Today is the celebration of the birth of our great nation. Four score and a zillion years ago.... just kidding. Most people will spend today with cookouts, down time and trying to prevent their drunken loved ones from blowing themselves up... cops are out in full force so don't drink and drive!
Adri and I have spent most of this morning sticking 18"x24" American flags into the front lawns of 500 of our closest neighbors to Liberty Tax Service. It's been tiring but we've received terrific feedback so far from the residents. Nice little promotional tool, a little exercise and everyone feels warm and fuzzy about it.
After we finish our last leg of flag distribution, we will clean up and head out for lunch, courtesy of Ryan and Paula Lafler and their generous gift card for the Lettuce Entertain You family of restaurants. Then, off to Naperville for their Ribfest '07 firework celebration. I hope you enjoy your day as much as we will.
God Bless America!
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Buffalo Range Riding Park Liability Waiver
Many of you read about my weekly adventures in Dirtbiking - the mild success stories, the high flying, adrenaline packed exercise... and the extremely painful injuries. I thought you might get a kick out of the liability waiver I have to sign every single time I go to the track. I scanned the original right into this sucker. If this doesn't make you think twice about dirtbiking... the photos of my injuries should!
(click the images to view a larger version of the text)
(click the images to view a larger version of the text)
Printer Problems - Machine Error 41
For the record, I rarely print anything. 95% of my communication is done via email, text messaging, web posts, etc - it's a rare occasion to print or need something to be printed. Murphey's Law, I needed to print something just now and fax it somewhere immediately and my printer just took a crap.
"Machine Error 41, unplug machine and then call Brother" - what kind of crap is that? Unplug it, reset it, hit it a few times and nothing, still the same stupid error. I attempt to navigate Brother's website and cannot find a toll free number to call them so I call an authorized dealer; surprise, they have no clue what the problem is but they will call me back.
As I sit and google the possibilities of Machine Error 41, my hopes of repairing this machine today have gone from hopeful to a scene pictured from the movie Office Space, where me, myself and I will be pulling a beatdown on the printer with a bat to the tune of 2Pac.
A few annoying phone calls later I've learned the printer head needs to be replaced. Now, this machine has ripped me off on ink for 3+ years and now the printer head just craps out.... for no good reason! $65 for the labor to replace the part and $50 for the part - I think I can buy a new printer for that much, right?
"Machine Error 41, unplug machine and then call Brother" - what kind of crap is that? Unplug it, reset it, hit it a few times and nothing, still the same stupid error. I attempt to navigate Brother's website and cannot find a toll free number to call them so I call an authorized dealer; surprise, they have no clue what the problem is but they will call me back.
As I sit and google the possibilities of Machine Error 41, my hopes of repairing this machine today have gone from hopeful to a scene pictured from the movie Office Space, where me, myself and I will be pulling a beatdown on the printer with a bat to the tune of 2Pac.
A few annoying phone calls later I've learned the printer head needs to be replaced. Now, this machine has ripped me off on ink for 3+ years and now the printer head just craps out.... for no good reason! $65 for the labor to replace the part and $50 for the part - I think I can buy a new printer for that much, right?
Monday, July 2, 2007
Severe Ankle Sprain Courtesy of Dirtbike Sunday
Well, I was getting faster and faster around the tracks in Ottawa as the first few rides of the season gave way to my confidence. I've dropped the bike a few times over the last couple weeks as I try to increase speed through the corners; no major crashes, just a few slide out, burn out, bog down... whatever you want to call it.
This Sunday was going perfectly. The track conditions were money, lots of riders but not too many, my stamina is picking up and my confidence is getting pretty solid. And then I hit a teeny little (5-6 footer) and the lip has a potch in the jump, my rear end kicks up and knocks me off the pegs. I recover and get my feet back to the pegs before I hit the ground and manage to keep the bike stabilized and continue riding, BUT, I was only able to get the toe of my left boot onto the pegs and when I landed awkwardly it jammed my toes backwards towards my shin.
Youuch! That smarts.... but I keep riding. It doesn't feel too awful bad. Within 20 minutes it started to really hurt standing up, but it didn't hurt that much to ride, so I kept riding. Big Mistake! By the time I got back to the trailer to pack up and head home, my ankle had swollen so much I could barely get my boots off. And now, two days later, I'm still limping with an ankle brace. Doh!
This Sunday was going perfectly. The track conditions were money, lots of riders but not too many, my stamina is picking up and my confidence is getting pretty solid. And then I hit a teeny little (5-6 footer) and the lip has a potch in the jump, my rear end kicks up and knocks me off the pegs. I recover and get my feet back to the pegs before I hit the ground and manage to keep the bike stabilized and continue riding, BUT, I was only able to get the toe of my left boot onto the pegs and when I landed awkwardly it jammed my toes backwards towards my shin.
Youuch! That smarts.... but I keep riding. It doesn't feel too awful bad. Within 20 minutes it started to really hurt standing up, but it didn't hurt that much to ride, so I kept riding. Big Mistake! By the time I got back to the trailer to pack up and head home, my ankle had swollen so much I could barely get my boots off. And now, two days later, I'm still limping with an ankle brace. Doh!
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Bachelor Party Re-cap: Paintball
This photo is a snapshot of the killer times we had during my bachelor party weekend. On this day, Charlie, my best man, rented out an entire paintball course that included 13 fields. We shot through almost 15,000 rounds of paint and everyone went home with a few welts. In the back row you have Brent and Woj, the front row is Jesse, Phil, Me, Jim, Charlie and Justin.
At the very end of the day, my brother and I had a standoff. We gripped each others hand, facing opposite directions and on the count of three we sprinted to our respective bunker that were equidistant from our starting point. Then, we turned to fire the last hopper full of paint. We both reached our cover about the same time and turned to fire. As we wound through the last rounds of the day we came out from behind our bunkers and faced each other about 50 feet apart and circled each other, firing, firing and firing... neither of us were going to give in. Wham! Wham! Wham! My paintballs were blasting Jim in the soft tissue of his belly and kidney areas and I caught one in the face.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Final Trip Evaluation - Worst Traveling Experience EVER!
I'm finally back in Chicago. Thank God! Here is a breakdown of what was supposed to happen:
What actually happened (I'm leaving out the million changes, tweaks and 5 cancellations in between):
I've been delayed before and even had a flight or two canceled but I have NEVER had such an atrocious traveling experience in my life as I did the last 3 days. What an f'ing nightmare!
