Feelin' like a manly man...

So one of the joys (aka, hassles) of being a home owner, is getting to do things you never really saw yourself doing, and this weekend was no exception.

When I got home from Texas, I was pleasantly surprised to discover there was a geyser in my backyard. Apparently, turning on the sprinkler system just two days before heading out of town is not the wisest thing to do, even if you did spend half a Saturday playing in the sprinklers figuring out how the sucker works.

So this weekend, I finally finished the repair job (I hope). You’d think that dragging around a hose (for over two weeks) would be unpleasant enough I would have gotten the job done sooner, but, you see, Zekers isn’t always the bravest guy out there…and I avoided doing the job because I was worried I’d totally screw it up. Also, it looked to be a lot of work. It wasn’t just a simple broken pipe, but the crack occurred on an elbow joint in a rather inopportune location, and so instead of having just a couple of connections to make…I had eight.





Fortunately, it looks like I figured it out. I won’t know for sure until tonight when I turn the water back on (after the recommended 24 hours setting time), but I’m hopeful.

And, actually, I am a little nervous about something else.

On one of my vacation days (I think the only day I didn’t spend hanging out with my family) I chopped down a cherry tree. Okay, it was more like a chain saw a massacre. There’s something rather virile about operating a chain saw (first time I’d every used one…rented from Home Depot), and cutting down a tree definitely feels like an accomplishment. But the real accomplishment came last weekend, when I removed the stump. Removing the tree was actually pretty easy, as it had been dying for some time and was already about two-thirds cut down. The stump, on the other hand, was very much alive…and very, VERY big with about a billion pesky roots. So, I went back to Home Depot and rented a Sawzall (first time again too) and this big ass pry bar. Well, five hours and five Sawzall blades later, I finally got the stump out. I’ve got to admit, at four and a half hours I was very tired of digging, cutting, digging, cutting…and well, not a very happy camper…but eventually I could see the stump wiggle a bit when I jumped up and down on the pry bar, and after a bit more digging and a few more cuts...the job was done…and DAMN did that feel good.

So the other thing I’m nervous about. There is a possibility that in cutting blindly (and ferociously) at the tree roots I could have hit a sprinkler pipe. Unfortunately, the thought of such an outcome didn’t even occur to me until I was about half-way done removing the stump, but…fortunately…I never actually saw the saw make contact (or an actual pipe for that matter), so hopefully no damage done.

I guess I’ll find out about that tonight too:)

Wish me luck!

The Stump

¡Adiós a mis amigos!

Well, for everyone who has seen the forecast for next week and asked the question "what about spring?!?" I don't think you should complain too much. The first full week of this first month of summer...Zekers will be in TEXAS...




Actually, I was pleasantly surprised the temps were not going to be worse. And truthfully, I'm excited to be going! It's not a vacation, it's a business trip...but it is a much needed change. I've never been to Texas, except for one stop inside the Dallas airport a couple of years ago.

And, best of all, the week after that, I get to stay home for a few days to celebrate the arrival of beautiful.

Relax my boy...relax

I typed up a post today…that is totally different from what I am posting now. It was about how pleased I was to be getting a good handle on time management (I really have figured out a fairly kick ass task management system to deal with the “work problem”) and to be dealing successfully with some of my fear issues related to work.

Fortunately that's all very true. But, after writing that…I couldn’t help but realize that I’m still just a bit too uptight. The perfectionist in me still seems to be live and kicking…and unfortunately periodically comes back to kick my butt.

It’s interesting how many of the challenging parts of life…are challenges of our own making.

So tonight…I’m going to remind myself that often (not always, but often) life is only as hard as I make it….and I’m really not in the mood for life to be all that tough.

Stole another one...

I came across this photo of my sister Lani on Apryl's picasa web album. I'm kind of prone to getting excited sometimes, and seeing this shot of Lani really got me going. I haven't seen her since last August, and she'll be out to visit next month. Umm...that's where I'm already almost giddy. Oh, and she's bringing baby too!

