From Today and Back to 8898 days ago

Some of these I knew; others sounded familiar.

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There were a few that made me long for different (not necessarily better) days.

Last night's episode featured Roman Reigns / Seth Rollins v. Bray Wyatt / Samoa Joe in the main event. The ending came when Reigns went to hit Samoa Joe with the Superman punch. Like I've seen in countless other matches, Samoa Joe moved out of the way and Reigns tried to pull his punch back but did end up running into Rollins, who was then pissed at Reigns and distracted. That allowed Samoa Joe to put his submission move on Rollins. Those four are in the Fatal 5 Way match at Extreme Rules on June 4th. The fifth member of that match, Finn Balor, was shown at the end of the episode talking to General Manager Kurt Angle. He told Angle that it was a great match but he didn't want to be left out next week. Angle made next week's main event right then: Finn Balor v. Samoa Joe v. Bray Wyatt. Angle also announced Seth Rollins v. Roman Reigns as the other match for next week.

This is what Bleacher Report reported about the match:

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Grade

B

Analysis

The match quality was strong and the spot with Reigns blasting Rollins by accident, costing them the main event was a nice alternative to the smiling good guys winning the match. Joe and Wyatt putting their differences aside to secure victory was a nice take on the old "tag partners who hate each other" trope while the announcement that they will battle, along with Balor, in a Triple Threat match next week added a must-see element to the Memorial Day broadcast.

While the match still adhered far too closely to WWE's stale booking methods, it was a quality match to close out an action-packed broadcast.

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Read more results here.

Blurring the Line - Humor or Politics?

Tumultuous Backlash

While I continue to watch Monday Night Raw, I don't watch Smackdown. There was a WWE PPV last night called Backlash and the results are in: bleacherreport.com/articles/2710922-wwe-backlash-2017-results-winners-grades-reaction-and-highlights. Sounds like it was tumultuous.

Intriguing

http://www.drj.com/fallworld2017/index.php/event-program/full-conference-agenda

Not a Weep

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2707178-celtics-shock-lebron-james-cavaliers-as-avery-bradley-sinks-game-winner

1 is From Wednesday, 2 - 5 = Thursday

From Wednesday:

1. Legalized marijuana turns Colorado resort town into homeless magnet

From Thursday:

1. At least one person was killed and seven people were struck after a speeding car jumped a curb and plowed into several people in New York's Times Square on Thursday afternoon: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/05/18/car-jumps-curb-hits-pedestrians-in-times-square.html
2. A fight that erupted at a Memphis church on Tuesday night during a graduation ceremony for Arlington High School was captured on video: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/05/17/fight-at-memphis-high-school-graduation-caught-on-video.html
3. You Need To Connect The Dots Between The Bombshell Michael Flynn Stories The former national security adviser sided with the Turkish president in delaying an attack on ISIS. But before Turkey paid him, Flynn had wanted Erdogan out.
4. From MTV to Top WWE Star: The Miz Gives Us an Exclusive Look at His 'Real World'

First Raw was 8897 days ago - 24 years, 4 months, 1 week, 4 days Ago

Tonight is episode 1271 because 8897 / 7 = 1271.

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Life is Choice

5 choices you will regret forever

Yay Me!

I'm writing this post using the new-to-me Windows 10 PC I purchased on Friday evening after work for $60. I have been setting it up since I brought it home. I have accomplished the following:

• plugged in the wireless keyboard
• plugged in multiple external hard drives
• plugged in Brad Guyer's former mouse that I use at work (and take home each weekend because it's so awesome!)
• installed Office 2016 installed (thanks to the license agreement my employer has with Microsoft)
• installed Free File Synch (website)
• ripped CDs like crazy! 

Thankfully, it seems like the CD drive is faster than the Toshiba laptop. It's convenient to have this new PC because, for inexplicable reasons, the Toshiba laptop CD drive is acting up and not ripping CDs. I insert a CD in and nothing happens. I'd be really much more upset about it if I didn't have this new-to-me PC on my desk in the den. Having this new PC also will help me plow through the spindles. I'm ripping Spindle #20 because, thankfully, Megan was home on Friday and ripped the rest of Spindle 19 for me. She used the Toshiba laptop and her own HP laptop too to get through 50 CDs. I plan to utilize her over the next few weeks while she's home in order to plow through the spindles, if she's up for it. 