6/27/07 - 10:30a depart Indianapolis, 8:29 depart NYC
6/27/07 - 10:43p arrive back to IndianapolisAs an illustration, I will use: IND -> LGA -> IND
What actually happened (I'm leaving out the million changes, tweaks and 5 cancellations in between):
6/27/07 - 10:30a depart Indianapolis
6/28/07 - 2:15p depart NYC, arrive at Washington National (Reagan) airport
6/28/07 - 5:00p depart DCA via cab to Dulles International Airport, overnight stay near Dulles
6/29/07 - 3:30a depart hotel, arrive at Dulles for 5:30am flight - realize we are at the wrong airport.
6/29/07 - 4:05a depart Dulles via cab to BWI, arrive at BWI approximately 5:00a.
6/29/07 - barely make our 5:30am flight from Baltimore Washington International Airport - arrive in Charlotte around 7:10am
6/29/07 - 7:45am depart Charlotte for Indianapolis
6/29/07 - 9:45am depart Indianapolis via my car and drive 3.5 hrs back to Chicago
6/29/07 - 1:50pm arrive back home after 2.5 days of city hopping, $500+ in taxi fares, $400+ in hotels, $300+ in meals wearing the same suit I was wearing when I left Indy on WednesdayVisually, this trip looks something like this: IND -> LGA -> DCA -> IAD -> BWI -> CLT -> IND
I've been delayed before and even had a flight or two canceled but I have NEVER had such an atrocious traveling experience in my life as I did the last 3 days. What an f'ing nightmare!
Thursday, June 28, 2007
A Quick Day Trip Gone TERRIBLY WRONG
As I mentioned briefly in the post below, the Diabco Life Sciences team was headed to NYC for an investor presentation on Wednesday. We left Indianapolis at 10 something in the morning, arrived in NYC with a few hours to kill and had our investor presentation at 5:30p. Then, we were scheduled to leave NYC at 8:30p and be back in Indy in time for a decent night's sleep.
BUT OOOOOOOOOOHH NO, the plan was not just tweaked and turned a little bit....it has been obliterated! The plane leaving NYC was delayed and delayed at least a half dozen times before they finally cancelled it. Passing thunder showers were cited as the reason. So as we, and a thousand other passengers with cancelled flights, including David Wojdyla, scrambled to re-book alternative flights we got stuck in NYC for the night. No big deal, crap happens. We'll catch a flight to DC and then to Indy on Thursday.
Then, on Thursday, 3 cancelled flights and 4 alternative "plans" later, we finally get on a plane to Washington DC. We land in DC around 3:15p with plenty of time to catch our connecting flight to Indy at 4:30p. We are confirmed WITH seat assignments, because the normal "confirm" really has no value because you can be confirmed without a seat and still get bumped off the plane. Yea, we learned that one the hard way. So we are on schedule to catch our flight to Indy and it gets cancelled.
The weather is good, the skies are clear and the planes are a little overcrowded but things are going fine. This time, they cite "air traffic" as the reason for cancelling our flight. And, they have no other flights leaving from Washing National Reagan airport to Indianapolis until 5pm or later on Friday!
To recap, we are now talking about spending two additional nights in random cities and still no closer to getting home. We have no clothes, luggage, toothbrushes, contact solution OR clean underwear!
THENNN, we take a $100 taxi from National to Dulles airport area, book a hotel at the Quality Inn and Suites and will be spending the night in the DC area. Tomorrow morning, we take a cab at 3:50am to Dulles Airport to catch a 5am flight to Charlotte. Why Charlotte? WHO THE HELL KNOWS?!?! Then, we have yet another connecting flight from Charlotte to Indy sometime around 9am.
If things go as "planned" this 17th time of "planning", I will arrive back into Indy wearing the same suit for the THIRD day and then still have to drive three and a half hours back to Chicago.
Wow, so much for an in and out trip. Oh, and PS. DO NOT FLY US AIRWAYS! EVER! Their customer service really SUCKS!
BUT OOOOOOOOOOHH NO, the plan was not just tweaked and turned a little bit....it has been obliterated! The plane leaving NYC was delayed and delayed at least a half dozen times before they finally cancelled it. Passing thunder showers were cited as the reason. So as we, and a thousand other passengers with cancelled flights, including David Wojdyla, scrambled to re-book alternative flights we got stuck in NYC for the night. No big deal, crap happens. We'll catch a flight to DC and then to Indy on Thursday.
Then, on Thursday, 3 cancelled flights and 4 alternative "plans" later, we finally get on a plane to Washington DC. We land in DC around 3:15p with plenty of time to catch our connecting flight to Indy at 4:30p. We are confirmed WITH seat assignments, because the normal "confirm" really has no value because you can be confirmed without a seat and still get bumped off the plane. Yea, we learned that one the hard way. So we are on schedule to catch our flight to Indy and it gets cancelled.
The weather is good, the skies are clear and the planes are a little overcrowded but things are going fine. This time, they cite "air traffic" as the reason for cancelling our flight. And, they have no other flights leaving from Washing National Reagan airport to Indianapolis until 5pm or later on Friday!
To recap, we are now talking about spending two additional nights in random cities and still no closer to getting home. We have no clothes, luggage, toothbrushes, contact solution OR clean underwear!
THENNN, we take a $100 taxi from National to Dulles airport area, book a hotel at the Quality Inn and Suites and will be spending the night in the DC area. Tomorrow morning, we take a cab at 3:50am to Dulles Airport to catch a 5am flight to Charlotte. Why Charlotte? WHO THE HELL KNOWS?!?! Then, we have yet another connecting flight from Charlotte to Indy sometime around 9am.
If things go as "planned" this 17th time of "planning", I will arrive back into Indy wearing the same suit for the THIRD day and then still have to drive three and a half hours back to Chicago.
Wow, so much for an in and out trip. Oh, and PS. DO NOT FLY US AIRWAYS! EVER! Their customer service really SUCKS!
Random Woj Sightings
It's very rare for people to have a crazy encounter with an old friend, girl/boyfriend, estranged colleague or former classmate while out of town or in a completely unexpected setting.... you do the triple take passing through a random city for someone that looks like 'Old Johnny' but then, holy crap, it really is him/her.
