I am 36.
I am a husband, a father, a son.
I am a misplaced Texan living on the east coast.
I am a sports fanatic.
I am a Yankees fan.
I am a UNC fan.
I am a political junkie.
I am a republican.
I am a Christian.
I am happy.
I am loving every minute of life.
I am the father to two amazing boys.
I am blessed beyond belief.
Day 2 of the GOP Convention has come and gone. The lineup was strong and a few key points were made last night.
Here are a few of the speakers:
Senator Rob Portman (OH)
Governor Tim Pawlenty (MN)
Mike Huckabee
Condoleezza Rice
Governor Susana Martinez (NM)
Vice Presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan
Overall, I think that each of the speakers laid out a separate vision, based on their experiences, and the direction of the GOP. Condoleezza Rice, the former Secretary of State, did an amazing job. I talked with several Democrats this morning and each said that they would have voted for a Romney/Rice ticket in a minute. She was real, she was down to earth and gave real life experiences.
Was Paul Ryan the right choice for VP? Would a ticket with Condoleezza Rice on it reached a broader voter base? I don’t know? They both would be great choices, but I am beginning to wonder though. Here is the link for the GOP Convention videos thus far.
And on to night 3 of the GOP Convention.
The Debt Update
3 credit cards have been paid off or down to a near to zero balance.
Now, the focus is being shifted to the other accounts and taking the money that was going towards those 3 accounts and piling it on the other accounts.
We are keeping our heads down and just trying to plow through the debt that is left over. I am already feeling better about our financial situation and more importantly, were are going.
Due to Hurricane Isaac, the GOP had to push back their National Convention by 1 day. So as a political junkie, what am I looking for? Honestly, not much. I hope that Governor Christie delivers a great speech and Governor Mitt Romney lays out a plan for his vision of the future if he is elected to the President of the United States. But what I am really looking for is this:
So the GOP Convention has started and Day 1 is in full effect. We are 70 days away from the election and as I have stated before, starting in October in most states, early voting starts and that is when this election will be won.
Today is all to familiar reminder of Hurricane Katrina. As I watch the news about Hurricane Isaac, I am reminded of living in Houston and preparing to drive to New Orleans, not realizing that a hurricane was heading straight for the city. It was a rare week, because I had not watched the news and seen what one of the greatest cities in the US was heading for. But today, as I sit on the east coast, I am reminded of meeting people that had been evacuated and transported to where I lived in Houston and as they shared what they had seen, their possessions that they had lost, but how grateful that they were that they had made it out alive with their families.
You see, faith, it is an amazing thing. A person’s faith can define them forever. It can change the way that they view the world. And it can change the way that they view others. Those families that I met, had a lot of faith and I am sure that today, as many of them had return to the city of New Orleans, their faith is being tested by Hurricane Isaac. According to Answers.com, the word faith, is used 365 times in the bible, is it any wonder?
So today, as Hurricane Isaac is heading towards the great people of New Orleans, my prayer is simple, I pray today that those that are in harms way, are safe and protected. And that those families that have damage to their homes and to their belongs, that they have faith and hope, so that they can rebuild and grow stronger.
When was the last time that you said Thank You to someone? When was the last time that some one did something nice for you out of the blue? Did you thank them or did you walk away?
Being humble is an important quality in a person in my opinion, because being humble, keeps you grounded and focused.
One of the things that I really want to instill in my boys is being humble. It is really easy to get to a point in life that your priorities change or that you forget about others. My wife and I have been fortunate to be able to provide a pretty decent life for our boys and I want them to understand that not all children are as lucky. And I want them to recognize, that when people do things for them, how important it is to say thank you and recognize the person that is doing something for them.
So will you say Thank You to someone today?
Today is an important day. You see, a day doesn’t go by that you are not thought of, a story shared, or a group laugh. And even though you are not here to celebrate your birthday, we will have dinner and cake and ice cream in your honor tonight and celebrate the life that you lived. You were a role model for many, loved by everyone, and your daughter’s best friend. Today, is just a little reminder that you are not physically with us, but that you are watching over us.
Happy Birthday Mom’s! The boys are doing great, you would have loved every minute with them and been so very proud of them. Just keep watch over them from above.
In a day and time where families are trying to really stretch a dollar, coupons are becoming more and more important. That being said, I ran across this great website Hip2Save a while back and have been able to really save a lot of money since using it. They have done a great job aggregating coupons from multiple major stores and presenting them to their audience. You can grab the coupons from Hip2Save both on their site, their Facebook page, and I am pulling some of their coupons and placed them on my site.
So where do you find your coupons? And more importantly, how much are you saving each week?
This… is a simple game. You throw the ball. You hit the ball. You catch the ball.
I don’t know what it is about the movie Bull Durham, but for whatever reason, the writers explained the game in such a way, that it makes sense. Playing baseball as a kid, I had the chance to be coached by some men that had played in the minors, worked out with guys that made it to the majors and talk with men that are now in the Hall of Fame about how to improve. But at the end of the day, baseball is really a simple game.
Baseball is a metaphor for life for me. Some days, you can hit everything that is thrown at you. Other days, you can not hit a beach ball if it was lobbed right over the plate and then there are other days, you just want a rain out. Today is one of those days. Today is a day that I would love a rain out. A day to sit in the club house, laugh with the kids, roll the ball on the floor and just be kids. Nothing really bad has happened today, but neither has anything great. But I was reminded a few minutes ago, that we should be happy for today and the chances that we get today.
Every little boy in America that has ever picked up a baseball has dreamed about one day, stepping into the batters box at Yankee Stadium. Facing down a veteran pitcher and taking their fastball over the left field bleachers. Why? Because we are guys. But more importantly, because is a simple game. It does require some knowledge, but thinking ahead of players and where they hit the ball and being in the best position to get them out. Which is a lot like being a parent. Think about it, you have to be thinking 3 moves ahead of your kids. Are they getting ready to pull down a pot off the stove? Are they going to tackle their brother? Where are they going to school? Can we start saving for their college now?
At the end of the day, baseball really is a simple game. And baseball really is like life. Baseball has a team, your family is your team. There is a manager of the team and at home, the parents run the house. So in some strange ways, life is really like baseball.
My wife and I have had a long discussion about what to do for our summer family vacation this year. And the debate came down to 1 thing, do we spend the money for a vacation or do put that money towards paying down debt? The average vacation is somewhere between $1,000 – $2,000, depending on where you go.
Well, after a lot of back and forth, we decided that it was important for us to get away for a few days for our summer vacation. So, now that the decision had been made, the question became where do we go? The decision was made to save between now and the trip, push back the trip until off peak season, and look for bargains. With fewer families taking a summer vacation this year and opting to stay local, there are deals to be had/made. We will be staying a few days with family before heading to the beach for a few days. The boys are still too young for the ocean, but we were able to rent a house that had a pool for a $4,000 discount. That was literally difference between the week before we are going and the week that we rented the house for. We are going to also take all of our food, so that we are eating at the house and only going out to eat 1 night while we are there. This will be a huge savings for us as well.
So, if you can, enjoy your summer vacation, whether you go to the beach or stay local. Have fun as a family and enjoy your family time together.