Quarters and Milkshakes

Quarters...

So Sharkey and I spent the day together last Friday. Some Friday's I take off so we can have a JP & Sharkey day. It's really nice. We spend the day together, have lunch somewhere different, and just enjoy each other's company. Last Friday we went to Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. Not sure what it is, but do you ever picture things in your mind that sounds good and then you just cannot get it out of your head? Well last week a hot turkey sandwich with fresh bread, roasted turkey, and gravy was on my mind. Thankfully, there's a really great place in Philly for such a sandwich, The Original Turkey. The Original Turkey is in the middle of Reading Terminal Market, which is a really cool place. They have fresh meats, seafoods, produce and some really good little counter service eating places. Sharkey had a gyro, and I fed the craving I had. So we left the terminal and went to the parking garage where our car was. The garage is one of those automated pay parking decks, so before we could leave we had to pay the fee on the first floor at the ticket machines. So the machine accepted $1, $5, $10, and $20 bills. The fee for us was $8. Not too bad at all. The machines mind you dispense paper bills for change, because they have the ATM type slots for it. So I put a $20 in the machine. Well before you know it, I was the proud receipient of $12 in quarters... Yep 48 quarters came out of that freakin' machine. Sharkey said, "Look Honey we hit the jackpot!!!"




Shamrock Shake Time...

What's not to like? Minty, green, creamy goodness. Yeah, I know it is one chemical away from being some type of polymer, but I love these things. I always get them when Mickey D's has them every year.

In Sadness There Is Joy

My aunt passed away last week. She was my Mom's best friend. She married my Mom's brother. She was Sharkey's favorite aunt on my side too. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year. I knew when I had found out her diagnosis, she had little time. I encouraged my Mom to spend time with her, to not put off seeing her, talking with her, visiting with her. I'm glad I did. Really glad. My Aunt was an amazing person. She could take the most stressful and burdensome situation and make it lighter. Her sense of humor was unparalleled and could come up with some of the best sarcastic one liners, and this could be part of the reason Sharkey liked her so much. She was a great support to my Mom these past 4 years since my Father passed away. She was the cornerstone of her family and will be missed. We were in NJ all of Saturday for the service and visiting with relatives afterwards.

It was interesting being in the same church where the last time I was there I was speaking on the behalf of my father at his service. It is the church I grew up in. I counted all the windows there a million times trying to pass the time when I was a kid. I know all the little stones on the floor and the designs at the front of the church. It's a wonder I turned out to have the faith I have today.

One of the things I have liked the least about funerals is one of the things I enjoyed the most this time around. You know how after the service there's usually a meal? Well I never understood why that is. I mean you are feeling sad, and reflective and somber, so why eat? Well I know it is to remember and talk about the dear departed and also give the attendees some refreshment for coming. Sharkey and I sat at a randomly picked table with an older Japanese couple I had never met before. As it turns out, the older man knew my Father. He hung out with him, grew up with him and I learned some stories I hadn't known before and heard a few I had forgotten. It was a really special time for me. I was really close to my Dad (he was an awesome man and I'll have to post about him sometime). I miss him a lot and in certain situations I can just picture in my mind what he would do/say. So to find out new things and remember old things I hadn't thought about, was time very well spent indeed.

JP Haiku

Did you do Haiku in school? Haiku is that Japanese poetry that is three lines, 5 syllables on the first line, 7 syllables on the second line, 5 syllables on the third line. Here's a JP original for today:

Ready for a change
The first step taken in snow
Things are looking good!

Have many questions?
I can give many answers
I am left to wait

Whatever happens
My path is as it should be
What will be, will be



For those of you deep thinking poetic interpreters out there, give my verse a go and see what your little minds can come up with!!! More to come on this... =)

Dog Jedi Mind Trick

I'm sitting here and the Mags is trying to get a pretzel from me. She's using her canine Jedi mind trick on me. Her eyes pierce my soul.

----Dad.... you want to give me a pretzel........

----Maggie I would like to give you a pretzel........ CHOMP!!!!

----Dad... you want to give me another pretzel.....

----Maggie I would like to give you a pretzel....... CHOMP!!!!!!

How Did I Get Here?

Ever have one of those moments where you just look up and look around and you just say to yourself, "Wow!!!" I had one of those realizations tonight. I have a dog. I am married. I have a house. I'm going to be 38 this year. I'm like, well, grown up. Wow!!! When I think about all the twists and turns my life took to get here to this place and be with Sharkey and the Mags, there's only one word to sum it all up, Wow!! Certain memories just rush back.

• I can remember living in Oregon for 6 months about 2 weeks after I had just graduated from college in NJ.
• I remember coming home to help out my parents after my father became critically ill.
• I remember finding a job in PA, which fit me like a glove and opened up more opportunity than I could have ever imagined.
• I remember seeing Sharkey walk into my office for the first time 9 years ago, and seeing my future.
• I remember holding on for dear life the first time I flew to MN to see Sharkey and riding in her car while she sped down the road at 60-70 MPH in a blizzard.
• I remeber proposing to Sharkey in Orlando and watching fireworks over the Magic Kingdom afterwards.
• I remember marrying Sharkey and how she looked in her dress the first time I saw her.
• I remember driving across the country with my new wife and Chloe, the best dog ever.
• I remember hearing the Pastor's sermon for the first time, and knowing I had found the right church in PA.
• I remember my faithful neighbors helping me build my deck in the back of my house.
• I remember learning Sharkey had breast cancer.
• I remember going to all of the doctors appointments, chemotherapy, radiation visits and scans with Sharkey.
• I remember Penny, the smartest dog I've ever had.
• I remember the first time I met the Mags and knew she was God sent.
• I remember the feeling I had last Friday after finding out Sharkey hit 5 years without breast cancer.

Those are just the things that stick out, but they are all things I'll never forget. So what's next?

The Week in Review

Monday

Caught up on the Tivo shows. And as everyone knows Heroes is on Mondays!!! Found out that Hiro's father is Sulu from Star Trek... (OK, so it's the actor guy from Star Trek, but still...) Sylar lives! GEEZE!!!!



Tuesday

Filled my need to play golf during the winter. A new place opened close by. It fills the need. The place is called Play a Round Golf. They have simulators where you use all of your golf clubs and can play full rounds. It's nice to be able to make the full swing and pitch and putt a golf ball around when it's 23 degrees outside. And the other nice thing is for $15, you get an hour of simulator time plus lunch from 11am-2pm during the week.

Wednesday

I've been feeling a bit limited and a bit frustrated lately with my job. I may have to do something about that. Think that's EXCITING!!! No? More to come on this...

Thursday

Registered for my next graduate class at Penn State. This time I'll be learning about the software development life cycle. Whoooo... Aaaaaahhh... Yaaaaaa.... Or to some of you, ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ......... =)

Friday

Today was one of the most important days, one of the most significant days of my life. Wow!!! Right? It was significant and important because my Sharkey is officially past her 5th year CT scan for breast cancer!!!!! No sign of cancer, no spread of disease, all normal, all clear!! Back in 2001 we weren't sure we'd see this day together or in the shape we are in today. We have a huge amount to be thankful for!!!!! We have to say that God has really blessed us and has taken us to this point. And we feel so thankful and we are going to have a May 2007 Cancer Free Party!!!!!

On another note it is also a notable day, because my QB is coming back next year and not retiring. My father in law will be so happy!!! Yep, Brett Fav---re will be coming back to lead the Green Bay Packers again next year!!! Go PACK!!!!!