The point of this post is that on Wednesday I left Indy with Diabco to travel to New York City for an investor presentation. Our plan was to fly in and out the same day, do our presentation and get home.
Long story short, (I'll add detail in another post) I'm sitting in a restaurant/bar, killing time with our crew, and one my best friends in the whole world, David Wojdyla, walks from around the bar and heads right at me. I jump up and scream "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE??!" ... and he responds in kind.
Here we are, at La Guardia airport, one of the largest airports in the nation, in the same terminal, on the same day, in a city a thousand miles from our respective homes and we've been sitting in the same restaurant for hours without knowing the other was there. Holy Crap! It turns out that both of our flights have been delayed and delayed and finally canceled and we get to hang out all night. Now, this isn't just a bud I once knew - this guy just stood up with me in my wedding barely a month ago and was my roommate through college.
You can't make this kind of shit up and you couldn't have asked for a more pleasant surprise to an otherwise drab day of traveling. Thank you, David Wojdyla, for being in New York City on a totally random day and getting to hang out with you!
The point of this post is that on Wednesday I left Indy with Diabco to travel to New York City for an investor presentation. Our plan was to fly in and out the same day, do our presentation and get home.
Long story short, (I'll add detail in another post) I'm sitting in a restaurant/bar, killing time with our crew, and one my best friends in the whole world, David Wojdyla, walks from around the bar and heads right at me. I jump up and scream "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE??!" ... and he responds in kind.
Here we are, at La Guardia airport, one of the largest airports in the nation, in the same terminal, on the same day, in a city a thousand miles from our respective homes and we've been sitting in the same restaurant for hours without knowing the other was there. Holy Crap! It turns out that both of our flights have been delayed and delayed and finally canceled and we get to hang out all night. Now, this isn't just a bud I once knew - this guy just stood up with me in my wedding barely a month ago and was my roommate through college.
You can't make this kind of shit up and you couldn't have asked for a more pleasant surprise to an otherwise drab day of traveling. Thank you, David Wojdyla, for being in New York City on a totally random day and getting to hang out with you!
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Muddy Dirtbike Photo
Posting from Indy - the Diabco Life Sciences team is fast asleep, dreaming sweetly about our trip to vulture capitalists of New York City tomorrow. Did I say vulture? I meant to say venture.
Anyway, I got a minute of alone time before bed and it's two hours before my normal bed time so it's tough for me to get to sleep. I forwarded the photo of the mud infested dirtbike from Sunday that was on my cellphone to my email and into this blog. I hope it sheds a glimpse of perspective into the chaotic, yet amazing time I had on Sunday! :)
Anyway, I got a minute of alone time before bed and it's two hours before my normal bed time so it's tough for me to get to sleep. I forwarded the photo of the mud infested dirtbike from Sunday that was on my cellphone to my email and into this blog. I hope it sheds a glimpse of perspective into the chaotic, yet amazing time I had on Sunday! :)
Monday, June 25, 2007
Busy Week with Diabco Life Sciences
I leave tomorrow morning at 7:30am to head down to Indianapolis. We will be finalizing and rehearsing our presentation materials for an investment meeting in New York City on Wednesday. Then, one more day of meetings, project updates, review and delegation and I will be back on Thursday night or Friday afternoon.
If I can get online I will attempt to post again.
If I can get online I will attempt to post again.
Great Day at Buffalo Range Dirtbike Track
Sunday was a mud-filled day of perfect riding out in Ottawa. I picked up the usual suspects, DJ and Chad, and one suspect returning to the lineup, Dean. We managed to load all four bikes onto my trailer made for three bikes, pack into the truck (well, sorta) and off we went. My POS 4-banger Amigo was really grinding with the extra weight.
Anyway, we got to the track and everyone was moaning about the rain and how the tracks were flooded. They were wet, and pretty muddy, but they were not impossible to ride. In fact, I had one of the best rides I've had in the last two seasons. The bikes came back weighing an extra 40-50 pounds with all the sandy, muddy clay that was caked ALL over the bikes and our gear.
I have a quick pic I took with my cellphone camera to give you an idea how muddy it really was - I will upload it when I get back my Indy/NY trip this week. We had to pack it up and head in a little sooner than we had hoped but the boys were running fast, Dean had a blast for his first time of the season and I couldn't have had a better day.
My confidence is coming back, my speed is up, air control is improving as well as physical conditioning.
Anyway, we got to the track and everyone was moaning about the rain and how the tracks were flooded. They were wet, and pretty muddy, but they were not impossible to ride. In fact, I had one of the best rides I've had in the last two seasons. The bikes came back weighing an extra 40-50 pounds with all the sandy, muddy clay that was caked ALL over the bikes and our gear.
I have a quick pic I took with my cellphone camera to give you an idea how muddy it really was - I will upload it when I get back my Indy/NY trip this week. We had to pack it up and head in a little sooner than we had hoped but the boys were running fast, Dean had a blast for his first time of the season and I couldn't have had a better day.
My confidence is coming back, my speed is up, air control is improving as well as physical conditioning.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Neat Money Trick - (not for the poor money manager)
I read about a neat little money movement idea from this super average guy at mymoneyblog.com - this is a "duh", why didn't I think of that sooner type of thing. The philosophy is to take your 0% APR credit card offers and make money on it.
Here's how: most of the card issuers offer 0% balance transfer rates for 12 or up to 18 months. They send you blank checks that can be written to anyone - they intend them to pay off other credit card balances but they can be written to yourself, deposited in your own accounts or used to buy a car or whatever. See where this is going yet?
Then, you open a savings account at ING for 4.25% or a 9-month CD from ING for 5.25% - you use the 0% balance transfer checks, write yourself the money and deposit it into one of these accounts. Now, you are using free money to earn yourself 5.25%!
Example: You get a $10,000 credit limit with 0% balance transfer rate for 12 months. You put the money into a 9-month CD, earn $525 in interest, then payback the credit card. You've just earned $525 by using someone else’s money and it didn't cost you anything!
WARNING: This type of investment is only for the disciplined!
Here's how: most of the card issuers offer 0% balance transfer rates for 12 or up to 18 months. They send you blank checks that can be written to anyone - they intend them to pay off other credit card balances but they can be written to yourself, deposited in your own accounts or used to buy a car or whatever. See where this is going yet?
