Awhile back, I wrote about the potential of a strike at the place I work for. The labor contract for the hourly workers was set to expire at midnight on September 1, 2008. In fact, we were only four hours away from walking off the job (not me personally, because I got off at 7 PM). When we left work on August 31st (our scheduled shift had just ended) - we were basically resigned to the fact that a deal would not get done before the deadline approached. Officials that represent our union released a memo to all employees stating that the company was unwilling to settle to our demands, no additional negotiations were scheduled for the remainder of the day and to expect a strike. News that was so promising earlier in the day quickly went in the other direction and so did our moods. Of course we knew nothing was a done deal when we started our shift. But with the steel industry being so strong right now and the company earning record profits - how could we not share in some of that profitability? Not taking a chance that the contract could expire, management decided to shut down the plant well in advance of the contract expiring. It takes awhile to get everything down and flushed out - which is what took us to get everything down within our 12-hour shift on the 31st. It was nice to hear that it would soon be starting back up later that evening.
It's really kind of funny how things transpired that evening of the 31st. I came home after work, obviously frustrated of the news regarding the contract impasse. So I started to sit down and write a blog regarding the situation. I got two paragraphs written when I decided to take a break. I made a phone call home to my parents to let them know about what I had heard from work earlier in the day. As I'm sure some of you know, my dad also works at the same place I work. So I knew he'd be interested in knowing any news that I might have to share. I just got off the phone with my mom when I decided to check a few of the local media websites to see if they had any updates on the contract situation. No updated news yet, so I decided to check one of our sister union's website to see if there was any updates. And at the very top of the page, it read "tentative contract." I was baffled, confused, excited, and bewildered. There was a tentative contract afterall. I was particularly glad to know that I could have peace of mind knowing I had a place to go to work the next day and for the next four years to come, at least. But at that point, I had basically resigned myself to the fact that there wouldn't be a settlement and I'd be on strike the next day - especially when you consider the memo the union had released earlier in the day. So there was a tad bit of a let-down for me, as well. September 1 was Labor Day, afterall. I wouldn't have minded a few days off, I guess. But knowing we have a tentative contract in place and life can go on as normal, that was definitely a nice fact.
So I had to hurry up and call back my mom and let her know the latest news - that both me and my dad could go to work the next day afterall. This was only 15 minutes after I initially called her to say we'd probably be on strike. Obviously she was very happy, too. But it was incredible to experience the whirlwind of emotions that took place on that day. Who knew that being in a unionized work force could do that to a person. But what confused me the most out of this was the union saying to expect a strike, that the company had submitted it's last, best, and final proposal and no additional negotiations were expected the rest of the day. Obviously something changed dramatically soon after that memo was released to the employees in the union. Our new labor agreement is supposed to mirror several other agreements that have been reached between other sister steel companies and their repective unions that were settled within the last month. So taking that fact into consideration, it sounds like the new contract is an improvement over the old - which is what we're hearing. Not all of the details of the new deal have been announced and ratification of the contract may not take place until another two to three weeks. But the vote is coming. Small snippets of the deal seem to be released a little bit each and every day.
So there you have it - labor peace has been reached within our local iron range for another four years until this latest deal is set to expire. Now that could quickly change if the contract doesn't get ratified, but it's quite likely it will. That's kind of the way it goes when you work in the steel industry - always expect the unexpected. Cause you never know exactly when things are going to change. I know one thing is for certain, never take anything for granted, either.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
America's Got Talent - Semi-Finals #1
I have decided to start blogging about the newest reality show I am hooked to - America's Got Talent. It's not quite as good of a show as American Idol, but it's still highly entertaining. Yes, there are some singing acts in this thing - but you add more variety acts and it throws everything wide open. As we saw last year, it's not always a singer that wins. So I have decided to start doing recaps of the live shows - which began last night. We saw the first ten acts perform out of a total of 40 acts. We will get through another ten tonight and we will see the remaining 20 next week (don't quote me on that, though). I promise that these recaps will be much shorter than the ones I do for American Idol. I just don't feel like going full-bore with the recaps of this show - at least not at this point. That may change as we move closer towards the finale. So here is what happened last night during America's Got Talent:
Extreme Dance FX (dancers) - They were the first group to perform live and they are made up of about nine people, ages 14 to 26 (in that range, anyways). I must say, I was very impressed with their dancing. They were basically on clogs and were dancing to the music very fast. Their choreography was spot on and they proved to be very entertaining to watch. They were very cool, edgy, and danced with some pretty hip moves. It's pretty clear they put a lot of time and effort into this routine and it paid off. I don't see them being kicked off anytime soon.