Advice

Translation: Don't break anybody's heart - they only have 1 - break their bones, they have 206.

Harmonious Union

This is a quote from https://www.thoughtfortoday.org.uk/harmony-3/ - I didn't write it:

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I need to recognize that like musical notes we are all different. Only when I am able to harmonize with others can I create a beautiful tune. When I work with other people, I learn to understand them. In the process, I will also learn more about myself and how to use my strengths to support others.

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With 89 days remaining until we move Alex into his UNI dorm room & Megan into her UNI apartment, I am aware of being part of a harmonious union within my family.

Inspiring

Yoni Madar lays down a killer solo. Lots of energy and creativity here!

Rain Praises

My favorite days of any year are Fridays when it rains. As far back as junior high, I remember being excited when it would rain on a Friday. I don't recall what the initial 'good thing' was that happened on a rainy Friday - I have just always had the preconceived idea that good things happen to me on a rainy Friday. Thus, with rain coming down outside, it feels fitting and proper to acknowledge some things that are planned for today:

1. Karen's last day in her present role is today - she begins a different role in a different department with a different manager. Like when I left QDS to go to the Hell company, there are mixed feelings. You leave behind friends at the old job and have to learn to embrace new friends. In my experience, those friendships are never the same after you no longer see those friends every day. It's just different.
2. At 10 AM, John, the tile guy, is coming to our house to finish the tile in our bathroom. I paid him $180 yesterday for the work.
3. At 4, I am bee-lining to a house about 10 minutes north of work to pick up a PC tower for $60. I am excited to be doing this so that I can have a second PC / machine to rip CDs. I am hoping by doing this I can alleviate the issue I've been having with the Toshiba laptop, which is that the CD drive does not recognize some data CDs that I know were recognized during prior CD to MP3 conversions.

I feel like James felt in this picture I saw in this concert review - Metallica treats Nassau Coliseum concertgoers to rock party - just now:

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That is the facial expression of a guy who is enjoying life and even though I can't see his face, I would like to think Kirk Hammett is smiling too. I wish Chris Cornell was alive to see that smile...

Kane is Funny!!

World Domination Continues with Harvey

Chris Cornell Passes to the Next Phase

Age 52 - 5 more than me - and God wanted him. RIP.
Editor's Note: Chris Cornell, lead singer of Soundgarden, dead at 52 after hanging himself; Update 5/19/2017: Chris Cornell’s Wife, Vicky, Disputes Coroner’s Suicide Ruling
1. Fell on Black Days

2. Show Me How to Live

3. The Day I Tried to Live

4. My Wave

5. Burden in my Hand

6. Like a Stone

7. Like Suicide

8. Pretty Noose

9. Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart

10. Be Yourself

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Editor's Note: The first of many tributes:

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Not a Priest

From A Catholic perspective on the minimum wage:

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I surely hope no one thinks the woman in the collar behind The Rev. Rudolph T. Juárez is a priest - Catholic female priests are not recognized as legit. I'm not saying that is correct - I said yesterday to a fellow parishioner that something has to be done about the priest shortage - and, at this point in time, I say leave all options on the table.

Until that day when it is 'legit' though, I follow the rules of the Catholic church.

And she's not a priest.

Thanks... BUT NO WAY!!

Job 1

REMOTE GAME WRITER (CONTRACT, OFF-SITE)
Pixelberry Studios - Mountain View, CA
Full-time, Contract
Pixelberry Studios is looking for writers to work on contract, delivering content for our hit mobile game “Choices: Stories You Play.” You'll brainstorm with the team, craft characters, plots, and series concepts, and see your writing come to life in the game. Pay is hourly and based on experience.

JOB DESCRIPTION AND RESPONSIBILITIES

You will be working remotely with a team to deliver high-quality interactive narrative content for the game “Choices: Stories You Play” in the form of game scripts. This position involves creative writing, extensive editorial work, game testing, and collaboration.