Then, you open a savings account at ING for 4.25% or a 9-month CD from ING for 5.25% - you use the 0% balance transfer checks, write yourself the money and deposit it into one of these accounts. Now, you are using free money to earn yourself 5.25%!
Example: You get a $10,000 credit limit with 0% balance transfer rate for 12 months. You put the money into a 9-month CD, earn $525 in interest, then payback the credit card. You've just earned $525 by using someone else’s money and it didn't cost you anything!
WARNING: This type of investment is only for the disciplined!
Blogger blogged down
Something is whacked out with the blogging software. It appears as though the new posts are not being posted and that refreshing is the only way to view them. Then, they are still appearing whacked out. I'm hoping this post will flush out some of the bugs.
*UPDATE: It is still totally screwed up. You have to add a ? to the end of the url (http://davidrocci.blogspot.com/?) AND hit refresh a few times and still only barely works. Hopefully the kinks will work themselves out.
*UPDATE: It is still totally screwed up. You have to add a ? to the end of the url (http://davidrocci.blogspot.com/?) AND hit refresh a few times and still only barely works. Hopefully the kinks will work themselves out.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Relationship Cycles
Adri's aunt Rachel sent us a wonderfully thoughtful email on our wedding website, http://www.rocciwedding.com/, about the cycles and natural progressions of relationships. From the specific comment:
But, and there's always a BUT, now that we've identified that we are in the power struggle stage, we find ourselves clamping down even more. Before we knew what 'stage' we were in we were a bit confused about the emotional tug of war. Now that it is defined, I almost feel empowered for my struggle!
Does that make it worse or better? I hope it makes it better over time... but I hate butting heads with her!
The Five Stages of a Committed Relationship: Everyone knows that relationships grow and change. What we don’t always realize is that their growth always tends to follow a natural progression. As our relationship develops, we naturally move from one stage to another. Although some of these stages are more pleasant than others, they are all essential to the ultimate fulfillment of every partnership. Understanding these natural stages helps us to work with them in the most constructive manner possible.So, the stages are the Romantic Love Stage, the Power Struggle stage, the Doing stage and finally, the Being stage. It all made perfect sense. Adri and I agreed we are somewhere between the power struggle and the doing stage.
But, and there's always a BUT, now that we've identified that we are in the power struggle stage, we find ourselves clamping down even more. Before we knew what 'stage' we were in we were a bit confused about the emotional tug of war. Now that it is defined, I almost feel empowered for my struggle!
Does that make it worse or better? I hope it makes it better over time... but I hate butting heads with her!
Mastering a Skill Set
Do you ever wonder what in the world you're supposed to do for a living? Everyone always says that if you do what makes you happy, the money will come. But how do I know what will make me happy? Some even go so far as to ask the proverbial question: What would you do with a million dollars? And, inevitably, the answer is what you are supposed to do with your life. The problem is that if I had a million dollars, I'd put half in an interest bearing account and not touch it, pay off debt, then use the rest to invest in various projects or business ideas. Then, I would travel a lot, learn to sail, fly or bungee jump every bridge in America.
So where the heck does that leave me? What does that say I should do for a living?
I've even taken personality profiling tests that suggest job opportunities (tickle.com has a ton of neat tests - you should check it out) but they never really capture my attention. I ponder the idea of going back to school, becoming a lawyer or an engineer or both but I worry that I'd be bored half-way through. I can't see far enough ahead to commit to that type of education or training.
This brings me to the subject line of this post. I've never specialized in anything. I can do a whole lot of things OK but I can't really do anything fantastic. I'm mediocre at many sports but not a superstar at anything. I always felt that knowing a little about a lot is better because I can always hire/find/recruit a specialist but the specialist may never see the whole picture.... but I'm starting to question that philosophy.
When do you clamp down and commit to mastering a skill set, career or career path? And when do you find your calling? I know the harder I look the further I am from finding it.... but, I feel a bit lost.
So where the heck does that leave me? What does that say I should do for a living?
I've even taken personality profiling tests that suggest job opportunities (tickle.com has a ton of neat tests - you should check it out) but they never really capture my attention. I ponder the idea of going back to school, becoming a lawyer or an engineer or both but I worry that I'd be bored half-way through. I can't see far enough ahead to commit to that type of education or training.
This brings me to the subject line of this post. I've never specialized in anything. I can do a whole lot of things OK but I can't really do anything fantastic. I'm mediocre at many sports but not a superstar at anything. I always felt that knowing a little about a lot is better because I can always hire/find/recruit a specialist but the specialist may never see the whole picture.... but I'm starting to question that philosophy.
When do you clamp down and commit to mastering a skill set, career or career path? And when do you find your calling? I know the harder I look the further I am from finding it.... but, I feel a bit lost.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Car Problems
I know there is someone out that there that can back me up on this - why does your car take a shit at the worst possible time EVER? You never get a speeding ticket when you aren't already late for something - you never get a flat tire when it's daytime - you never have car problems when you can afford to fix them...
I've driven the same PIECE OF GARBAGE for almost four years. I've sacrificed the minor luxuries of life, such as air conditioning (yes, it's over 90 degrees today), power windows, power door locks, a cd player or automatic transmission - who needs those things? Overrated, right? I've gone without these fine automotive advancements in an effort to save money, start a business and travel. BUT, the straw has broken the camels back...
This vehicle only has 76k miles on it and I haven't had any major problems since I first bought it (then immediately afterwards had to spend $1200 on a head gasket replacement) but of course, just as the money crunch after the wedding gets a little tighter, the car begins this terrible clunking.
After visits to three different auto shops I finally learn the true meaning of irony (considering the first paragraph of this post) that the timing belt is about snap. It's frayed and almost fallen off one of the tensioners. I leave the car and it gets fixed the next day. Chalk one more charge on the credit card and move on...
Some would say it's time to get a new car... but who wants to spend all that money to drive a car off the lot and have it lose 80% of it's value. Arrgggg!!
I've driven the same PIECE OF GARBAGE for almost four years. I've sacrificed the minor luxuries of life, such as air conditioning (yes, it's over 90 degrees today), power windows, power door locks, a cd player or automatic transmission - who needs those things? Overrated, right? I've gone without these fine automotive advancements in an effort to save money, start a business and travel. BUT, the straw has broken the camels back...