The James Gang (music group) - This is kind of a difficult group to describe because they are so unique and different. The James Gang is comprised of four African American males singing songs from the 1930's and '40's and making it look cool and hip doing so by incorporating fun skits and dance moves into the routine. They really help to showcase these sorts of songs to a new generation of people - which makes this group so endearing. I have to agree with the judges on their assessment of the group. They started out great but maybe added too many things into their routine and it made it look like they were trying too hard. They started doing a few magic tricks that went awry and it didn't make them look very good. Still, they were very good and should stick around for awhile.
Derrick Berry (as Britney Spears) - So here we have a Britney Spears impersonator and at first glance, you'd probably think this individual was a woman. Well, think again! Oh yes, a trans sexual trying to act like Britney Spears. The first time I saw him do his act I was very impressed. The second time I thought it was just ok. And now it's just getting plain old for me. I mean, pretty soon the guy is going to run out of popular Britney songs to sing. I just don't think he'll end up winning the whole thing based on his talents performed during the show. He's probably received enough exposure now to vault his popularity enough to start showing up at parties and events. But to perform a one-man (woman) show in Las Vegas? I just don't see it happening.
Elite (under 18) - This is one of the acts that bored me so far except for last night. The act is basically comprised of a 10-year old girl doing martial arts moves against her dad. I mean sure, it's probably a novelty to see someone of her young age performing martial arts but I never considered it to be winning-show material. That was until I saw the live performance last night. The entire scene was one depicted from a classic pirate ship story. The girl, along with her dad and a few others were dressed as if ready to appear in a Pirates of the Caribbean movie. And it was basically one against the rest as the young ten-year old girl kicked major butt. Do I think she has a chance to win the top prize? Maybe only slightly. But she definitely proved she deserved to be in this competition as long as she keeps it up.
Ronny B (novelty) - This is one act in which I can't comprehend why he's even in the top 40. He's probably slightly better than William Hung from American Idol, but only slightly. Yes, I agree with the judges in that he's kind of endearing and entertaining to watch. He really made a masterful effort in singing Ricky Martin's "She Bangs." But as I said, it was only slightly better than William Hung's version. Obviously he gets a lot of credit for doing this performance and being in the competition for as long as he has - but it was only with the judge's help. I just don't see him going very far and maybe, just maybe, the voters will agree and send him packing tonight. I could see him being this show's version of Sanjaya, however.
The Cadence (variety) - This is a very interesting act involving about five or six young guys playing an assortment of drums. They even pour water on the drums which causes water to shoot up and create lots of splashes. Last night they set their act to music with advice from Sharon Osbourne and it seemed to help make their act more interesting. I agree that they needed to tighten their act up a bit more that it was last night and they need to be more aggressive while performing. Still, I thought it was highly entertaining and I can see them sticking around for awhile.
Jessica Price (singer) - So we have our very first singer of the top 40 showcased and it's not really any surprise that she is one of the front-runners to win the entire show. During her first audition and Las Vegas auditions, she came off as being rather shy and subdued. She lacked self-confidence and it appears to be something she'll need to continue to keep working on. But she did a masterful job singing Cindy Lauper's "Time After Time," even though I could hear a bit of nervousness in her voice in the first half of the song. But the latter half was spot on. As long as she continues to choose the right songs to highlight her vocal abilities and continue to believe herself, she has the chance to go very far into this thing.
