friends and family

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Kids

April 29, 2009 | 4 comments

Sorry about the departure from the promised standard updates. Jennifer’s mother has been going through some rough times — she lost her home and has no job — so the wife and I have been watching her kids continuously for the past three weeks. I currently get off of work at one in the morning, have to leave to take the kids to school around seven, and have to pick them up again at three. Then I have to go to work at four. So, needless to say, I am sleeping pretty much any chance I can, leaving little to no time to blog.

We are actually quite annoyed by current circumstances. Her mother has no way for us to get ahold of her, and no address so we can’t even go by to catch up with her. We would like to transfer the kids from the school they are in on the opposite side of Ft. Worth to the better school two blocks from our house, but can’t as we don’t have custody. We can’t even take them to the doctor without their mother — we don’t so much as know their social security numbers. We are trying to get temporary custody or power of attorney so we can take care of the kids, but it is not easy because their mother is afraid that if she lets us have any type of guardianship she will lose her child support or food stamps. We don’t give a shit about the money — we want what is best for the kids — but it is really hard to get someone who doesn’t think the same way to understand that.

Anyone reading this have experience with similar circumstances who can give us any advice? If so, please drop me a comment or email me.

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Denver

May 25, 2006 | 1 comment

The scenery was beautiful. The people seemed nice (but somewhat slutty). I didn’t even get carded anywhere (I am old enough to drink and smoke but reaching for my wallet is a pain in the ass). I got ten different types of beer and ale from a microbrewery called Tommy Knockers right outside of town (I would recommend them).

But our bodies just couldn’t adjust to the thin mile-high air. We had a headache and felt sick for the entire time we were there. Then we ate at the original Chipotle restaurant and I tasted that twice.

But I had fun. I got to see Beth, who I have seen all of once in the last year or so, and my uncle, who I have seen once in the last decade or so. I got four days off work to spend with my wife, who I don’t see much. And I got to hang out at a hookah bar. Much fun.

Denver is a nice place to live, but I wouldn’t want to visit there.

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Funeral

April 21, 2006 | 2 comments

My great-grandmother-in-law died on Easter Sunday. She was 88 years old, so it wasn’t unexpected, but Jennifer still took it pretty hard; I guess I can understand since she is pretty close to most of her family. Her funeral was Tuesday — may she rest in peace.

May 18 – 21 Jennifer and I will be going out of town to Denver, Colorado, to attend
my sister’s graduation on the 19th.

The spousal unit and I are looking forward to some much needed time away from home and all the stuff around here.

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Married

October 30, 2005 | 5 comments

The wedding had quite a few little kinks in it, but all in all everything went alright.

On the way there to set up my car died, but my sister gave us a ride over there so that wasn’t that big of a deal (though I sure wish that it still worked). We had quite a few problems getting ready, mostly due to the hard soil that we couldn’t stick anything in.

My best man showed up a little late, because he had to pick his wife up at the airport. Most of the people who RSVPed didn’t show. The wedding started forty-five minutes late.

But when I saw my beautiful bride walking down the isle none of that mattered to me. It may not have been exactly the wedding I have been expecting, or the one Jennifer was planning, but it was without a doubt the most wonderful moment of my life.

(I will post pictures as soon as the people with cameras email them to me, I promise.)

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Tradition

September 24, 2005 | No comments

In 1935 my great grandfather opened a furniture store in downtown Ft Worth, Homer Oneal’s Furniture. The building is still a fixture on Jennings St. His philosophy was that a store that carries quality name brands but was still small enough to treat everyone individually would prosper, and it did.

Around the late 70’s or early 80’s, he died and my father and uncle Charles continued to run it. They were the two main salespeople, did all their own ordering, all the accounting, and more often than not, the deliveries themselves. Yet they could to this day remember the name of most of their customers and what they bought.

They later opened a small storefront in Hurst that specialized in chairs, the Chair Emporium. (this is before La-Z-Boy opened dedicated stores) For several years this was about the only specialized furniture store in the DFW Metroplex. After closing that closed, they bought Days Furniture and Railroad Salvage in the middle of the Stockyards, a store that sold discounted surplus, factory models, and refurbished furniture, though that also closed eventually, also.

In 1999, they closed down the store downtown to open a new building in ritzy Keller, offering design services as well furniture. Sadly, that will soon be closing as well, putting an end to 70 years of a family owned business. I was never to anxious to get into the business — it never seemed interesting to me — but I always assumed that when I got older I would end up carrying on the family tradition. It surprised me to realize how sad I am that I won’t be.

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