On-site training: Writers will come to our Mountain View office for 3 months of creative and technical training.

REQUIREMENTS

Our ideal candidate creates stories with interesting characters and compelling narratives, is able to follow the established style and tone of our games, and can write from a variety of perspectives. Additionally, candidates should be able to accept and incorporate feedback, adapt writing to meet requirements, and consistently meet deadlines. Excellent copywriting and editing skills are a must.

This is an external contractor position, not full-time employment. The work will be done remotely, off-site. There will typically be between 40 to 50 hours of work each week. Overtime rates will apply over 40 hours per week. You will be expected to frequently attend video conference calls for brainstorming, training, and weekly writer syncs. Pay is competitive.

PLUSSES

Major in English, specifically creative writing.
Knowledge about and passion for the gaming industry, specifically the mobile narrative gaming space.
Understanding of current trends and pop culture.
Passion for a specific genre of writing, i.e. Romance, Fantasy, Adventure.
Technical proficiency (some computer science coursework).

MATERIALS REQUESTED

A cover letter, indicating why you’re interested in the position. In this letter, please state the top three genres you would be interested in writing for Choices.
A current resume, highlighting writing and educational experience.
A writing sample (short story, script, or game writing). We prefer fictional samples of writing that showcase friendship and romance. If you have more than one applicable sample, you can send more than one. We strongly encourage you to play a few chapters of Choices to get a feel for the kind of stories we tell.
Please put your resume and writing sample into the body of an email (no attachments) with the subject line ' Choices Remote Game Writer - [Your Name] ’. Candidates will not be considered without a writing sample. Submit materials to Chelsa at writerjobs at pixelberrystudios.com
We encourage you to download and play Choices: Stories You Play, High School Story, and Hollywood U (available on iOS, Android, and Kindle) to get a feel for the type of work our studio does.

Job Type: Contract

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Job 2

Instructional Designer (Contractor)
The Intersect Group 13 reviews - Richardson, TX
$40 - $45 an hour - Contract

The Intersect Group has an immediate contract for an Instructional Designer with our Richardson area client. Our fast growing Financial Services client manager is adding to her team. She is looking for an energetic, collaborative, dynamic role model with leadership traits to join the team. Will be working with internal teams to analyze training needs for design and development of web-based training materials for internal employees, not external customers.

Must have/be:

Captivate Wizard
Instructional Design experience for Banking / Financial / Treasury training content
Experience developing content for Sales Training
Addie Model - using Addie for training analysis, design and development
Background in adult learning theory that drives practical, effective instructional design approaches
Thorough knowledge of and/or experience with both ILT and WBT courseware development software (Captivate, Flash)

Preferred:

Advanced experience with InDesign
RoboHelp

Responsibilities:

Responsible for analyzing, designing and developing corporate training material, supporting systems training, job skills training, and regulatory compliance training in multiple formats such as classroom, self-study, coach-based and web-based training, and includes the development of appropriate learning resources
Work with Line of Business Leaders and Subject Matter Experts to determine development of appropriate training solutions. Conducts Training Needs Assessment to identify and develop the appropriate blended-learning strategy for each project
Interview subject matter experts to understand changes/impacts by role to incorporate into training content
Develop measurement tools (Kirkpatrick Levels 1-4) to determine training program effectiveness, report on effectiveness of training initiatives and evaluate current training programs to determine the need for enhancement
Facilitate train-the-trainer efforts to prepare instructors for training delivery
Maintain knowledge of developing trends, methods and techniques in the general training field and regulatory compliance training field

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a related field and 3 years’ experience or a minimum of 5 years’ experience designing adult eLearning training courses in Captivate
Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written are a must
Skilled in training analysis, design and development using the ADDIE model
Background in adult learning theory that drives practical, effective instructional design approaches
Experience in functional or behavior oriented training
Must have thorough knowledge of and/or experience with both ILT and WBT courseware development software (Captivate, Flash)
Should be well organized and detail oriented to handle heavy workload
Able to work in a fast paced environment and execute multiple tasks successfully
Demonstrate articulate, impromptu speaking skills, meeting leadership skills and conflict management skills
Possess superior analytical and problem solving skills
Knowledge of PC/Internet (including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook)
Advanced experience with InDesign highly preferred
Experience with RoboHelp is helpful but not required

