My Health
Got sick 12 days ago, and am still dealing with some bronchitis as a result. Decided to take this opportunity to dump my previous doctor who hasn’t done anything proactive for me in a LONG time, and switch to a guy in Encino who comes highly recommended. In short, it was a great move. Got a ton of tests, new drugs to take (have had high blood pressure for over a year, which is bad), and have come up with a new plan: get healthy. Sheesh. Been treating my body like an amusement park for so long. Had to end, I suppose.
Current stats: 241 pounds, high BP, high cholesterol, diabetes, blood problems that lend themselves to leg blood clots.
Current meds: Metformin, Glipizide, Actos, Zocor, Diamed, Coumadin
Plan will be to exercise 5x weekly, change diet, walk when golfing, cut down on booze and eliminate tobacco completely. Last one is implemented, the rest are coming very, very soon. Will keep you posted.
Glock me
Got a Glock 34. Needed a 9mm in my collection, so this was the one to get. Got this one off GunBroker, which was my first time buying a gun off the net. Major league pain in the ass. Had to coordinate shipping to an authorized transfer agent, go to the agent to fill out the DROS paperwork, then back to pick up the gun (not ready because the guy waited 3 days to file the paperowrk), then back to pick it up. It’s gorgeous, and I’m glad I got it.
Sydney at Disneyland
Sydney danced again at Disneyland today – just like last year. It was great of course, and she did a great job in a more supporting role. Her Alice role will be her big one this year. 🙂
She got such a spectacular report card this quarter, that I decided to take her to New York (with tickets I won at the company Xmas party), to see Wicked. She’s almost as excited as I am. I want to spend more quality time with her, and this is a great way to start.
Sydney = Alice
Meant to post about this before, but only getting to it now. Sydney auditioned at her dance school for a part in “Alice in Wonderland”. It was a general audition, so I was really excited when she got called back for a second, tougher audition. I felt like it was unlikely that she’d get any lead role, just because SO many kids tried out. Not that she’s not good, mind you – she’s absolutely FANTASTIC (her work as Toto in “The Wizard of Oz” was nothing short of genius) – it was just that the odds were against us.
How wrong could I be? She got the role of ALICE. You’ll notice that is the FIRST word in the TITLE of the production, so it’s clearly a BIG deal. There are actually two Alices – big Alice and little Alice, and she obviously got the little one. She’s 8 years old. Certianly the biggest part she could have possibly gotten, and I could not be more pleased. As usual, she’s very calm about it – always the professional.
As daughters go, mine is PERFECT. And she’s mine! MINE!
Flying to Santa Barbara
Pam had a friend in town last night – well, not actually in town, but in Santa Barbara – that she wanted to have dinner with. She suggested that she might drive up there for dinner, which I had to veto – being that it was just such a long drive (1.5 hours+ each way) for just dinner. Being the cool pilot-guy I am, I suggested I could fly her and her other friend Amy up there for a quick dinner.
Just don’t get to do as much night flying as I like, so we hopped in N71736 and headed out just after dark. A bit windy on the way out, but overall a great flight. Flight back was even nicer – almost no wind, clear as a bell. Left at 6:15pm, returned by 10:30pm, with a reasonably long dinner in between.
Man I love being a pilot.
New car for Kelly
After realizing how completely SCREWED I was going to be on the Mercedes lease I had, decided I needed a new car. Normally I’d have made a good case for leasing a car (if you like to drive new cars every few years) – but when your drive to work one way is over 25 miles, there is just no way to make it work. I was laready 4000 miles over the allowance on my car – with a YEAR left to go on the lease. Would have ended up costing me an additional $7000, so I had to get out.
Been considering an Acura TL ever since I drove my buddy Dan’s in Florida. but once I saw all that it could do – I had to have one. Touchscreen navigation with a bazillion points of interest in the database, bluetooth connection to the cell phone, comfort, power – just a LOT more car than even the next level up Mercedes would have been. When we found a certified pre-owned (also knows as “used”) 2005 model on the lot for $5000 less with absolutely no difference, I had to make a deal. I love it already, and Sydney thinks it is cool.
Bowling like a pro
While I and many I know DREAM of playing golf on the PGA Tour, my buddy Craig is actually bowling on the PBA tour this week. Playing in the Dick Weber Open in Fountain Valley, Ca.
Very impressive, and very cool to hear his thoughts on playing with the pros. I told him he HAD to win, and by doing so feel like I immediately became his coach. We discussed (and he accepted, I believe) a deal wherein I get 15% of all of his earnings. Now that’ I’ve blogged it, it’s official. Cool.
One HELLUVA party
So – I figured it would be something good, but I just had no idea how great my 40th birthday was going to be.
Arrive at golf course at 9:30 for breakfast, to find out that I’m not just playing with my parents, Pam, and Pam’s parents – but there is in fact a golf tournament with 36 people – 9 full foursomes – going off at 11am. I go out in the last group with my oldest friend Ryan Jones, James Ford who came down from San Francisco, and Dan Fluet who came all the way out from Florida. Had a great time, with the lowest score in my foursome, DESTROYING James by a FULL shot. OK – so he had to miss the LAST putt on the LAST hole, but still.
After a few cocktail in the bar with everyone, we sauntered over to the banquet room, where a party was arranged. Over 80 people showed – every one of them I was thrilled to see. Trophies were given for the tournament, singing was had, food was eaten, and the bar was Open. Sydney danced all night like a crazy person. It seriously could not possibly have been more well executed.
So I’m 40. For those of you out there approaching this milestone, all I can tell you is this: make sure things with your family are cool, and stock up on friends. The rest is just details.
My Last Week in my 30’s
I turn 40 this Saturday – January 7th, or “Kellsmas” as it is typically known. Parents and Pam are planning some sort of event. I’ve been told nothing other than I am to be at the Encino Golf Course for breakfast Friday morning, and it would be wise to bring my clubs. I also hear tale of a party, but I know not when or what.
I’m actually very calm about “crossing over”. I started my midlife crisis early (got the hot young girlfriend, and a tattoo), so that’s already out of the way. I guess considering how jacked up I got over turning 30, and having my 30’s be so damned good in general (probably because Sydney came along), that I feel I have nothing to fear. Except for DEATH, I guess.
Santa brought me an Ipod
Having been in the computer business for nearly 25 (!) years now, you would think I already owned the most popular single gadget in history. Wrong-o. Got my first iPod last night from Sydney and Pammy. The mac-daddy, ultra-huge 60GB model.
Went out and got myself a Airplay FM transmitter also – at the suggestion of my buddy David Gagne. Now I can take every song (and picture) I have with me anywhere, and play them on any FM radio, including the one in my car. Even as a nearly 40 year old (in two weeks!), I have to say: BITCHIN ASS.