Bag of Randomness for Tuesday, January 11, 2022

  • Longtime readers know how much I avoided using the word “hate”. You know I’ve never used it on this blog other than quoting from another source. But, over the past 11 months, I’ve said “hate” more than ever. I understand why God hates divorce. I hate divorce, and so do my children. It’s an evil thing to have to experience, no matter how you are attached to the event, and hate is the most appropriate word for the experience.
  • I was beyond depressed at the start of this divorce, mainly because the children were being kept from me (more on that to come in future posts). People suggested I focus on my hobbies. Well, my hobbies are blogging and renovating the house. They were no longer an option. My lawyer advised me to stop blogging since the most innocent of things I wrote were used against me in court, and there was no point in DYI-ing the house if I was being forced to sell it.
  • Speaking of DYI-ing the house, the house was remodeled quite a bit before she abruptly left with the kids. The floors and new kitchen island were less than a year old. The fireplace was demolished and was about to be remodeled to her liking. We just installed new carpet in DaughterGeeding’s bedroom and were looking for a dresser and desk for her. And, we just finished remodeling the kids’ bathroom. We finished it the day before she took them and forever left. They never got a chance to use their newly remodeled bathroom.
  • Speaking of DYI-ing again, I just saw that they renamed the DIY television network Magnolia, and it made me want to throw up. I don’t have anything against those two, but one guy on their well-known show (who now has his own spinoff show and published a book) was the subject of one of a couple instances of my ex-wife’s emotional infidelity. She once dated the guy in college and more proud of dating him than she ever was being married to me. All her friends and family were in on it and egging her on when they met up. Not only did she dig up old pictures of them two in college to show off to her coworkers, she even posted old and new photos of them together on Facebook, bragging how they used to go out and lived in the same apartment complex. It’s amazing what some people would sacrifice for likes. She knew I’d be hurt if I ever found out, but she thought I’d never know since I’m not on Facebook. However, my friends are on Facebook and they informed me what she posted. She tried to cover her tracks by deleting the backup photos from her phone of them that were stored on the cloud. Seeing Magnolia commercials and their products every time I enter certain stores is a constant reminder of her unfaithfulness. That’s also another reason why I’m irritated by that university, she always prioritized anything related to it over our marriage, time and time again. Not to mention, the way she and her family talked about that place made me and others feel we were beneath them because we never attended or graduated there.
  • I don’t plan on watching it, but I’m intrigue with the reboot of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Instead of taking the comedic route, it’s going to be dramatic.
    • While that show was a half-hour sitcom, “Bel-Air” is an hour-long drama, reimagining the initial story with a darker subtext. “Set in modern-day America, Peacock’s new one-hour drama series Bel-Air reimagines the beloved sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air through a new, dramatic take on Will’s complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air,” a synopsis for the show on YouTube reads. “As these two worlds collide, Will … reckons with the power of second chances while navigating the conflicts, emotions, and biases of a world far different from the only one he’s ever known.”
    • Though the theme song for the original show briefly describes why Will left West Philadelphia — “I got in one little fight and my mom got scared” — the trailer goes deeper, depicting Will, now played by Jabari Banks, firing gunshots into the sky, followed by police officers shoving his head into the concrete moments later. In this reboot, someone from Will’s hometown wants him dead, hence his escape to Bel Air.
  • A lot of folks are sadden by the sudden passing of Bob Saget. He was great as Danny Tanner and the narrator in How I Met Your Mother. But, I’ll go on record saying he was the worst host of America’s Funniest Videos.

  • Hey, looky here, two days of blogging in a row. One more, and it’ll be a streak.

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Bag of Randomness for Monday, January 10, 2022

  • I’m trying to get back into the swing of things. Today is my first day back at work since taking time off for my surgery. Recovery is going well, other than a little stiffness, I’m pain free.
  • DaughterGeeding accidentally hit DogGeedingII in the mouth with her metal softball bat yesterday. The dog didn’t even yelp, but he’s missing the bottom of one of his incisors and there was a tiny bit of blood. I debated on taking him to an animal ER, but since he didn’t appear to be in any pain or discomfort, I decided I’ll just try to take him to his regular vet today.
  • It has surprised me at all the low-level tactics my ex-wife has taken since she abandoned me. Heck, she hasn’t even told me why she opted for divorce as her first choice instead of going to a single counseling session or trying separation, and still refuses to have that conversation. Here’s the latest. Our children told me when they were at their grandparents’ over the holidays, their aunt (my ex-wife’s sister) told the kids I physically hit her, which is entirely false and was never mentioned in court or any other legal proceeding or paperwork. I contacted my ex-wife through the court appointed communication app, telling her what our children were told and by whom. I asked if she told anyone else that false information and if she or her sister would talk to our children about the “miscommunication” so they know their father isn’t a wife beater. She only replied with, “I have never told anyone that you physically harmed me.” I have since followed up with two more emails asking if she or her sister would talk to the kids about what they were told, but she refuses to reply or pick up the phone. I know I have to accept I have no control over her actions and a lot of things are just beyond my control, but this just leaves a nasty taste in my mouth.
  • Here’s the story behind this photo of married Mormon Danny White kissing a Mormon Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader who was married to another man.
  • Remember this kid from the movie Titanic? He received $30,000 for saying one line and being in three scenes, and he continues to make $200 to $300 a year in residuals.
  • I’ve been keenly interested in the James Webb Space Telescope. If you are too, here’s a nifty tracking tool from NASA. Of course, since it’s fully deployed, a lot of the suspense has been taken away.
  • Are you interested in fictional movies within movies? If so, here’s a database which will interest you.
  • The touching story of how the late Sidney Poitier learned to read, or improve his ability to read well, cued up for you. If it’s not cued, just go to the 4:50 mark.

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Bag of Randomness for the First Monday of 2022

 

  • As you know, 2021 was a very rough year for me. I rang in the new year by opening the backdoor at midnight to let out 2021 and to welcome in 2022 with an open mind.
  • This was the first Christmas we experienced as a divorced family. I didn’t have the kids from the day of my surgery, Dec 17, until Dec 28. I had “my Christmas” with them on the night of the 28th. It was weird for all of us, even though we tried to make the best of it.
  • The word I’m going to focus on for the year, I guess you can say my mantra, is “yield.” I’m not in control of most things or the actions or responses of others. Like the Beatles said, “Let it be.” I’m also going to adopt the MJ from Spider-Man NWH philosophy, “If you expect disappointment, then you can never really be disappointed.” For instance, I thought my ex would allow our children to visit me at least one time during my recovery from major surgery to at least put their minds at ease. I have no control over that. I just had to expect the worst and let it be. Easier said than done. I can’t figure out any other way to deal with this new normal I didn’t seek nor ask for.
  • Before I found out about my then wife’s emotional acts of infidelity and fell into depression, I used to weigh around 250-pounds, though at my heaviest I stopped weighing myself after I hit 265. Saturday was the first I weighed myself post surgery. All of my weight over the past 14-months have been unplanned.
  • My recovery is going well but I think I need to take it easy. DaughterGeeding is trying out for her school’s softball team and I’ve been underhand tossing softball sized wiffle balls at her in the backyard. As a matter of fact, we did it at midnight in the backyard one night with nothing but the porch light aiding us. I do get winded easily and had to be careful of a few line drives.
  • In case you want to see how my throat incision is healing. The purple surgical ink is still there. My follow-up is on Tuesday.
  • I’d like to see the player-coach role come back, but I guess there are contract legalities preventing that from ever happening. The two modern-day players I think fit that role would be Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

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