Job Type: Contract

Salary: $40.00 to $45.00 /hour

Job Location:

Richardson, TX

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Job 3

Technical Writer
Apex Systems Inc 404 reviews - Salem, VA
Contract
Job #: 752648

An Apex client is seeking an experienced Technical Writer to join it's application engineering team. The appropriate candidate must have fundamental knowledge of core technical communication concepts, such as topic-based authoring, minimalism, task-oriented design, single-sourcing. Preferred experience includes one of the following authoring tools: oXygen Author (DITA methodology), Adobe RoboHelp, or MadCap Flare. A technical writer must be able to work with SMEs and Product Owners to identify what a specific persona really needs to know when documenting that portion of the product. A good technical writer must be able to build relationships within the development team to be able to properly research features.

Job Overview:
As a Technical Writer, you will be responsible for working independently on components of an information development project. You will contribute to the team on a variety of projects and call upon team members for guidance as needed. You will contribute to the team and work independently.

Responsibilities:
In this role, you will develop and deliver high-quality content for the Applications Engineering team using the following professional characteristics:
Strong writing skills, namely a command of grammar, syntax, diction, and the conventions and best practices of writing a variety of technical documents
Fundamental collaboration skills: ability to work with other writers and cross-functional peers
Fundamental knowledge of core technical communication concepts, such as topic-based authoring, minimalism, task-oriented design, single-sourcing
Understanding of core information development processes: content planning, content creation, content review
Ability to break down software processes into tasks necessary to the targeted user and effectively explaining those tasks to the user
Basic ability to collaborate with subject matter experts to research a software product, determine functionality and design features, then communicate those effectively to the user

Basic Qualifications:
Bachelors degree (OR high school diploma with at least 6 years experience in a technical writing role)
A minimum of 2 years of professional experience

Desired Characteristics:Technical:
Basic skills in editing (QA for documentation) - ability to recognize errors in a variety of information deliverables
Fundamental skills with the authoring tools used by the Predix APM information development team: oXygen Author (DITA methodology), Astoria CMS, Adobe RoboHelp, or MadCap Flare
Ability to follow established information patterns to create information deliverables
Awareness of Lean/Agile/XP software development processes and how to follow processes for information development
Basic awareness of the major aspects of software design, development, and QA and how they affect the information development process

Business:
Ability to work to deadlines and think critically about the task at hand while maintaining an understanding of the relevance of the issue in the bigger picture
Basic domain and product knowledge, including appropriate terminology, with an awareness of internal product line(s) and offerings

Leadership:
Ability to voice opinions and present clear rationale. Effective use of data or factual evidence to influence
Recognition of collaborative behavior and participation in collaborative activities
Willingness and ability to learn organization vision statement and decision-making framework. Ability to understand how team and personal goals/objectives contribute to the organization vision

Personal Attributes:
Willingness and ability to help team members
Ability to understand problems thoroughly before implementing solutions and ask questions to clarify requirements when ambiguities are present
Ability to identify opportunities for innovation and offer new ideas

Condensed Dead

Converting to the Dead

Great... Just great. I need to begin using AAC instead of MP3 for this project I guess, per https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/05/16/mp3_dies_nobody_noticed/

Editor's Note: My friend Matthew passed along this link: https://marco.org/2017/05/15/mp3-isnt-dead

Heed

From this article - http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/jack-russell-alcohol-and-drugs-are-the-worst-things-in-the-world/ - comes thoughts about drugs & booze:

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Russell, who in 2010 suffered a perforated bowel — six months after shattering his pelvis in a live performance fall — largely blamed these injuries on his alcohol and painkiller addictions as well as the prednisone drug he was prescribed.

"Alcohol and drugs are the worst things in the world," Jack told "The Five Count". Anybody out there that's got a problem with alcohol, or alcohol and drugs, get some help. You may not be as lucky as me."

