No Trip

Yesterday morning I got off from work for the week and Triton and I were supposed to head to Seattle later that night. It was a normal morning just like any other day. I prepared Triton to go over to Henry and Barbara's so that Barbara could watch Triton. Just before we left, I let Triton play outside for like 10 minutes. It was kind of cold outside, but he had pants and a jacket on so I wasn't too worried. We were walking around the yard like we usually do, me hitting a practice golf ball and Triton mowing the lawn. He loves to push his little mower around all of the time. He is liking to do that now, more than he used to like hitting golf balls with me? He still hits a golf ball here and there, but that mower has his attention no matter what. Maybe he would rather be a greenskeeper instead of being a golfer? I noticed that before we left that his nose was running. I thought nothing of it because it was cold outside and maybe his nose was just running becuase of that? Well, it wasn't. A lot of people have been sick at my work, and I imagine that is how he has gotten sick! Barbara still watched Triton, but I told Sheri to keep a close watch on Triton. I woke up two hours early from my nap and found out that his nose had been running all day. I didn't want to cancel the trip, but it is a good thing that I did. He woke up this morning all stuffy and coughing. Here is a picture of him right now. I wiped the dried up boogies that he had all over his face from his sleep so you won't be able to tell that he is sick, but I can still tell!

Then I took another pic seen here, like 5 minutes later. Poor runny nose boy!

I am hoping that it is like one of his 2 day colds where he doesn't get too sick. Instead of his running a fever, coughing and whining week and a half sicknesses! Baby boy is watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and I can hear his congestion as he tries to answer Mickey's questions. It is so funny about a month ago when Mickey would ask a question to the viewer Triton would always answer with a "No", no matter what the question. It was so cute, but now he is pointing to the screen when there are multiple choices. He tries to repeat a lot of what Mickey tells him too, so maybe we don't have a retarded kid after all? Just a kid with A.D.D! We make a funny joke to guests or people that are around him. We tell them that if he starts annoying you in any way all you have to do is try to teach him something. He could be jumping all over you and if you try to get him to say ABC he is out of there. Learning is like his crytopnite for sure!

Poker went okay. One of the crazy players went out within the first hour, so I didn't have to take a stand against him. I worked my chips up in the first two hours and was pretty safe. At the finals (like last night was) there are 6 people at the table and the top three get paid. Payout last night was $30 for third, $75 for 2nd and $150 for first place. I knew that we weren't going to be driving to Seattle so I was able to be patient last night. It came down to 4 of us when I lost 60% of my chips doubling up the guy who runs the event. This left me as the low stack with 4 people left. I started playing crazy and made the final 3 spots and getting almost all of my chips back that I had given to him. Sure $30.00 is better than nothing, but when you have to pay $15 to get into the tournament it isn't that much profit. I was short stacked with 3 people remaining when the guy who I had double up was forced to go all in and lost. I was assuming that I was only going to get 3rd. I then doubled up when my Ace Queen held against my opponent's Ace Jack. Then the very next hand against the same opponent who just doubled me up went all in. I was forced to call because of pot odds, and she doubled up. The very next hand I was delt 2 2, and I don't like the hand, but it is a small favorite over any hand. I went all in and she (not knowing how to play correctly) called instantly with King 8 off suit. I of course don't like the call and she could have easily folded and probably should have. She had to like seeing my dueces though. My twos held up and she was out. The other gentlemand and myself split the remaining money. We then took home $112.50 a piece. The hand with my 2 2 is a hand that I lose 90% of the time, even though it has about a 50% chance at winning against the King 8. I have horrible luck, but when I win hands I should like my Ace Q against Ace Jack, and the 2s hold up then there isn't any reason for me to lose. If it was online poker I would have probably been out when I had the Ace Q against the Ace J, that is how bad online poker is! I was happy to split first place, it is the 4th time in the last 5 tournaments that I have shared 1st place. I am happy with those results and obviously the little bit of extra spending money that comes with it.

So sorry again mom that we weren't able to make it down. Maybe next month when my days off fall on this same pattern? I love you and wish you the best. I miss you so much and hope that you know that we weren't trying to avoid you in any way. I want to see you and be with you so much. I wish that I could be there and help take care of you on your hard days. I wish that Triton could be there to lift your spirits in times of need. I love you and pray for you all the time.

The Biggest Dis Ever!

