The Swamp

It's a winter Monday night. The afternoon crew has gone home. It's just us now, Swamp.

There's a lot to talk about in politics and the NFL. But there's other stuff to talk about, too. Like, what's going on in your world? How is your holiday season shaping up?

Viewing options for tonight:
8:30 Falcons/Buccaneers
9:00 Penguins/Avalanche (in select markets)

Lifetime is showing Christmas movies, and NBCSports is showing a poker marathon. So, there's that.

What are you watching/reading/drinking/thinking about?

bapo! wrote:It's a winter Monday night. The afternoon crew has gone home. It's just us now, Swamp.

There's a lot to talk about in politics and the NFL. But there's other stuff to talk about, too. Like, what's going on in your world? How is your holiday season shaping up?

Viewing options for tonight:
8:30 Falcons/Buccaneers
9:00 Penguins/Avalanche (in select markets)

Lifetime is showing Christmas movies, and NBCSports is showing a poker marathon. So, there's that.

What are you watching/reading/drinking/thinking about?

The local basketball arena (formerly known as the Delta Center) is hosting a Christmas carol sing-along tonight. So I will actually leave the house, after dark even, and go to that.

Steve of phpBB wrote:The local basketball arena (formerly known as the Delta Center) is hosting a Christmas carol sing-along tonight.

Really? How many people are going to be there? I would feel horribly out of place there, but that could be great if you're in the right mindset.

Making an impromptu batch of beer brownies for the office tomorrow. Holiday office exodus starts tomorrow so we'll see who shows up to partake.

This is my favorite time of the year at work. Most everyone's gone and gift baskets of delicious snacks keep showing up.

Casually mentioned that our group should go for a beer after work later in the week to celebrate the end of the year / project wrap-up / etc.

It's now teambuilding at the bar at 2.30 - whenever.

That said, Toblerone is horribly overrated.

Star Wars in an hour.

bapo! wrote:

Steve of phpBB wrote:The local basketball arena (formerly known as the Delta Center) is hosting a Christmas carol sing-along tonight.

Really? How many people are going to be there? I would feel horribly out of place there, but that could be great if you're in the right mindset.

There will be enough people there, so that when I sing, I won't be able to hear my own voice.

Even though I'm a hardcore atheist at this point, I love Christmas hymns - the more joyous and religious the better.

Gotta wrap presents and start the packing process. Driving over 1,000 miles to New Mexico, starting Thursday morning. That amount of togetherness is hard on a marriage.

Alpine Duet poured into a Teku glass. Life is good.

Wish I knew why my hamstring is sore. I've done very little the past couple of days in terms of physical activity. I wouldn't mind a pulled hamstring if I had earned it. But this? This is just annoying.

RAW!

Haven't watched much lately. Really enjoying watching when I can. The SWF has me excited like it is the attitude era.

They're playing Hallelujah on the PA before the singing starts. Grrr.

duff wrote:RAW!

Haven't watched much lately. Really enjoying watching when I can. The SWF has me excited like it is the attitude era.

Yeah, I'm watching, too. I enjoy watching it while following along with the live thread on w/reddit, as toxic as it is. I probably wouldn't watch the current product as much if it weren't for the Internet, but I enjoy reading the real-time reaction and over-analysis.

Resting comfortably. Shopping is done, presents wrapped for the family. Licking wounds from Sunday night's hockey game (First win of the year and I had the first goal of the game!). Watched the new Craig Ferguson special on Netflix. Very enjoyable. Ate leftover Thai food. Watched Chopped and then tonight's Jeopardy! Super excited guy in the middle got shitkicked. Wagered poorly and had by my count maybe 12 wrong answers? Just guessing at shit.

Friday - Sunday with the family. The older I get the more excited I am for these days. Christmas is my favorite time and it has nothing to do with the gifts anymore. I get to catch up with my sister and mother more than the normal 5 minute chat while I'm at the homestead for work related stuff. Drinking and board games. World shuts off for a few days.

Plus I get to go skate again tomorrow night. Life is good Frogs. Hope you're well in your neck of the woods.

Drinking a meh bottle of red that was a gift. Just put the younger two down. Wife now reading to the oldest. Trying to get a handle on things, both professionally and personally. Nothing earth shattering, but I've lost some drive. Bolts in Vegas tomorrow. Probably won't stay up for it. At the point where any more laziness at work, and/or time off work is going to make me more anxious for the oncoming flood

Jeez, Chedda. I'm here watching hockey and wrestling, and you're getting serious on me. As somebody who solves his problems by, um, watching hockey and wrestling, I can't help you. Good luck getting everything sorted out.

I had an intense day thursday last week:

7:30: My mom has a tumor on her spinal cord, and went into surgery pre-op. The kind of surgery where if it goes bad, she could be paralyzed from the waist down, but if they don't do it she will end up that way anyway.

8:00 I sit down with our internal risk group to prepare for 4 hours with forensic accountants with regards to a multimillion dollar claim we are submitting. I'm the guy that can best model and describe our process that isn't our CFO who is leaving for greener pastures.