This vehicle only has 76k miles on it and I haven't had any major problems since I first bought it (then immediately afterwards had to spend $1200 on a head gasket replacement) but of course, just as the money crunch after the wedding gets a little tighter, the car begins this terrible clunking.
After visits to three different auto shops I finally learn the true meaning of irony (considering the first paragraph of this post) that the timing belt is about snap. It's frayed and almost fallen off one of the tensioners. I leave the car and it gets fixed the next day. Chalk one more charge on the credit card and move on...
Some would say it's time to get a new car... but who wants to spend all that money to drive a car off the lot and have it lose 80% of it's value. Arrgggg!!
Is winning ever a real possibility? ... ever?
As I've come to realize through the years and in my relationship with Adrienne that I can count on a lose-lose situation about 95% of the time. No answer is correct, no suggestion is casual and no advice is from a friend anymore. I'm the bossy, know-it-all, critic that can't let her figure things out on her own.
God forbid I make suggestions to positively affect the outcome of whatever she is endeavoring ... because, (shocking!) I actually care that things go well for her. Gone are the days when she soaked up everything I had to say as gospel - now I'm just the over-read, analytic, optimist that spews nonsense about making everything the absolute best they can be...and consequently ignored as the know-it-all. God forbid I impart the knowledge I've obtained to better her and us...I'm just a know-it-all.
Do I really have to let her learn all the same lessons I've already learned? I always wished I had a mentor, big brother or role model that fed me the lessons I try to share. I never had that guiding light. I learned EVERY lesson the hard way. How does the saying go? A smart man learns from his mistakes but a wise man learns from the mistakes of others? I always thought Adri was the wise one but now she wants to learn on her own.
This is a recurring theme lately that surfaces in everything from a critique on a blog post to a suggestion to add more spices to a dinner. I do it with the best possible intentions and I've always been like this... why is it that now it's become a problem?
God forbid I make suggestions to positively affect the outcome of whatever she is endeavoring ... because, (shocking!) I actually care that things go well for her. Gone are the days when she soaked up everything I had to say as gospel - now I'm just the over-read, analytic, optimist that spews nonsense about making everything the absolute best they can be...and consequently ignored as the know-it-all. God forbid I impart the knowledge I've obtained to better her and us...I'm just a know-it-all.
Do I really have to let her learn all the same lessons I've already learned? I always wished I had a mentor, big brother or role model that fed me the lessons I try to share. I never had that guiding light. I learned EVERY lesson the hard way. How does the saying go? A smart man learns from his mistakes but a wise man learns from the mistakes of others? I always thought Adri was the wise one but now she wants to learn on her own.
This is a recurring theme lately that surfaces in everything from a critique on a blog post to a suggestion to add more spices to a dinner. I do it with the best possible intentions and I've always been like this... why is it that now it's become a problem?
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Charter One Pavilion concert
Since we never do anything fun that Adri wants to do, I broke down about two months ago and surprised her with tickets to The Fray concert. Anyone that's heard them knows how sappy, slow paced and tweeny-bopper this music sounds - but Adri loves them. I'm not a particular fan of live music but again, Adri loves it. The concert was this past Tuesday.
Luckily my fears of a parking disaster were averted without extra concert traffic, easy maneuvering and free parking. Imagine that! Without even knowing it, the tickets for the concert acted as free parking passes, too. That's one annoying anticipation of the evening I scratch off my list. Even though it took us 2 hours to get into the city.
The show starts without a hitch and we find a piece of pavement to put our blanket. A couple $10 beers later we realize we are probably in the oldest 1% of the crowd. With this event coming only days after my 27th birthday, which Adrienne reminded me about getting old for the past 3 months leading up to it, the pre-teen audience reminded yet again of how quickly the aging process can sneak up on you.
All in all, it was a pleasant evening - Adri got what she wanted, I scored some brownie points (which are forgotten in less than a week for sure) and everyone is peachy-keen.
Luckily my fears of a parking disaster were averted without extra concert traffic, easy maneuvering and free parking. Imagine that! Without even knowing it, the tickets for the concert acted as free parking passes, too. That's one annoying anticipation of the evening I scratch off my list. Even though it took us 2 hours to get into the city.
The show starts without a hitch and we find a piece of pavement to put our blanket. A couple $10 beers later we realize we are probably in the oldest 1% of the crowd. With this event coming only days after my 27th birthday, which Adrienne reminded me about getting old for the past 3 months leading up to it, the pre-teen audience reminded yet again of how quickly the aging process can sneak up on you.
All in all, it was a pleasant evening - Adri got what she wanted, I scored some brownie points (which are forgotten in less than a week for sure) and everyone is peachy-keen.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Post Honeymoon Depression
As I mentioned briefly in the camping post, returning home after such an incredible 12-day trip was a mixture of relief and depression. It felt soooo good to be in my bed but after almost two weeks of getting up early, exploring and adventure seeking, I immediately began procrastinating the thought of getting out of bed. The shock of constant stimuli, activities, friends and family has finally climaxed and 'back to the grind' doesn't cut it.
Adri returned to work with a more profound sense of hatred for it than before she left, the house (after being home a week now) is still an absolute disaster and she is depressed she gained 5 pounds. I loath the idea of working a normal job, have no interest in doing any home projects and I'm annoyed that my tan is already starting to fade...not to mention the fact that I refuse to look at my credit card statement because I know how pissed I'll be at myself for how much we ended up spending on the wedding.
Sometimes there is comfort in a routine but I refuse to fall into a routine of post-nuptial boredom, aggravation and cyclic stimulation. I want to spice it up and keep it fun but now we are broke and forced into the rat race. Hopefully it's only temporary.
Adri returned to work with a more profound sense of hatred for it than before she left, the house (after being home a week now) is still an absolute disaster and she is depressed she gained 5 pounds. I loath the idea of working a normal job, have no interest in doing any home projects and I'm annoyed that my tan is already starting to fade...not to mention the fact that I refuse to look at my credit card statement because I know how pissed I'll be at myself for how much we ended up spending on the wedding.
Sometimes there is comfort in a routine but I refuse to fall into a routine of post-nuptial boredom, aggravation and cyclic stimulation. I want to spice it up and keep it fun but now we are broke and forced into the rat race. Hopefully it's only temporary.