Okay not a clue why this story popped in my head, but I guess I will share. It is a story about me and the moral values I had in high-school.
I was always a shy boy growing up. There were maybe 3 girls that I had the courage to kiss first in all my life. I would always wait for the girl to make the first move no matter what. I might have been in 7th grade before I even kissed a girl the way you wouldn't kiss your sister. I am talking about lips together, no saliva swapping of any kind until I was in 7th grade. Okay enough about kisses.
My parents were divorced when I was 5 or so years old, and my mother gained custody of me. Neither of my parents were religious and I never rememeber going to church. I think my grandma on my father's side took me one day, but either than that I couldn't tell you anything about any religion. I wasn't a bad kid growing up, despite the petty theft incidents that nobody ever found out about. I have never been drunk. Tried cigarettes in the 6th grade just because it was cool. Hate the taste of coffee, not that people who drink coffee are the devil, it is just something I would never drink. I tried stupid marijuana a couple of times just because friends of mine were doing it. Yes, I gave in to peer pressure okay! Hated it, nothing like the way people make it out to be. It didn't make me laugh, didn't make me have the munchies, did nothing but make me wish that I had never done it. So that was that. I am obviously not an angel, not am I trying to say that I am, but I was a pretty good kid growing up.
I met a girl at the end of my sophomore year in high school and she was a mormon. She didn't ever pressure me into going to church with her. Didn't ever pressure me into believing what she did. I didn't believe anything, sure I believed in Jesus and God, but that was about it. I had a conversation with her about the afterlife one evening while we were walking around by the river, and shortly after that she did convince me to take part in discussions with the LDS (Latter-Day Saints) missionaries. I joined the church some three months later. This young lady and myself ended up splitting up, but I still believe in the church to this day. My wife and I were even married in the Idaho Falls Temple.
Now, we almost have the background to this epic title of the blog. A shy boy who likes girls that isn't restricted by his parents as far as sex. Sure my mom didn't want me to have sex, but she made sure I had condoms, bla blah. Either than that it was open season for me. I had actually had sex one time previous to becoming a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It wasn't with the girl who introduced me, so don't think that. I wasn't afraid of girls, just didn't want to be the first to make any sort of move. Now, the church of course discourages sex before marriage. However again, I didn't have any sort of restrictions from the parents, only my own moral limitations and the help of the church now.
I had become good friends with this kid in high school during my senoir year. He will remain nameless for the sake of not giving away who this story is about. It isn't who the story is about that makes it a great story, only the story itself. I was driving this friend of mine home after high school one day and I saw this girl in a bus, not the short bus either!, she was pretty fine. I ended up running into this same girl at this new friend's house. His sister was friends with this girl, so I thought fate was bringing us together. I found out that she had a boyfriend, a guy who really didn't like me for some reason. I never pursued her any further, because I am respectful that way. I of course still thought she was mega pretty, and would smile at her here and there, but that was it.
This one night after my friends were finished partying for the night, I drove us all to my friends house. I, being the only one who never drank, was always the designated driver. This friend of mine convinced me to spend the night. I agreed, and took refuge on the big couch. My friend was so drunk he passed out on the floor, while his sister laid on the couch with me. This friend of hers was laying on the adjacent couch. My friends step-father came upstairs and made his step-daughter get off the couch with me. He went downstairs and was never seen again that night. This sister of my friend also fell asleep on the floor. My whole life I have always been the last one to fall asleep in a group setting. I have always had a hard time falling asleep. The television wasn't on, so I was just lying there on the couch. Bored as could be. I had lost any interest of this hot girl, because A. she had a boyfriend B. she was a party girl who supposedly slept around and C. because I was trying to be a good boy. Well, I got the invite on this given night! Funniest thing, and probably the meanest thing this girl has ever experienced. Assuming she even remembers? because, she too, was drunk.
I lay there bored out of my mind wanting to fall asleep, when I rolled over and looked in her direction. The light was on in the kitchen? Why, I don't remember, but it shed plenty of light in the room. This is when I see her motion me over to her couch with one finger! Without saying a word, I simply rolled over so I couldn't see her. It was nice being the one in power, whereas girls usually have the upper hand. I couldn't have imagined how humiliated she must have felt, but I felt really good?! I feel good about it because I didn't give into the ways of the world. Not many guys out there would have turned down the opportunity that I had that night, but that is where I was stronger than them. Plus, they will never be able to tell the story about their "biggest dis." They might be able to tell the story about how they acquired crabs or some other STD maybe?

