Long Time No Talk

I know its been a long time since I wrote, and I don't quite know if I have valid reasons for waiting but hey... what are you gonna do.

Here are the highlights, the big updates you are looking for, if you are so inclined to here about my updates.

We had yet another tragedy in my extended family. My biological father, a man whom I had just really met last year and someone I had only spoken to a handful of times passed away. I returned to KY for the funeral and the biggest thing I noted was the sense that I lost a piece of my history. I will never really get to learn who he was and who he became. I am going to try to make up for some of that with my siblings, and if any of you are reading this please know that I tend to be absorbed with my immediate family but I will try to be an attentive and present brother, albeit one that is 2500 miles away from you.

Generally speaking most other things in my life are going fairly well. Work is fine, boring and tedious, but fine. The stock is up, which is really all I give a crap about. :)

Home life is awesome, as one would expect, I mean hey... its my home. The kids are doing well, although I wish we could connect with other kids in the new neighborhood. I know there are kids there, its just we can't seem to find them. I assume it's a summer thing and come the start of school, next month, we will be knee deep in kids. In our short-time in Foster City, we were the go to house for good times with the neighborhood kids, and I assume the same will happen here.

I joined a vanpool at work, in fact, I am chilling in the van typing this right now. I have to admit it makes the commute seem shorter. I drive myself about half-way to work (25 miles or 1 hour) and then jump in a van for the rest of the trip (25 more miles and 1 more hour). We each take turns driving and the combined cost is only $70/month, saves me cash money, headache, and wear and tear on the car. WINS all around.

Its mercilessly hot in Northern California where we live, but still cool where I work. The temperature is typically 30 degrees different from the office to the house. We are trying to get around and see more of Cali. We have been to the beach a few more times and we bought our pass to the Oakland Zoo, a Zoo pass is a Stary family must. We hope to visit LegoLand in August before the kids start school with a pit stop in LA and San Diego. We might even get a chance to see some extended family from the Stary side, folks I haven't seen in 20 years. GODDAMN I am old.

Side note: I am coming back to Cincy next week to visit family, friends, and golf courses. I am pretty pumped about the trip. Add to that it looks like I will be going back in October for my 20th year HS reunion (see comment above related to age).

So what else can I tell you...

The twins are really doing well, when we left KY they were babies. They couldn't talk, in any coherent way, and now they are full on toddlers. They talk and talk and have developed these awesome little personalities. I still can't tell them apart unless I am holding or talking to one of them. Details has never been a strong suit.

The boys are best buds. We will be out somewhere and you will see them walking hand in hand, its pretty much the sweetest GD thing you have ever seen. Now don't get me wrong, they will be slapping each other ten minutes later but they have developed quite a bond and its nice to see.

Cyndi hasn't left or R U N N O F T (quick name that movie), which considering the sea of testosterone she swims in daily is pretty awesome of her. She has a Mommy vacation coming up in a few weeks, a well-deserved break from the heathens and her disgusting husband. The big question for me is what are the boys and I going to do when she is out or to quote Ferris "what aren't we going to do"!

The movie was "Oh Brother Where Art Thou"...

What else can I tell you...

I don't know... I will think of something else later. So my plan (yeah right) is to update this fairly regularly while I am chilling in the van. What else have I got to do.... NOTHING, except troll twitter for inappropriate pictures and tweets.

See you later and thanks for reading.

California Weekend

Now... that my friends is why people live in California. This past weekend was spectacular. It was just a three day weekend but I feel like I have been on vacation, and it was a good vacation at that.

For starters it was warm to downright hot out here. My house is 50 miles inland from the bay which means it is in a completely different ecosystem than the coast. At my house it was high 90s all weekend, no clouds in the sky. I love heat, just taking a moment to bake in the goodness of warmth. It was dry, of course, because it is basically a desert in Central California. One errant cigarette and the whole place is going up in flames.

But what made the weekend awesome was just the combination of stuff, and not to mention most of it was FREE!

Friday was work and school, but after a 2 hour commute to the house (yes two hours), there was time for 2 Game of Thrones episodes (DVD season 2) and the comfort of sleeping in my own bed.

Saturday and Sunday featured trips to the park and slpashpad (which is just an awesome way to spend a couple of hours on a weekend day). Side note: I saw a bobcat in the park. I grant you I was 100 yards away from it, but either that was a bobcat or that was the biggest house cat in the history of humanity. Either way, that thing was big enough to eat your pet chihuahua.

Monday was a drive down the Pacific Coast Highway to Santa Cruz for a day at the beach and yet another glorious day it was. Temps were in the mid 70s, no clouds, warm sun, and I didn't see one drunk teenager! We played for hours and the kids passed out in the car on the drive home (bonus).

Back to work for a short week (the kids have half-days at school all week), and then hopefully another great weekend. But what to do... what to do...

Settling In!

Buenos Dias, mis amigos.

We are settling in to our new digs. It is so amazing to have space to spread out again. The kids are upstairs playing in their playroom, while we are sitting on the couch in the living room and all is right as rain. We have most of our stuff moved in, and boy it is awesome to sleep in your own bed. Living in "corporate housing" feels somewhere between a hotel and home, this place feels like home. We are living both here and there until school ends, I will feel bad for the kids. They have made so many friends in Foster City, but I am very confident they will do the same here.

So as we get settled, its time to get back to seeing California. Our next trip is going to be a weekend in Lake Tahoe. I will be booking the weekend stay here shortly, I am looking forward to a weekend in a cabin. After that the next trip will be a weekend in LA.

I also have a quick trip planned for Cincy in July and a vacation break while Cyndi is in Phoenix for a conference. I know I have been slacking on the page, but I fully plan to step up the posting and West Coasting now that we are in a house and getting ready for a full summer.

Side Note: The new house is quite a distance from work, so I will be taking public transportation. I have never done that before (on a regular basis), I am a bit nervous and excited about it. I fully plan to take pictures on the train and bus.

Have a great weekend and less sucky week!

- Eric