Camping Fiasco
After 12 days on the road with wedding planning, honeymooning and all the activities and buzz we had our first weekend at home this past weekend and GOD, it was BORING! I mean, B-O-R-I-N-G. Of course there is some painting to do or 15 loads of laundry but after a week of fun adventures, bridge jumping, boating, jeep renting, 4x4'ing, hanging with friends and family, etc - who wants to come to household chores? Bla!
So, in an effort to spice things up, we took one of our wedding gifts from Amy and Phil, a 4-person Coleman tent, and headed out to find a campground for the night. I wasn't as thrilled about the idea because I thought it could have been just as fun in the back yard. But whatev, princess Adri wanted to be at a campground.
We arrive at the first camping joint to a swarm of police cars and a toothless security guy telling us to drive around and not worry about it. Then, the pregnant woman smoking a cigarette informed us it would be more than we were willing to spend to sleep in the woods for one night. Adri frantically called a half dozen other camp sites and after throwing a temper tantrum or two, we finally ended up in Channahon.
By this time, it was getting dark very fast. She set out to assemble the tent and I went to gather wood for a fire. She spent almost an hour setting up the tent and blowing up the air mattress and I fumbled through the woods in the dark to get firewood. We finally got everything setup and it felt like it was midnight after a few minutes.
We woke at 5:00am, 5:15am, 5:38am and increments of 12-15 minutes thereafter from the excruciatingly obnoxious birds. Finally, we had enough and left the campsite around 7:00am.
Doesn't that sound like a fun night of camping?
So, in an effort to spice things up, we took one of our wedding gifts from Amy and Phil, a 4-person Coleman tent, and headed out to find a campground for the night. I wasn't as thrilled about the idea because I thought it could have been just as fun in the back yard. But whatev, princess Adri wanted to be at a campground.
We arrive at the first camping joint to a swarm of police cars and a toothless security guy telling us to drive around and not worry about it. Then, the pregnant woman smoking a cigarette informed us it would be more than we were willing to spend to sleep in the woods for one night. Adri frantically called a half dozen other camp sites and after throwing a temper tantrum or two, we finally ended up in Channahon.
By this time, it was getting dark very fast. She set out to assemble the tent and I went to gather wood for a fire. She spent almost an hour setting up the tent and blowing up the air mattress and I fumbled through the woods in the dark to get firewood. We finally got everything setup and it felt like it was midnight after a few minutes.
We woke at 5:00am, 5:15am, 5:38am and increments of 12-15 minutes thereafter from the excruciatingly obnoxious birds. Finally, we had enough and left the campsite around 7:00am.
Doesn't that sound like a fun night of camping?
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Hotels and Losing Your Stuff
Why is it that no matter where you stay the housekeeping department NEVER finds ANYTHING you left behind in your room by accident? Adri and I were rushed out of our lovely beachfront hotel at the Days Inn in Virginia Beach during our honeymoon and I called within 48 hours to inquire about a pair of missing shorts. I know I had them in that hotel room and I didn't have them when I returned home. Adri left her cellphone charger there, too - but, of course, neither item was "found" or reported to the appropriate staff.
Why is that we have to expect people to steal our stuff that we leave behind after we pay hundreds and hundreds of dollars to stay at their hotels? And it never fails - whether its the $300/night bed and breakfast or the $50/night Knights Inn. ANNND, to top it off, it's not like it was a wristwatch or jewelry (which I may understand for someone only making $6/hr to stumble upon) but a pair of shorts and a cellphone charger? PUHLEASE!
Why is that we have to expect people to steal our stuff that we leave behind after we pay hundreds and hundreds of dollars to stay at their hotels? And it never fails - whether its the $300/night bed and breakfast or the $50/night Knights Inn. ANNND, to top it off, it's not like it was a wristwatch or jewelry (which I may understand for someone only making $6/hr to stumble upon) but a pair of shorts and a cellphone charger? PUHLEASE!
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Love and Marriage
Well, I'm officially a married man. After 14 months of engagement, I became a married man on May 27, 2007. My wife and I (man, I need to get used to saying that) just returned to Chicago yesterday after our honeymoon.
It doesn't "feel" any different just yet but I have my ears perked for the slightest bit of "I swear things won't change when we get married" to start "changing". I'm looking forward to seeing the photographs and will share some as soon as they are available.
It doesn't "feel" any different just yet but I have my ears perked for the slightest bit of "I swear things won't change when we get married" to start "changing". I'm looking forward to seeing the photographs and will share some as soon as they are available.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Painting blunders
In my haste to complete the house painting before my friends arrived for the weekend I did not notice the fine folks from Home Depot screwed up my paint order. I actually painted different parts of the wall with two different paint colors. The lids match but the paint does not. Arggg!
Bachelor Party Festivities
Wow. That's just about all I can say about this past weekend. 7 of my best friends, including my little brother, flew in to Chicago from all over the country; North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and one from the UK. These fine gentlemen treated me to the best damn bachelor party any groom-to-be would die for.
It started on Wednesday evening last week when I picked up my little brother from the airport. First thing on Thursday morning we packed up the dirtbikes and cruised out to Ottawa to Buffalo Range Riding Park; 2 dirtbike tracks and 400+ acres of trails. We got the weekend started with some adrenaline pumping riding and we didn't even crash!
Thursday afternoon and most of the evening was spent at the Hilton Chicago right at the O'hare airport while everyone arrived from their flights. It was amazing to watch each person find their way down to the bar and meet us. It was a cavalcade of best friends from college and my childhood. I was thrilled.
Friday, my best man, Charlie, rented out an entire paintball park for ourselves. No, not just a little private group, but the entire park! I rented a minivan from Enterprise to get us all there and spend some time together catching up on old stories. 8000 rounds of paintball later, a dozen bleeding welts, paint covered pants and thoroughly exhausted, we began the trek back home.
We stopped on the way home to get some things to grill out. "Some things" turned into $329 worth of groceries! We had a massive and killer grill out at the townhouse and a few of my local friends joined in the festivities. After scarfing down hand-made burgers, sausages, potato salad, kabobs, chips, salsa, melon, cookies and having some drinks we rolled out to a local bar for some added fun.
Saturday brought some much needed rest in the morning because Saturday night was fit to be a long one. Just before 6pm a 24-passenger stretch hummer with 3 axles (6 tires) from Exotic Coach rolled into my neighborhood!! I knew Charlie likes to go over the top, but holy crap...this was over the top!