Two More Work Nights

I have to work Monday and Tuesday night, then the weekend begins. Triton and I are heading to Seattle to see my mom. Sheri has to work, so she is staying here. It might be nice for her to be away from us for awhile? She won't admit it, but I think it will be good. Triton and I will miss her, but we will only be gone until Monday.
I had been planning on going to Seattle for a long while now, and I told my mom a couple of weeks ago that this next weekend would be best. She called Wednesday and said that something went wrong with the computers at work and that she would have to work all weekend, so going there would just be a waste. I said that it was fine, and after the phone call I wondered what kind of morons work at her location, that they can't fix a computer glitch before a week? Well, she called the very next day and asked if the trip could still be a go. I told her that it was fine, and thank you morons who were able to fix the glitch before a week went by. Okay, sorry to be so rude to the morons, but they almost cost me a trip to see my mom!
I have a poker tournament Wednesday night, then after that we are on the road. You are all thinking I am selfish for staying and playing the tournament before heading out of town huh? Well, it isn't as bad as it sounds. I have to go home and sleep after work while Barbara watches Triton. Thank goodness that she has the day off and is willing to watch him. Thank you so much Barbara. Plus I didn't want to put Triton through a days worth of sitting in a car seat, when he could be sleeping most of the drive. I also love to drive at night. Everything seems to be falling into place so far. I am hoping that Triton is able to sleep most of the way. It might be the only time in my life I won't care if I lose in the tournament too, because the sooner I lose or win (winning will take longer) the faster I can start my trip. Triton's bedtime isn't until 8:30 and the tournament starts at 7:00, so that will give me ample time to build chips fast or be out by then. If I were to win the latest it would probably take is 10:30. I would still be able to get into Seattle before noon, and that is when my mom gets off from work. So there, I am not selfish for staying and playing in the tournament!

Worn Out

I had to work this weekend. I work late late shifts and get off from work at 8:00am. On Friday mornings I usually take Triton golfing no matter if I have to get off from work that morning or not. Sheri is at work, so taking Triton one day a week isn't that bad. He just rides in the golf cart and is usually a good boy. He has been acting up the past couple of weeks, but nothing too bad. This last Friday we took him and he was alright once again. I went to work late Friday night and decided to see if Sheri wanted me to take him Saturday as well. She never gets anytime without the little monster on the weekends. I thought it would be nice for her to get away from him.
So, Triton had a two days in a row of golfing. He acted up yet again, and had my stress level up past normal, but he still wasn't too terrible. He just wanted to walk with uncle Billy and help him push his Speedcart. He wanted to hit his putter on the green and leave indentations! He wanted to hit his own ball each time Henry or I hit one of our shots. So, he was a little bit more of a horror, but only because he wanted to be doing what everyone else was doing. We finished up, and I took him to get some Burger King before we each laid down to go to sleep. He for his nap and me for the day.
Sheri wasn't home when we returned which was good, I hope that she was able to have a good Triton free day. Each day when Triton takes a nap, he awakes some two hours later and is ready to go. Whether you have to wake him up, or if he wakes up on his own. Well, I guess Sheri said that she heard him cough and assumed he had awoken. She goes up stairs to get him from his crib. He still sleeps in his crib just fine. He can and has probably been able to climb out for at least 7 months now, but hasn't discovered that ability yet. I guess he acted as if he didn't want to get up, but she removed him and brought him downstairs. He wanted his blanket, which he sometimes does no matter what, before going downstairs. Sheri left it up in his crib and took him downstairs. I guess she sat him on the couch with her and he was still out of it a bit. She let him have some of the blanket that is on our couch. It is the craziest thing, ever since he was maybe 9 months old he likes to grab the corner of the blanket and rub the very corner against his eyes? For the past few months he just rubs it against his face anywhere, but when laying him down back in the day, he had to rub his eyes with the very corner of the blacket to help him fall asleep. Sheri tried giving him the corner of the blanket on the couch, and he didn't really care. She asked if he wanted to play MarioKart on the Wii, and he wouldn't have that either. I guess she said that he finally laid down and just fell back to sleep for like another half hour before the phone woke him up. She tried the Wii again and he was ready, just needed that extra half hour of rest. His limit must be one, because two days of straight golfing for the first time sure did take it out of him.