Shimshi (variety) - Here is our first magician of the top 40 and he seemed to wow the judges during the previous rounds, but during last night's live show, he clearly failed to impress. He did a pretty basic card trick (although it probably took a lot of practice) involving an individual from the audience picking a card, tearing a corner off the card, putting it back into the deck, shuffling the deck of cards, Shimshi putting duct tape on his shoe, and kicking into the air as the volunteer throws the deck of cards into the air and the magician picking the card the volunteer initially picked with the torn corner. I think the thing that made this the most interesting for me was whether or not he was going to be able to pull it off in front of live TV - which to his credit, he did. But upon further review, it wasn't that spectacular of a magic trick. He may be in trouble if he doesn't pick his game up even more.
DC Cowboys (dancers) - Look what we have here, a group of gay men dressing up as cowboys and doing a hoedown (well, not exactly). They are a dance group based out of Washington DC and they do regular shows. This is a group that just has not been able to impress me all that much since their initial auditions. I think they really laid an egg last night as their coreography seemed to be off and they didn't perform very well as a group. I think the novelty of their act has faded much like some of the other performers in this competition. They will really have to step up their game next week and maybe do a little more practicing if they hope to have a chance at the top prize in this competition.
Neil E. Boyd (singer) - And last but not least of the night, it's the operatic singer with amazing vocal skills. It really blows my mind that he has not been discovered yet - unless his weight has something to do with the lack of offers for him, which would truly be a shame if true. He's very emotional and it's pretty unusual not to see him cry while getting his critiques from the judges. But what can you possibly say negative about his singing abilities? He blew everyone away with his rendition of "Somewhere" from West Side Story. I guess the only thing I'd like to see him improve upon is his stage composure. He needs to try and keep it together better once his performance is over. And I realize he's had a tough road getting to this particular point in the competition - but his emotions could end up being a real turn-off for viewers after awhile. But I honestly don't think he has anything to worry about and he'll be around for a long time to come.
And here is how I rank the performers from last night:
1.) Neil E. Boyd
2.) Jessica Price
3.) Elite
4.) Extreme Dance FX
5.) The James Gang
6.) The Cadence
7.) Shimshi
The bottom of the pile - Derrick Berry, Ronny B, and DC Cowboys.
And we get to do it all over again tonight as another round of competitors take the stage for their first live performances from L.A. Please check back here tomorrow for that review blog.
Extreme Dance FX (dancers) - They were the first group to perform live and they are made up of about nine people, ages 14 to 26 (in that range, anyways). I must say, I was very impressed with their dancing. They were basically on clogs and were dancing to the music very fast. Their choreography was spot on and they proved to be very entertaining to watch. They were very cool, edgy, and danced with some pretty hip moves. It's pretty clear they put a lot of time and effort into this routine and it paid off. I don't see them being kicked off anytime soon.
The James Gang (music group) - This is kind of a difficult group to describe because they are so unique and different. The James Gang is comprised of four African American males singing songs from the 1930's and '40's and making it look cool and hip doing so by incorporating fun skits and dance moves into the routine. They really help to showcase these sorts of songs to a new generation of people - which makes this group so endearing. I have to agree with the judges on their assessment of the group. They started out great but maybe added too many things into their routine and it made it look like they were trying too hard. They started doing a few magic tricks that went awry and it didn't make them look very good. Still, they were very good and should stick around for awhile.
Derrick Berry (as Britney Spears) - So here we have a Britney Spears impersonator and at first glance, you'd probably think this individual was a woman. Well, think again! Oh yes, a trans sexual trying to act like Britney Spears. The first time I saw him do his act I was very impressed. The second time I thought it was just ok. And now it's just getting plain old for me. I mean, pretty soon the guy is going to run out of popular Britney songs to sing. I just don't think he'll end up winning the whole thing based on his talents performed during the show. He's probably received enough exposure now to vault his popularity enough to start showing up at parties and events. But to perform a one-man (woman) show in Las Vegas? I just don't see it happening.