We started at the original Morton's Steak House and had the most amazing time. This was probably my favorite part of the weekend. We were all sober, enjoying a fantastic meal and great drinks, great conversation and a great staff. Our waitress was a sweetheart, my 4 pound lobster was to die for and we drank Cristal and Veuve! I even got to keep the bottle stopper for memorabilia. Oh, and Charlie ate a fistful of wasabi for $80! haha!!
Then, off to Coyote Ugly, Buzz night club, a few random stops, a short stint at the gentleman's club and back to the hotel for a night cap. Most everyone rolled out throughout the day on Sunday and I took Charlie to the airport today.
Wow. What a great weekend! I can't wait to see them all again at the wedding! Only 13 more days!
It started on Wednesday evening last week when I picked up my little brother from the airport. First thing on Thursday morning we packed up the dirtbikes and cruised out to Ottawa to Buffalo Range Riding Park; 2 dirtbike tracks and 400+ acres of trails. We got the weekend started with some adrenaline pumping riding and we didn't even crash!
Thursday afternoon and most of the evening was spent at the Hilton Chicago right at the O'hare airport while everyone arrived from their flights. It was amazing to watch each person find their way down to the bar and meet us. It was a cavalcade of best friends from college and my childhood. I was thrilled.
Friday, my best man, Charlie, rented out an entire paintball park for ourselves. No, not just a little private group, but the entire park! I rented a minivan from Enterprise to get us all there and spend some time together catching up on old stories. 8000 rounds of paintball later, a dozen bleeding welts, paint covered pants and thoroughly exhausted, we began the trek back home.
We stopped on the way home to get some things to grill out. "Some things" turned into $329 worth of groceries! We had a massive and killer grill out at the townhouse and a few of my local friends joined in the festivities. After scarfing down hand-made burgers, sausages, potato salad, kabobs, chips, salsa, melon, cookies and having some drinks we rolled out to a local bar for some added fun.
Saturday brought some much needed rest in the morning because Saturday night was fit to be a long one. Just before 6pm a 24-passenger stretch hummer with 3 axles (6 tires) from Exotic Coach rolled into my neighborhood!! I knew Charlie likes to go over the top, but holy crap...this was over the top!
We started at the original Morton's Steak House and had the most amazing time. This was probably my favorite part of the weekend. We were all sober, enjoying a fantastic meal and great drinks, great conversation and a great staff. Our waitress was a sweetheart, my 4 pound lobster was to die for and we drank Cristal and Veuve! I even got to keep the bottle stopper for memorabilia. Oh, and Charlie ate a fistful of wasabi for $80! haha!!
Then, off to Coyote Ugly, Buzz night club, a few random stops, a short stint at the gentleman's club and back to the hotel for a night cap. Most everyone rolled out throughout the day on Sunday and I took Charlie to the airport today.
Wow. What a great weekend! I can't wait to see them all again at the wedding! Only 13 more days!
Monday, May 7, 2007
Stressed Out? Or Burned out?
My brother sent me an interesting article about the different types of stress associated with cycles of success. The article uses CEO's as examples but that be easily substituted for any worker bee out there busting his butt. The short and skinny of the article is to continually challenge yourself; refuse to sit on your laurels and bore yourself. The five ways the author suggests for challenging yourself include diversifying your skills, teaching, planning your succession, networking and renewing your passion.
It also discusses the most common ailments of those facing burnout and how to spot the trend of negative burn out. The author cites the "Four A's" as a result of denying the severity of burnout and the self-destructive patterns that emerge: aloneness, arrogance, adventure seeking, and adultery.
http://www.inc.com/magazine/19960301/1586.html
I can relate in some ways to those cycles. I can see the "eustress" of the building phase and I hope I never see the complacent stage of success that bores me to death!
It also discusses the most common ailments of those facing burnout and how to spot the trend of negative burn out. The author cites the "Four A's" as a result of denying the severity of burnout and the self-destructive patterns that emerge: aloneness, arrogance, adventure seeking, and adultery.
http://www.inc.com/magazine/19960301/1586.html
I can relate in some ways to those cycles. I can see the "eustress" of the building phase and I hope I never see the complacent stage of success that bores me to death!
Last minute dash to ORD
Friday was a nightmare. Waking at 6am to travel halfway to the city for a job interview, rushing back, packing, eating and finishing errands before bolting to pick up Adri from work and get to the airport on time. Luckily, we didn't have any mishaps at the airport and we arrived on time in Charlotte about 6:45pm.
So, by now, the day is starting to look up. We catch a cab to meet our friends at the local Hooters and of course, the cabbie gets lost and takes us to the wrong place. My patience for non-english speaking cab drivers is very low. After explaining to the gentleman that we are from Chicago and have NO idea where the bar is and that's why we hired him...we were able to reach our friends on the phone and have them guide us in. What's the point of driving a cab if you don't know your way around the city? Arg!
Then, as I was saying, things started looking up. We met our friends that we haven't seen in months and all is grand. We slam a few wings and commence drinking. Lucky for me, my friends are so understanding of my newly developed low tolerance, they resort to force-feeding me shots. Between the exhaustion and the drinks I was completely wiped out. Sometime just after midnight at the second bar, I could no longer function. I promptly took a seat in the corner, rested my head against the wall and pouted until we left.
So, by now, the day is starting to look up. We catch a cab to meet our friends at the local Hooters and of course, the cabbie gets lost and takes us to the wrong place. My patience for non-english speaking cab drivers is very low. After explaining to the gentleman that we are from Chicago and have NO idea where the bar is and that's why we hired him...we were able to reach our friends on the phone and have them guide us in. What's the point of driving a cab if you don't know your way around the city? Arg!
Then, as I was saying, things started looking up. We met our friends that we haven't seen in months and all is grand. We slam a few wings and commence drinking. Lucky for me, my friends are so understanding of my newly developed low tolerance, they resort to force-feeding me shots. Between the exhaustion and the drinks I was completely wiped out. Sometime just after midnight at the second bar, I could no longer function. I promptly took a seat in the corner, rested my head against the wall and pouted until we left.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Adrienne Desmedt - The Future Mrs. Rocci!
Adrienne's maid of Honor, Tricia, has made our prenuptial madness quite a bit of fun. She sends little notes and gifts that have been really uplifting. Ash and Charlie sent us an early wedding gift, too. We are blessed to have such great friends. Eww, I just said blessed.