Nerding it up, King Style

Well, once again I am being a nerd and reading a book. I seem to not have a desire to blog when I am reading? Not sure why, but I guess it saves those who do read my blog a whopping 15 minutes of agony! So, this might be a short blog who knows. Sometimes I can go on and on?
I am reading Stephen King's Desperation. I had started reading it a few times back in the day, but never finished. It has been in my car for years. The book has so much sun rot that the binding is falling apart. It is a hard back novel that I bought for my mom for some reason (birthday/mother's day)? So, yeah mom sorry about your book. It isn't too bad thus far, I am over 400 pages in and it still has my interest. Not like The Stand have you, but good nonetheless. I can see how this book can come to an end with the 200 or so more pages that I have left to read. Not like The Stand, where it could still be going and I would still be happy reading it.
This last weekend we went to an amusement park. Sheri's mom's side of the family were all going. Her step-brother, his wife and kids weren't able to go, but everyone else was able to make the trip. Well, Jake (Sheri's half brother) wasn't able to go, but his wife and their two young boys were able to go. Mason and Rocco are their names. Mason is close to 5 or might be 5? Rocco is about a week older than Triton. So, Saturday we made a trip to an amusement park that is almost 3 hours from home. We woke Triton at about 7:00am, drove to Sheri's mom's and then made the drive to this amusement park. Triton didn't nap on the way down, but was a pretty good boy, only fussed a couple of times. We entered the park at around maybe 11:00am, ate a burger and begun our day. It was very warm, so we took Triton on a few rides and decided to go to the water park that is also in the amusement park area. We had to wait in line for that for about 20 minutes or so because it was at full-capacity. Everyone had separated shortly after taking Triton on his first two rides of the day, because Mason was able to go on a lot more rides than Triton, thus we didn't want to just have Triton watch. We found out that the other two boys along with Sheri's mom and Cory (Jake's wife) were already inside the water park. We waited and finally entered the water area. We walked straight to the kiddie pool area after changing so Triton could cool off.
We walked over this bridge and I notice some children sliding down these two small water slides. We hadn't even dipped a toe in the water. I see this little boy not too much bigger than Triton slide down and he is kind of stuck at the bottom of the slide with his head under the water. I was thinking to myself, somebody grab that kid! There was a taller little girl that had slid down on the slide next to his and was just standing there? She looked over and helped him up. Thank goodness right? The boy was fine, and I get a better look and notice that it was Rocco! Rocco was the little boy who could have easily been stuck in the water a few more seconds and something bad could have happened? I tell Sheri that Rocco is there by himself, and we go over to him and wait. I guess he had eluded his mom and in a split second raced up the stairs to this little slide. Cory was just around this corner and informed us the little booger had ran from her and was gone just like that. I told her what had just happened. I imagine that she must have been way scared. I guess I am glad that she didn't see how he was stuck under the water, it probably saved her some tears. Rocco didn't even act like anything had happened, he was happy to be in the pool.
The water was way cold. Sure it was a way hot day, but this water park has nothing over 4 feet deep, so you can't just jump in. You kind of have to ease your way in. I did get in a few times, and even after being submerged under completely I was only able to tolerate the cold for only maybe ten minutes at a time. It was that cold! I would wade around with Triton and he would just shiver and shiver. We mostly stayed in the kiddie side of the pool, so he didn't freeze for too long. I ended up getting a sunburn on my shoulders, but not too bad. I was able to golf the next day, so it really wasn't that bad. We made sure that Triton had plenty of sun block, so he was fine. I for sure don't want Triton to get a sunburn this early in his life.
Triton was only able to ride on like 5 rides, but on of them (I took him on) was the Jumping Dragon. It is a simple ride that is like the Music Express at the fair? Riders just sit and go around in circles. It has a very small incline, so it goes up and down a bit, but that is it. It just goes around in circles, but is pretty dang fast. This ride also stops in the middle of the allotted time and reverses. I wasn't sure how Triton would handle it, because it was his second ride of the day. The first one he went on with Sheri and it went around and up and down, while water squirted the riders. He wanted to sit on Sheri's lap, but that wasn't allowed, so he had to sit by himself in the seat just next to her. He was crying because of that in the beginning. but by the end of the ride he was fine, and had fun getting wet. We was much better sitting by himself on the Jumping Dragon, but I knew that he didn't have a clue what he was in for, because this ride went way fast. He started out a little weary, but after we started going fast he was laughing. It kept going fast and maybe a little more faster, and he stopped laughing. It reversed and he was fine, no more laughing have you, but he was not crying. He didn't even act scared, just a little worried when it was going fast for so long. So, I was mega-proud of him and his first big ride.
Cory ended up taking the two boys to the hotel for a nap, but Triton never napped. Darrell (Sheri's mom's husband) was amazed at how Triton was able to stay awake for so long without a nap. Cory and the kids came back to the park at around 7:30 pm. Darrell was with them and they brought pizza, it was so good. Thanks again for the pizza Darrell and Laura. Laura is Sheri's mom. So we ate, while the boys ran around in circles around us. I told Cory that her two boys were being bad influences on Triton, because we usually have Triton right with us all of the time. She said she knew that they were bad influences, but I wasn't serious though. I was glad that Triton was able to run around with his cousins. Mason and Rocco are for sure little rascals though. Triton is an angel compared to them. They run around and scream all of the time. Triton maybe acts that way a tenth of the time that they do. There is nothing wrong with any of them though, but I admire Cory for not having pulled all of her hair out though.
A friend of ours, who had just returned from his mission a little over a year ago and married shortly thereafter is expecting his first child in April? Anyway, we were at their family's place a few weeks ago having dinner and he was telling his mom that he hopes to have a kid just like Triton! It was pretty funny and a nice compliment to the way Triton acts. This young man's
(Trevor) sister has two young ones as well that aren't anything compared to Mason and Rocco, but he gets strung out on how his little niece, who is 4, acts. So, he is in for a big surprise if his little boy or girl is half as rambunctious as Mason and Rocco. So, good luck Trevor, I love you but there is only one Triton!

