Mortgage Monday: Labor Day Labor

While I don’t have work today the ironic thing about this Labor Day is that there is work being done at the house. It seems as though every minute of free time that my brother in law has had lately has been committed to this HVAC overhaul. For the past month (or more, I can’t recall when he started) he has joined us for the weekend forgoing time with his family and taking a break from his already long work week. There is no questioning that we are incredibly lucky to have him devote so much of his free time to not just getting this project done but getting it done right.

This is the part of Labor Day that tends to be overlooked. Many of the people whom we honor with this day are the same ones who would do anything to help their family. The same people that deserve to take a break tend to be the ones that can never stop working.

Thankfully, we are almost done with this phase of the work. A couple more weekends and everything should be complete and the way that we want it and the way that he wants it. There is already a huge difference in the house both with regard to the regulation of the temperature and the cleanliness of the system (the old one was, to put it nicely, nasty). Just a short time longer and we will all be able to enjoy the new system.

In future years we hope to have him at our house again during this particular holiday but this is, hopefully, the last time that we will ask him to do any work on the house. Actually, we hope to have the family join us in the future to relax not to work on the house and enjoy the work that was put into making our home as comfortable as possible. It shouldn’t take long before we start having family over again to enjoy the house.  

In the meantime, we are continuously cognizant of the sacrifices that our brother in law is making to help us out (and my sister and their kids) and we are doing our best to make him as comfortable as possible while he is here. We try to keep the beer fridge stocked, have good food on the table, and a bed made. We also have an open door so that the kid and my sister can come over and spend some time. But, the most important thing right now is that we try and do everything we can to give him back his weekends as soon as possible.

Family Travel And Events: Years Of Entertainment

There are times when I am astounded by the odd things that happen both at family events and the things that happen on the way to those events. Especially when there is flying involved. Even some of the simplest things that we usually don’t think twice about can have humorous aspects to them if you just take a closer look.

A prime example is the process of simply getting to the gate once you arrive at the airport. Next time you are there look at the confused look on people’s faces when they have to go to a counter to check in. Not the first time fliers, it is normal to see some awkwardness or uncertainty in those people who are unfamiliar with the process. I am talking about the frequent travelers, the ones you can tell fly all the time that, for some reason or another couldn’t get on the computer or the phone, can’t use the kiosk and, subsequently, have to actually deal with a person in order to get there ticket.

Further down the process, try to put yourself in the shoes of those at the security check point. I am certain that they see many things that people shouldn’t have on the plane. The usually things that they people just don’t think about. However, I know for certain that there are some odd things that go through the scanners and it makes me wonder what goes through their minds when they see a hunk of Swiss cheese and a dried sausage in a woman’s handbag at is runs across the x-ray. I think it’s safe to say that they made the sausage go back and forth a few times before shaking their heads and letting it out the other end.

The actual family events are, not surprisingly, sources of long lasting entertainment. Sometimes the things that happen at weddings can provide years, if not decades, of humor as well as a means to poke those relatives at future events. This is just one of the reasons why I don’t drink, or drink very little, at weddings and get-togethers. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to accurately remember people falling into fire pits, being doused by a citronella candle, bouncing off walls, beer can pyramids, and walking the wrong direction back to the cabin not realizing where they were when the sun shown above the horizon. These are just some of the more vivid memories that, in hindsight, provide for hours of entertainment and recollection decades after the fact. Sometimes all it takes is stepping back and paying attention.

Just A Couple Minutes

Have you ever had one of those days when you are two minutes behind everything. Literally, two minutes behind schedule all day. That is the kind of day that I had today. Don’t misunderstand me, it was an excellent day. But no matter what I did I couldn’t make up those two minutes that escaped my grasp at 7:47 this morning. And that is especially bad when you day is full of meetings as mine was today.

Things could have been worse and I did make it to all my meetings within a reasonable margin. Two minutes is like the five second rule of scheduling. You can quickly drop the ball and fall a little behind but at some point you are going to pass the point of no return and you will get a look of disgust if you try and act like it’s no big deal.

At the end of the day I could have easily gotten back on schedule and home for the night but that is the most difficult time to stay on track and the reason is simple. We have way too much fun at the office. Nothing crazy we just all get along and share a similar sense of humor. Plus many of us, including me, can go off on a tangent like few others can. Get more than one of us in a room and you better buckle up. I’m like Robin Williams but not nearly as funny, with a little more sanity, and frequently boring.

Honestly, if you think I ramble on and on in writing you should meet me in person. I can usually keep myself in check (especially when I’m tired and/or have a really back headache) but when I get going it is really hard to stop me. Just ask some of the people I’ve gotten to know over the years. I am sure they will give and exhausted sounding sigh and confirm.

But I managed to get out of the office close to schedule today… only two minutes behind. And now I am sitting on the computer trying to make up for lost time by finishing up two Phillies blogs while keeping two eyes open and finishing my second beer in an office that is hotter than the second ring of hell. Don’t the old people in the building realize that cold preserves longer than heat. Just look at Ted Williams. Have you ever gotten an ice splinter? Those things hurt more than they should for something that size.