Elite (under 18) - This is one of the acts that bored me so far except for last night. The act is basically comprised of a 10-year old girl doing martial arts moves against her dad. I mean sure, it's probably a novelty to see someone of her young age performing martial arts but I never considered it to be winning-show material. That was until I saw the live performance last night. The entire scene was one depicted from a classic pirate ship story. The girl, along with her dad and a few others were dressed as if ready to appear in a Pirates of the Caribbean movie. And it was basically one against the rest as the young ten-year old girl kicked major butt. Do I think she has a chance to win the top prize? Maybe only slightly. But she definitely proved she deserved to be in this competition as long as she keeps it up.
Ronny B (novelty) - This is one act in which I can't comprehend why he's even in the top 40. He's probably slightly better than William Hung from American Idol, but only slightly. Yes, I agree with the judges in that he's kind of endearing and entertaining to watch. He really made a masterful effort in singing Ricky Martin's "She Bangs." But as I said, it was only slightly better than William Hung's version. Obviously he gets a lot of credit for doing this performance and being in the competition for as long as he has - but it was only with the judge's help. I just don't see him going very far and maybe, just maybe, the voters will agree and send him packing tonight. I could see him being this show's version of Sanjaya, however.
The Cadence (variety) - This is a very interesting act involving about five or six young guys playing an assortment of drums. They even pour water on the drums which causes water to shoot up and create lots of splashes. Last night they set their act to music with advice from Sharon Osbourne and it seemed to help make their act more interesting. I agree that they needed to tighten their act up a bit more that it was last night and they need to be more aggressive while performing. Still, I thought it was highly entertaining and I can see them sticking around for awhile.
Jessica Price (singer) - So we have our very first singer of the top 40 showcased and it's not really any surprise that she is one of the front-runners to win the entire show. During her first audition and Las Vegas auditions, she came off as being rather shy and subdued. She lacked self-confidence and it appears to be something she'll need to continue to keep working on. But she did a masterful job singing Cindy Lauper's "Time After Time," even though I could hear a bit of nervousness in her voice in the first half of the song. But the latter half was spot on. As long as she continues to choose the right songs to highlight her vocal abilities and continue to believe herself, she has the chance to go very far into this thing.
Shimshi (variety) - Here is our first magician of the top 40 and he seemed to wow the judges during the previous rounds, but during last night's live show, he clearly failed to impress. He did a pretty basic card trick (although it probably took a lot of practice) involving an individual from the audience picking a card, tearing a corner off the card, putting it back into the deck, shuffling the deck of cards, Shimshi putting duct tape on his shoe, and kicking into the air as the volunteer throws the deck of cards into the air and the magician picking the card the volunteer initially picked with the torn corner. I think the thing that made this the most interesting for me was whether or not he was going to be able to pull it off in front of live TV - which to his credit, he did. But upon further review, it wasn't that spectacular of a magic trick. He may be in trouble if he doesn't pick his game up even more.
DC Cowboys (dancers) - Look what we have here, a group of gay men dressing up as cowboys and doing a hoedown (well, not exactly). They are a dance group based out of Washington DC and they do regular shows. This is a group that just has not been able to impress me all that much since their initial auditions. I think they really laid an egg last night as their coreography seemed to be off and they didn't perform very well as a group. I think the novelty of their act has faded much like some of the other performers in this competition. They will really have to step up their game next week and maybe do a little more practicing if they hope to have a chance at the top prize in this competition.
Neil E. Boyd (singer) - And last but not least of the night, it's the operatic singer with amazing vocal skills. It really blows my mind that he has not been discovered yet - unless his weight has something to do with the lack of offers for him, which would truly be a shame if true. He's very emotional and it's pretty unusual not to see him cry while getting his critiques from the judges. But what can you possibly say negative about his singing abilities? He blew everyone away with his rendition of "Somewhere" from West Side Story. I guess the only thing I'd like to see him improve upon is his stage composure. He needs to try and keep it together better once his performance is over. And I realize he's had a tough road getting to this particular point in the competition - but his emotions could end up being a real turn-off for viewers after awhile. But I honestly don't think he has anything to worry about and he'll be around for a long time to come.