Russell continued: "The last time I drank was almost two years ago. I came out of a five-day coma. And I'm in this hospital room. There's all these people in my room — a guy from Chicago that I know, my wife, my band, my doctor. I go, 'Where am I?' And he goes, 'Well, you're in the hospital.' I go, 'I know I'm in the hospital. What am I here for?' My wife goes, 'Jack, I couldn't wake you up. You came home at night. You were out with Don Dokken' — of all people — and I came back home and she got me on the bed and she couldn't wake me up the next morning. So she drove me to the emergency room and I was in a coma with my liver almost shut down. So [the doctor] told me, 'Look, I'll tell you like this. The way you drink, which your wife tells me how you drink, and I don't think you're gonna change if you do…' I said, 'No, I wouldn't.' And he goes, 'Well, if you do that one more time, you're gonna be dead. I'm not saying you might, could, should, would — you're going to die.' So I said, 'Well, that's pretty much it then. It's like somebody putting six bullets in a gun and saying, 'Let's play Russian Roulette.'"

Jack added: "But the message I was trying to impart is just if you do have an issue and you're listening to this interview, please get help, 'cause it's not worth it, and your life can be so much better."

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Great advice.

Most Excellent

Stan Lee, John Cusack to appear at Des Moines comic convention

The Des Moines comic book and gaming scene will come to life this weekend with two big names coming to town. Wizard World Comic Con Des Moines announced that comic book icon Stan Lee and actor John Cusack will be appearing at the convention this weekend, reports the Register. Mr. Lee, who created legendary comics like "Spider-Man," "The Incredible Hulk," "X-Men" and "The Fantastic Four," will be signing autographs and posing for photos both Friday and Saturday and will host a Q&A Saturday. Mr. Cusack, star of movies like "Say Anything" and "High Fidelity," will sign autographs and pose for photos from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m Saturday. Katie Manchester, comics manager at Mayhem Comics, Cards and Games in Clive, said that comic store managers are expecting Mr. Lee will draw so many comic fans to the area that they are adjusting their "convention game plan."

Deadly Alive

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5/10/17 M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD

1. Hardwired
2. Atlas, Rise!
3. For Whom The Bell Tolls
4. Fuel
5. The Unforgiven
6. Now That We're Dead
7. Moth Into Flame
8. Wherever I May Roam
9. Halo On Fire
10. Kirk And Rob Doodle
11. Hit The Lights
12. Sad But True
13. One
14. Master Of Puppets
15. Fade to Black
16. Seek and Destroy
17. Battery
18. Nothing Else Matters
19. Enter Sandman

Total Running Time: 2:18:35

Show Notes:

1. This was the 14th time that Metallica performed in Maryland.
2. Metallica first played in Baltimore on August 9, 1983 at the Seagull Inn during the Kill 'Em All for One tour with Raven.
3. The band last played Baltimore on July 4, 2000 during the first Summer Sanitarium tour with Korn, Kid Rock, System of a Down & Powerman 5000.
4. This was the first show of the WorldWired North American Tour.
5. This was the first time that "Now That We're Dead" and "Halo On Fire" were performed in the United States.
6. This was the first time in 25 years that "The Unforgiven" was played in Maryland.
7. This was the first time in 34 years that "Hit the Lights" was performed in Maryland. It was last played here in 1983 during a show at Coast to Coast.
8. Metallica performed 18 songs off of seven albums: Kill 'Em All (2), Ride the Lightning (2), Master of Puppets (2), ...And Justice for All (1), Metallica (5), Reload (1), Hardwired...To Self-Destruct (5)

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Gasp! No Creeping Death on the setlist!

No & Yes

So, no, I'm not moving to Chicago or Troy or New York and yes, I'm happy where I work. I just enjoy seeing jobs that look interesting.

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Wordpress Developer
Chicago, IL, USA
Troy, MI, USA
New York, NY, USA
Job Summary:

The role:

You will be developing website and providing maintenance services for our clients (venues and promoters). You’ll work with our clients to define their website requirements and then off you go to develop and maintain those sites. You’ll receive client requests on events and changes to update on their sites.

