as it turned out to be, so I ran a traditional targeted Primary Campaign focusing almost exclusively on people who had a history of voting in the Republican Primary. The second and third reasons combined are probably the most important ones. If the fourth candidate had not been in the race, I believe I would have received the vast majority of the votes that went to him. Those votes alone would not have put me in second, but if I had run a more broad-based campaign, I might have drawn the extra few hundred votes I would have needed to make the run-off. However, despite the adage that "anything can happen in a run-off," I believe that the leading candidate has too strong of an ability to turn out his voters, so it probably would have only resulted in my focusing five more weeks on a race I was ultimately destined to lose.

I don't know if I will seek elected office again any time soon, but as the title of this entry states, I am not discouraged. I ran an honorable, clean campaign, and I am proud of everyone who helped me in any way.

Getting in Shape Update 65

It's time for serious re-focus and re-commitment.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 225.5

Today's Weight = 227.0

Weight Gain in past week = 1.5 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 40.0 pounds

Getting in Shape Update 64

Just didn't have the discipline this past week not to snack.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 222.0

Today's Weight = 225.5

Weight Gain in past week = 3.5 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 41.5 pounds