BTW...isn't she beatiful!

I totally stole this one

My sister in-law posted this, and I think it's worth sharing. I don't know if I believe in God. In some respects I think I do, but rest assured there is no organized religion in my future. I fundamentally do not have faith in people who say god has spoken to them (for me).

However, as I've gotten older, and hopefully a bit wiser, I've come to realize that being bitter or upset about humanities proclivity toward religious belief (and it's inherent injustices) is a waste of time. The fact is, life is tough. (So we're clear Jenna, this message is not for you...just me reflecting). Anyways, things that remind us that love trumps hate, that sharing is better than selfishness...they're not so bad. And when people work together to make life better...

Anyways, here's what I stole (and my comments):

1. God won't ask what kind of car u drove. He'll ask how many people u drove who didn't have transportation. (Good thing...cause old blue is falling apart)

2. God won't ask the square footage of your house, He'll ask how many people u welcomed in your home. (So far 17. Well that was the most at one time.)

3. God won't ask about the clothes u had in your closet, He'll ask how many u helped clothe. (Hmmm...maybe I shouldn't show God my closet)

4. God won't ask what your highest salary was. He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it. (Hope I haven't)

5. God won't ask how many friends u had. He'll ask how many people to whom u were a friend. (Working on it)

6. God won't ask what neighborhood you lived in, He will ask how u treated your neighbors. (Haven't met them all yet, but I try to be nice)

7. God won't ask what your job title was. He will ask if u performed your job to the best of your ability. (To the best of my ability...within reason)

8. God won't ask about the color of your skin, He'll ask about the content of your character. (I really would prefer blue)

9. God won't ask why it took you so long to seek salvation. He'll lovingly take you to your mansion in heaven and not to the gates of hell. (I actually like this one even though I prefer to think of the afterlife as one of the great mysteries of existence. I do think it is really foolish to live life in fear of hell and frankly, I see this as one of the great tragedies of religious thought over the centuries. This punishment mentality is just WAY too much fear. Live life to be happy...deep down. If there is a god, I'm willing to bet everything on this: God knows how hard all these decisions were...and God plays fair.)

10.God won't have to ask how many people u forwarded this to. He already knows your decision. (sorry, but this one just bugged)

As promised...

Mom...I hope you enjoy these photos. Thanks again for a wonderful mother's day and for being a wonderful mom!

Help Wanted-aka Zeke’s Goals Revisited

After my fairly bold post last week, I’ve been reflecting quite a bit on this job problem and how I’m dealing with it. So we’re clear, it’s not like I just threatened to quit. The truth is, opportunity-wise at least, I have a fairly sweet arrangement with my existing job. But will getting additional help really help? Yes and no. Sometimes in life, if you can solve one problem, others can become a lot more manageable.

So, now that I’ve completed Goal #1, I think I need to add another goal to the list to be the new number one for this year, and it’s a goal I believe I may achieve more easily if I take advantage of social commitment (hence this post):

Goal #1. Master the art of managing my time so that work time is work time, and play time is play time.

It’s not that I totally suck at time management, and I’ve certainly made various efforts over the years, but planning one’s time is a lot like exercising. You always feel better when you do it well (often the benefits to overall health-both mental and physical-are tremendous), but doing it (at least initially) kind of sucks. And keeping at it...isn’t always that easy.

Not that I want my whole life planned out. Far from it. But when it comes to certain aspects of my life…aka work…I think I would be a lot happier if I planned my time better.

I think a big challenge I’ve had is that I’ve been too much of a perfectionist with this issue, and when I fail, I get discouraged and more or less give up for a while. It's also true that my job is challenging in that it demands planning, but I also have to be ready to respond in an emergency, which I guess is all the more reason to plan when I can. I don’t need to always accomplish what I had in mind…I just need to plan well enough so that the person driving my life is ME. So that I’m in the habit of saying yes to the things that really matter (friends, family, well deserved recreation…you know…the good stuff in life)… and NO to the things that don’t.