And here is how I rank the performers from last night:
1.) Neil E. Boyd
2.) Jessica Price
3.) Elite
4.) Extreme Dance FX
5.) The James Gang
6.) The Cadence
7.) Shimshi
The bottom of the pile - Derrick Berry, Ronny B, and DC Cowboys.
And we get to do it all over again tonight as another round of competitors take the stage for their first live performances from L.A. Please check back here tomorrow for that review blog.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Songs I Dig - 9
Wow, do I have a lot of catching up to do. Since August has been a whirlwind of a month - I have a lot of blogs to catch up on including the regular "Songs I Dig" blog. In fact, I had a SID blog planned for last month but I never got around to writing it. I will promise you this, though; you will eventually see it posted here as the 10th edition of the "Songs I Dig." It may not be right away, but it will be soon. I have a brand new list of songs that I am currently "digging" and a couple of the artists are new to the blog, while the remainders have already had songs featured here. So there won't be too many new surprises but each of these songs are great in their own little way. Let's start the latest edition of the SID!"Broken" by Lifehouse - What more is there to say about this song other than it sure is good! "Broken" is the third track to be released from Lifehouse's "Who We Are" album. In my opinion, the songs are getting better and better as they are released. "First Time" was a decent up-tempo song and "Whatever it Takes" was a beautiful ballad. But "Broken" is the best of all three. It's got a haunting tune, lyrics that make you think, and it's all backed up by some great vocals by the band. I wouldn't be surprised if this song shoots up to the #1 spot very soon because it is quite deserving. And it appears that "Broken" may not be the final song released from this album as the band is looking to have a video make for the song "Make Me Over" by holding a contest for 60 USC School of Cinematic Arts graduate students to represent their own creation as the video to this song. Not bad of a deal for the potential winner. And for those watching out for a new Lifehouse album (not that this one is anywhere close to getting old for the fans) - internet rumors are circulating towards an early 2009 release. Let's hope they hold true.
"In This Life" by Delta Goodrem - This is the first newcomer in this edition and Delta is making her American debut in grand fashion. She hails from Australia and is a well-known singer down under, winning countless number of awards and claiming number one hits. However, just as it goes with many singers not from America - those outside of the U.S. border tend to struggle to be successful here. You look at Robbie Williams and a few others who are huge musicians over in their respective countries - yet they are virtual unknowns over here. However, Delta isn't off to too bad of a start with "In This Life." Probably the one thing that drew me to this song was it's unique sound. One thing I enjoy the most is when she sings the lyrics "in this life" before the chorus where she vocalizes in a variety of different melodies. You can definitely tell she has a very powerful voice which is easy to understand why she's known as a successful singer/song-writer in other parts of the world. If she keeps it up by releasing songs like "In this Life" here in America - she won't be as unknown over here, either.
"Disturbia" by Rhianna - I don't think I was all that happy when I first heard the news that Rhianna was going to release yet another song. Don't get me wrong, I think Rhianna is an amazing talent and she is deserving of all of the success she has achieved so far in her young career. But I was beginning to feel that she was going overboard when it came to releasing new music. I believe at one point, she had two songs out and a third if you count the Maroon Five collaboration. And at first, I wasn't a huge "Disturbia" fan. But the more I listened to it, the more I learned to love it. And lately, it's been one of those songs I never get tired of hearing. And you know which song I kind of compare it to? Michael Jackson's "Thriller," because it has that super-natural theme going on in the video. It's actually a very fun song and one that's easy to sing and dance along to. I can just imagine how popular of a song it is at the dance clubs. And needless to say, any male fans can never tire of seeing Rhianna in her skin-tight outfits.
"The Little Things" by Colbie Caillat - I don't know what it is, but Colbie's music has a way of drawing you in. And if you ask me, so far she has hit a grand slam since releasing her debut album titled "Coco." "Bubbly" ended up being a mega-hit with "Realize" being a nice follow-up. I think "The Little Things" is on it's way to being even bigger than "Realize." It's got a nice, soulful and soothing sound with not a lot of musical fanfare. It fits right into Colbie's genre of music. Just as it was with "Realize" for me, "The Little Things" was a song that took some time to really warm up to. But after awhile the "back up, back up" lyrics I was hearing began to get catchy and soon enough - I ended up having this song stuck in my head for an entire day! That's when you know you're hooked. It's a true love song and conveys the message not to screw up a good thing that's going on in any relationship.