$40 Remains

I didn't end up golfing in that tournament this past weekend. Friday I double dipped for the first time this year. Double dipped as in golfed twice in one day, thus a 36 hole day. 36 holes is nothing, but two holes from the end, I was taking a couple of practice swings and pulled something in my back. I withdrew from the tournament the next day and was regretting it all day Saturday, because I woke up and felt fine. I then went golfing on Sunday and realized it was a good thing that I didn't golf the tournament. My back was mega stiff, I couldn't make a full turn. It didn't hurt, but was just limiting in movement. It is still a bit stiff, but nothing to worry about. I didn't shoot half bad, but I am sure that it wouldn't have let me score low enough to cash in the tournament. So, as it is the $40 is still in my pocket. At least I didn't lose out on that money?
Here at a few picks of Triton this weekend at the park.




He is making a funny face in the last one, that is why it is bigger!

Finally Some More Pics

This is the three of us at the Hoover Dam. I had never seen it and it wasn't anything that special at all! I understand that it has it's stamp on American history and a lot of work, sweat and even lives were taken in the making of the dam, but it was what you expect I guess. If you had to picture it in your mind from the movies you would be spot on. The State line wasn't on the road like in some movies though? In the picture we are on the dam itself facing the lake. Behind us is something that is in the process of being built, in the upper right hand side of the picture you can kind of see it. There is going to be a new bridge that is going to allow drivers to keep up speed I guess. I really don't see the whole point of adding a huge bridge where one already basically exists? Other than the fact that there are a ton of tourists there that drive exhaustingly slow and the speed limit is way slow on the dam anyway. It is going to be a marvelous work just as the dam itself, and of course next time we are down there, we will probably want to see the finished product as well. I guess I might be a little sour at the fact that it was so hot? I mean we were only there for like 20 minutes or so, and Triton was being an ornery little monkey. He didn't want to be in the stroller, he wanted to push the stroller himself. This would be fine if he knew how to avoid hitting people that we didn't know, and the fact that the road is right off the sidewalk.

At the bowling alley itself is where we found the place that suited Triton during his little outbursts! In the next pics you can see how it was a dream finding not only a place to store bowling balls, but also to place our little devil when we needed some peace and quiet!

I knew that it was going to be hot in Vegas, and it was. It was tolerable for me, I am a person who likes warmth. However the heat was intensified on the dam itself. While in Vegas, even at night the temperature never dropped below 95 degrees. As well, there are a million cockroaches in Vegas. The do only seem to come out at night, but when they come out they are like gangs. I was walking from our hotel/condo at the Residence Inn to get Sheri and I some bottled water, and I noticed them. We had seen a few dead roaches and had only seen our first live one at Circus Circus just earlier that same night, but this was extreme. I was walking on the path between the condos and I could see something on the ground, there was like 5 to 8 here and there in little groups. It was as if I was watching Boyz n The Hood, only instead of human gang bangers, they were roaches. I say this simply because they weren't afraid of anything. They don't run like in the movies? They stand their ground, smoking cigarettes and make crude gestures as you walk by? I guess it was a new experience for me, glad to know that we live in a somewhat cleaner city!