Pass me a Forty

Stilled slammed at work but I've been busy making some great strides, too.  Today I am grateful for:

• A big, healthy, baby on the way.
• The prospect of Kristina having a safe, healthy delivery.
• A kind and professional OB/GYN that takes to listen to and hear our concerns.
• Making Kristina happy by hanging new drapes in our bedroom so that our room is nice and dark.
• Learning some really good baby info at the Baby CPR, Choking, and SIDS class.
• Ninety-Two
• Sharing the glog affect with a co-worker so that she may help a mutual friend get through and hopefully avoid post-pardom.  They've begun journaling to each other and are feeling positive effects already.
• Going 40.2 mph in a pass on my normal training loop.
• Going 42 mph in the same spot the 2nd time through.
• Having an awesome ride and being called "big" by a fellow rider.
• Getting things done.
• Having a wise friend who casually shares her knowledge.  Gratitude affects me profoundly every time.
• Continued confidence in myself thanks to pursuing greater fitness.
  

H.H.

Preparation B

I guess getting up at 5:50 is the male version of nesting.  Anywho, an occasional show up at work at 7am can't be all bad... can it?  Don't answer.  Right now it focus time.  Get work done.  Get outstanding personal tasks handled.  Time is fleeting and the impending arrival of a baby certainly bears that out; grrrrr baby.  Time to get prepared.  John is already 10 pounds.  My guess is we'll be inducing much sooner than the expected arrival date. 

I titled this glog "Preparation B" as in "B" for baby.  However, it makes me wonder about Preparation H.  Exactly how bad were the side affects of Preperation A - G?  Just wondering.  Today I am grateful for:

• My beautiful, healthy wife.  Seriously.  Every second I look at her I am amazed.  She had her first cramp list night and I was so pleased I woke so that I could rub her calf until it was gone. 
• A healthy, active 10 pound boy.  Did you see the turtle?  At least 8 ounces is boy parts!  Hah.  John's a luck little guy to have a Mommy like Kristina take such good care of him as he grows.
• Kristina's interest in exposing John to foreign languages while he's still less than 1 year old.  Now to make that plan a reality.
• Continuing my new tradition of mowing the yard on Tuesday nights.  What a time saver that will be.  Also, I'm pleased with the positive environmental impact that mowing on 5/5 (that's high) is having.  I can water only 3 times a week and my grass is super green.
• Peg and Velton's visit to Big D for the final sonogram.
• Having a highly productive day of work yesterday.
• Taking time to plan another productive day of work for today.
• Creating a blog photo album at picasa so I can add to it and see the photos on my new "Glog Show" in my sidebar!
• Catching K in the act of nesting!
• Abundance
• Health
• 88

HH

Genesis of Getting It Done

I've always taken pride in the fact that I am the type of person that is good at taking something right in front of me and getting it done. It may be strange to learn I'm a bit of a HUGE procrastinator with those non mission critical items such as taxes, cleaning my closet, or finishing the unpack job on my office. At least I know where the problem lies. Actually, I think I may have just discovered that this very moment. How can I be so good at getting stuff done when my back is against the wall but so terrible at follow through on others? Don't worry, that's rhetorical - no need to comment.
I digress. Some people wrinkle and fade like a cheap suit when the pressure's on, but that's when I am at my best. Of course, it's truthiness that allows me to say that. In actuality, I just don't crack when others have. So it only seems like I'm getting something done when really I'm just keeping my head a few inches higher above the water than everyone else. My best work is always that for which I am well prepared and can take my time. Nonetheless, I have only ever completed those tasks which needed the most attention. Example: I've had the new Beckworth Associates logo done for weeks. Why isn't the web site up? I could say it's because I am tired or busy at work or whatever, but truth (not truthiness) is that I would rather watch The Colbert Report on Comedy Central.
This weekend I finally learned where I get my get-go from. My Dad. What a great guy. We kids have crapped on him for years. You weren't around when I needed this. And where were you when I needed that? Don't get me wrong, Ed is a bit of a loon. Not real reliable in general, but if you call him and say,"Dad, I could really use your help. Bring tools." He's there.
Many years ago, I spent a lot of time setting myself on my own path. I questioned why my Dad never this and that. Any kid of divorced parents goes through this. Determined not to end up like my siblings, I took control of my situation and decided long ago, that Dad did whatever he did because of him. Not because of me. I was right. Ed is a little loco. He lacks goal and a desire for self-actualization. He fails to grow inside and mature completely for a number of very good and very sad reasons. Ed also did an amazing thing and kept a cycle of hurt from continuing past him. Interpersonally, Ed gets a bye with me. A lot of times he's great to talk to and hang with once you give him a moment to acclimate and unload.
Dad is pretty awesome. He doesn't get enough credit. He takes pride in being a hard worker. He's an excellent provider. He is patient. He's willing to teach if you are willing to learn and willing to take over and finish a task when you've tried your best. Then he takes time to show you how to do something right without chiding you or making feel less of a person for not knowing. He values the nearly lost art of DOING THINGS RIGHT and not just doing things. His best tools: common sense, high mechanical aptitude, true self-reliance, persistence.
A lot of times I catch myself, more frequently my brother, saying something Dad would say. What I really mean is that is something Ed would do or say. As far as Dads go, if yours isn't like mine, you probably need to invite me up for a weekend to help you around the house and teach you a few things!
Today I am grateful for:

• Getting it done around the house: saving $3,000 in a/c work with $20 in parts, fixing a sticky door, fixing another sticky door, hanging a ceiling fan on the back porch (including running electrical wiring), making the back porch ceiling look better than before, learning that gasoline gets out oil-based paint and Tide gets out gas, fixing the spring-loaded hinge on my door rather than buying new just by tightening and "making" a new pin to hold it, hanging a new light fixture on my porch, installing a new recessed socket so Kristina can have a lamp on our entry table.
  
• An increase in confidence that I will be an even better father. I will build on the lessons I have been taught and give John all the opportunity to be a better man than I.
• My extremely sexy pregnant wife. Every day she is more beautiful to me.
• Mister Active - John Cannon - that's his pro-wrestler name. The kid has moves.
  
• An awesome family dinner with the bro's fam and Dad's fam.
• You

HH