What the job is:

• Building client websites using Wordpress
• Providing on-going support and maintenance on the client site
• Making updates and changes as needed

What we look for in our Engineers

• Ownership. You feel ownership over everything you ship. You'd never call code "released" until you’re confident it’s correct.
• Passion. You pride yourself on efficient monitoring, strong documentation, and proper test coverage. You are excited to work in a modern tech stack, and you have demonstrable experience with diverse pool of technologies.
• A team player. You believe that you can achieve more on a team—that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. You rely on others' candid feedback for continuous improvement.
• Ability to make an impact. You will work on a site that is being seen by 95+ million fans number of fans. You seek new methods and tools to make great websites faster and better, both on the front-end and back-end.
• Interest in continuous Learning. Exposure to latest & great technologies; onsite tech talks and trainings; attending tech conferences.
• Collaboration. Partner with a diverse group of professionals with different skills & disciplines across the organization to achieve a common goal
• Write great code. You care about writing good code, design, performance and an outstanding user experience.

What a qualified candidate should possess:

• 3+ years of relevant website development experience with Wordpress
• Bachelor’s degree preferred or equivalent working experience
• Expert with Wordpress CMS
• Proficient in PHP 5 and object-oriented design
• Familiar with databases and SQL syntax, such as MySQL
• Knowledge of HTML and CSS
• Strong knowledge of UI/UX design and best practices
• Familiar with JavaScript and AJAX
• Basic knowledge of GNU/Linux and a web server (Apache or Nginx)
• Ability to interact with clients directly

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Also, did you notice the inconsistency at the end of the "What we look for in our Engineers" heading?

Point Away! Point Away!

At Quintrex, there were some customers who were multiple versions 'behind' the current version. There was never a clear-cut explanation for 'why' that was except... the customer didn't upgrade as the CDs (yes - we shipped 3 physical CDs: 1 for the PC applications, 1 for the Supplemental PC applications, & one for the iSeries (AS/400) software) were shipped to them. That situation came to mind when I read this article - Microsoft Blames NSA for ‘WannaCry’ Cyber Extortion - Software maker sent patch 2 months ago for flaw used in large-scale ransomware - which states that the NSA had the patch 2 months ago for the 'WannaCry' cyber extortion, but it was never applied.

Hmmm.

Interview with Het

Album His Listens To

Out of Date Documentation

Quick! A Tip!

Pinning a File to the Taskbar

Wishing Luck

When I read an article about Iowa women's soccer, it's routine and typical that I also think about the former Iowa women's soccer coach, who also was my neighbor, Ron Rainey - and to also reflect upon the past, which seems to be the theme for the weekend that just completed. First, yesterday in his homily, Father Stephen Page talked about looking in the rear-view mirror as you drive forward, which he told us we should not do in the parking lot. Second, I watched the Season 8 finale of Shark Tank last night. A woman had a product that was for brides to be able to go to the bathroom by themselves. There was a netting that they rolled their dress into so there would no longer be a need for a bridesmaid to help the bride. When the woman with the product told her story, she talked about how she had the idea in 2002 but then let it 'sit' for 13 years. When the Sharks asked her why, she said that she had learned she needed to surround herself with positive people and that it had been a hard lesson. Lori, one of the Sharks, talked about putting the past behind you. Third, I reread some earlier journal entries in my summary volume of the 10 Year Project and reflected upon where I was and where I am. Certainly, it's always easy to wax poetic about the past - hell, read pretty much any post on this blog and there's an undercurrent of wanting to relive the past in areas about college, work, and yes, even family. Given time to do what I want, I often find myself reflecting on my past.

Today, though, on a beautiful Monday AM, at work, I am able to eat donuts from the Hy-Vee gas station and I am able to drink a Mountain Dew Pitch Black. My life moves forward every day and while I sincerely might wish Margaret & Ron still lived next door to me, the reality is some wishes don't come true because they are beyond my control. The other aspect of all of this is that I like Molly & Ezra, who moved into Margaret & Ron's house. Their kids, Mac & Violet, are going to be fun to watch as they grow up. I think about that when I think about Alex graduating from high school in 12 days and then, later in August, both Megan & Alex will be moving up north, to Cedar Falls, for the next UNI school year. The next 93 days are sure to feel like they are passing by very quickly even though science says there are the same amount of hours in the next 93 as there have been as long as I've been alive.