8:15 Get a group text from my wife that the morning mass at the Catholic school is being said in my moms name. Trying not to dwell or get teary. Even though I'm as much agnostic as anything, I have some very strong Catholic friends, and my wife is very Catholic as well. The support our friends and our parish gives to people is phenomenal, and I have a strong affinity for most of them. I will likely convert next year, partly to be a part of a good parish, but also so my wife can begin taking actual communion again. It's very important to her, and she gave that up for me. I didn't need more proof that she loved me, but that is the unconditional part that really shows. She has not pressured me at all to join.

8:30 The insurance guys show up and I get my time in the spot-light. I do well, but almost too well as the main guy says I'm the guy they will be contacting for all of their questions. Yay? We literally have several millions in losses riding on this and I feel it's largely up to me.

Remember, my mom is in the middle of life altering surgery and it's been radio silence from Phoenix.

12:30 Finish with the insurance spooks and sit down for a job interview for a new internal position. Looking to move out of my current role (which has been very good to me) and back into the technical side. Specifically in our R&D group. This would be a huge reduction in stress, and back to my major area of interest. Comes with the perks of being a corporate gig, plus more extended trip ss to France as my boss will be over there. Interview goes well, best I can tell. They had an interest in me years ago but it was blocked locally. That's gone, and I've been told I have full support if they offer. Exciting.

1:30 Still no word on Mom. Surgery was supposed to be complete at 12:00.

2:15 Word from step-father, she's out, he's going back to see her.

... nothing

... nothing

... nothing

2:45 text back from him. She's ok, but waiting to hear from doctor. Will conference call in a bit.

3:00 she wakes up and is ok. Actually walked from operating gurney to bed in room, which was a major relief. The pain she had been suffering is gone, and the surgeon is confident it was a success. All good! She's very weepy towards my wife, and very appreciative of our friends. A neat moment for me.

4:00 Last meeting at work lasts until 6:00, after which I go home and collapse in a heap. Exhausted.

Still haven't heard on job, but local President/COO says again he won't block me, no matter how painful. Also goes out of his way to tell me that they would be crazy to not hire me.

Mom is doing well. Got to come home from hospital a day earlier than expected. Pain from tumor is gone, and no more loss of sensation in her leg/hip.

It's been a very up and down year, with a lot more bad than good. But I have so very much to be thankful for. I feel the holiday spirit coming on, and I look forward to spending it in good cheer with friends and family I adore.

That's great, Pentz. Thanks for sharing.

Glad that your mom is on the road to recovery!

Sucks that the family news this time of year a lot of times is the opposite of cheerful, glad you're bucking the trend.

Wow, Bob. Heavy stuff. Best wishes for your mum's health and your new job prospects. And, good of you to support your wife's religiosity, despite your own religious ambivalence. It would be hard for me to do the same.

Pentagonz’s mom has probably met more Swampers than most other Swampers have met. Glad she’s doing well.

She's certainly been in the back of a van with far more Swampers than most actual Swampers have.



That was intense bobbyp. I hope her recovery goes well, and good luck to you, too.

brian wrote:Pentagonz’s mom has probably met more Swampers than most other Swampers have met. Glad she’s doing well.

AWWWWW YEAH.

Good news, BP and good luck.

Thanks for sharing that, Bob.

Wow!

You can get through a day like that, you can get through anything. Glad that it's all working out.

IS EVERYBODY FORGETTING ABOUT MY MILDLY STRAINED HAMSTRING?!



(Wishing you all the best, Bob. Thanks for sharing that.)

bapo! wrote:IS EVERYBODY FORGETTING ABOUT MY MILDLY STRAINED HAMSTRING?!



(Wishing you all the best, Bob. Thanks for sharing that.)

Hilarious.

Prayers for your moms and her recovery

Glad mom’s doing ok Pentz.

Best wishes, BobP.

Someone's gotta pick up for GPJ when he's lying on the road like a ...

Thanks guys. I was not concern trolling, just relating a very taxing day. As some have mentioned, my mom has met met more than a handful of swampers. We felt good about the surgery, but always there are unknowns. She wanted me to share that she appreciate me the well wishes. She is feeling good, and better every day.

On the flip side, I also was selected for the position. Not official yet, as they have yet to offer me the full package from HR, but it's mine to turn down.

Thursday sucked, but I made it through the gauntlet and it's all looking up. Thanks again for well wishes.

Everything is coming up Milhouse!

I'll tell you, two months ago it was not. I was suffering from depression, was absolutely buried at work, my wife was traveling all the time, and I was drinking too much.

Swings and roundabouts y'all. I'm just trying to keep things between the lines most of the time.

Just keep swimming. I need to remember this sometimes.

P.D.X. wrote:Someone's gotta pick up for GPJ when he's lying on the road like a ...

This is a callback I'd almost forgot about. GPJ KILLED it, for about 1.2.

Square Rob wrote:

P.D.X. wrote:Someone's gotta pick up for GPJ when he's lying on the road like a ...

This is a callback I'd almost forgot about. GPJ KILLED it, for about 1.2.

And still his VORR (value over replacement runner) beat me and Karen despite us running 10 times as much.

I actually have the same exact knee pain right now from a softball game two weeks ago. Howard was right, I was not designed for as many athletic moves as I've made over a lifetime.