Anyway, here is the latest of maid of honor brilliance:
For more fun details about the upcoming rocci wedding you should surf on over to our blog @ http://rocciwedding.com.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Does your mechanic actually do the work?
Maybe I'm jaded by the dateline investigation series or the many other undercover operations but I never feel confident my mechanic is doing what he's supposed to be doing. If you believe the hype, these reports usually underscore isolated incidents...or does it shed light on a much larger problem? How do you know which mechanic to trust? At Jiffy Lube they change the oil in front of you. You can watch through the window in the lobby as the oil spits out.
But what about the horror stories you hear time and again. How does a regular Joe know if he is getting what he paid for? My suspicion is even higher when I use a coupon. You can always tell when the person taking your order is disappointed you bargain shopped for a deal or downloaded coupons from their websites. How many of these places work on commission?
As a seasoned salesperson myself, I can appreciate the guy trying to upsell a service but there is a distinct line when it comes to doing it with integrity or tricking your customers. Even at NTB, the guy presented 3 oil change options that were "add-ons" to the basic oil change - it was presented in a fashion that most people would not understand they didn't have to buy it at all.
I wish I could say that I blindly trust the services provided by chain-store mechanics. How do you guarantee you are getting what you pay for without doing it yourself?
But what about the horror stories you hear time and again. How does a regular Joe know if he is getting what he paid for? My suspicion is even higher when I use a coupon. You can always tell when the person taking your order is disappointed you bargain shopped for a deal or downloaded coupons from their websites. How many of these places work on commission?
As a seasoned salesperson myself, I can appreciate the guy trying to upsell a service but there is a distinct line when it comes to doing it with integrity or tricking your customers. Even at NTB, the guy presented 3 oil change options that were "add-ons" to the basic oil change - it was presented in a fashion that most people would not understand they didn't have to buy it at all.
I wish I could say that I blindly trust the services provided by chain-store mechanics. How do you guarantee you are getting what you pay for without doing it yourself?
Just Strap it to the Roof!
The post about our Hooky Day reminded me about the funny trip to pickup the storm door. It was Sunday evening and we had just left our friends house after grilling out some steaks and visiting. So out of the clear blue sky I remember the sale on storm doors ended on Sunday. We rush down to the Menards where they have already taken down the "sale" signs... but, they are still honoring the sale. Phew!
We get through the checkout line and out to the car and realize what a moron I am. We are in our little acura and not the truck. Now how the heck am I going to get a 75 pound door that is 36 inches wide by seven or eight feet tall into this car. The back seats don't fold down, the truck is out of the question and even if I left both rear doors open I still could not stuff the door into that car!
It was getting dark so we had to move. Adri ran to get some twine from inside the store and we tried strapping it to the roof. We got it fairly secured and then it started to rain. Jeez oh Pete, what else could go wrong?
So here we are, driving down the road with one arm hanging out of my window to ensure the front of the door doesn't get caught in a draft, rip the twine and end up in the street. It's raining and gusting wind, the inside of the car is getting soaked and people are honking all around me for going 30mph! I pulled one of the ropes into the window and Adri was hanging on to it for dear life.
All in all, we got the door home and it did not blow off the roof. Although, hindsight being 20/20, after all the crap of putting it up, I kinda wish the dang thing had blown off and broke into a zillion pieces!
We get through the checkout line and out to the car and realize what a moron I am. We are in our little acura and not the truck. Now how the heck am I going to get a 75 pound door that is 36 inches wide by seven or eight feet tall into this car. The back seats don't fold down, the truck is out of the question and even if I left both rear doors open I still could not stuff the door into that car!
It was getting dark so we had to move. Adri ran to get some twine from inside the store and we tried strapping it to the roof. We got it fairly secured and then it started to rain. Jeez oh Pete, what else could go wrong?
So here we are, driving down the road with one arm hanging out of my window to ensure the front of the door doesn't get caught in a draft, rip the twine and end up in the street. It's raining and gusting wind, the inside of the car is getting soaked and people are honking all around me for going 30mph! I pulled one of the ropes into the window and Adri was hanging on to it for dear life.
All in all, we got the door home and it did not blow off the roof. Although, hindsight being 20/20, after all the crap of putting it up, I kinda wish the dang thing had blown off and broke into a zillion pieces!
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Hooky Day
Today began with the potential to be a fantastically wonderful day (mid 70's, bright sun shining, crisp breeze...you get the picture!). I started by trying to convince my fiance that she should call in sick so we could lounge around in the sun, read books, go for a bike ride and maybe start to tackle some of our spring projects since the next five weekends will be out of town or preoccupied. She was unmoved by my earlier persuasions but something struck a cord; half-way to work my fiance called her boss to let her know that she "had too much going on" and needed a personal day.
Why on earth she couldn't simply call in sick when we started this charade is beyond me. We spent 30 minutes cultivating an approach and/or an excuse to taking a hooky day and finally decides to play along after the day is already half over. Not to mention she has already showered, done her hair and makeup, changed twice and driven half-way to work!
Anyway, we got the oil changed on both of our vehicles, had a decent lunch and then split up. She went shopping (like, no duh!) and I went to the office to take care of some outstanding issues (real surprise there). I took off to get a jump start installing our new storm door from Menards.
This, my friends, turned out to be the hardest simple project I've ever tried to do. Nothing seemed to fit where it was supposed to, the door was freaking heavy and awkward and the directions seemed written for a different door. Nothing made any sense! Arrg!
What is your go-to excuse for taking a personal day?
Why on earth she couldn't simply call in sick when we started this charade is beyond me. We spent 30 minutes cultivating an approach and/or an excuse to taking a hooky day and finally decides to play along after the day is already half over. Not to mention she has already showered, done her hair and makeup, changed twice and driven half-way to work!
Anyway, we got the oil changed on both of our vehicles, had a decent lunch and then split up. She went shopping (like, no duh!) and I went to the office to take care of some outstanding issues (real surprise there). I took off to get a jump start installing our new storm door from Menards.
This, my friends, turned out to be the hardest simple project I've ever tried to do. Nothing seemed to fit where it was supposed to, the door was freaking heavy and awkward and the directions seemed written for a different door. Nothing made any sense! Arrg!
What is your go-to excuse for taking a personal day?
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