"Dream Catch Me" by Newton Faulkner - This particular song has been playing on the radio for awhile but it's one that never gets old. It's a fun, light-hearted, and pleasant-sounding tune that really gets your toes tapping. Newton is a newcomer to the music scene, releasing his debut album titled "Hand Built by Robots" in July of last year. He's 23 years old and originates from England. "Dream Catch Me" has been out in the UK and was released around this time last year to moderate success. Is Newton going to be another one of those artists from the UK whom we'll never hear from again? Will he be one of those one-hit-wonders here in the states? Hopefully not, because I thoroughly enjoy the kind of music he puts out. He's got a folksy-soulful vibe about him and it appears he's into more of the light-hearted, pleasant subjects. It'll be interesting to see what else he releases from this album here in the states and what he may have up his sleeves in the years to come. He's definitely one of those up-and-coming artists if he can sustain his current success.
That about wraps it up for this particular edition of "The Songs I Dig." Once again, watch out for the tenth edition to be released very soon with songs that have been out for about a month or two already. All five are still very popular songs and continue to get plenty of radio airplay, so it's not like they'll be forgotten too quickly. It was a blog I never got around to releasing but one in which I very much intend to write. Not only that, but also look for a variety of other themed blogs as we wind down the rest of this month. I've got a lot of catching up to do and if you're a fan of my blogs - then you shouldn't be disappointed!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
A Busy Month
It's hard to believe, but the month of August is already two-thirds of the way over. It really seems to have flown by for me as I've been going non-stop for awhile. And you can probably tell by my lack of blog postings lately that I haven't had much time to blog. Well, hopefully the end of the month will allow me some more free time to do writing because keeping up on my blog is a personal goal of mine and I don't think I've ever had a month where I wrote less than five blogs since being on Blogger.
Probably the activity that has kept me busy the most is the construction/remodel work taking place at my mom and dad's. I wrote about it in a previous blog; but for about a week straight, my dad and I worked many hours on the project. Of course I had already started taking all of the siding off the west wall of the house earlier in the month and before my dad and I really started working on it, he also did a good chunk of the demo on the rest of the siding that needed tearing off. But from Monday, August 11 through Sunday, August 17 - our main focus was tearing out the old and installing the new. By the time Sunday rolled around, we would've liked to have been farther than we had gotten, but that's basically how it goes in construction. One of the days we had to take a trip to town to get construction supplies and we didn't leave as soon as we would've liked. Then we spent too long in the home improvement store. And then another day, my sister and her kids were over, so our entire focus wasn't on the project for a good day in a half. Those two things slowed us down, but to be honest, I was pretty happy with all we had accomplished. All that we have left now is to install the vinyl siding, which I was able to start on this past Monday. I figure it should take us a couple of days to have the vinyl completely installed on the house and we can be 100% completed. Of course that's not taking into account other delays that could pop up and further disrupt our progress.
In the midst of all the construction work that was taking place, I developed an infection on one of my fingers which nearly made me take a trip to see a doctor. To make a long story short, it was caused by a bad habit that I still have been unable to shake for all these years - nail biting. Usually when I'm nervous is when I start to bite my nails or a lot of times, I like to trim off the hang nails that develop with nail clippers. I think what happened is I trimmed a hang nail from the side of my ring finger and dirt got stuck in there from work. Then in a matter of days, an infection formed. I will be honest, I've gotten these sorts of infections before, but my fingers usually just got red and it hurt to touch the sore area. But within a few days, my finger would be as good as new. Not this time - my ring finger only got worse and worse and before long, it was puffed up near the first knuckle and the skin was turning green near the side of my finger nail. I was getting pretty concerned, so I got on-line to see exactly what it could be. And wouldn't you know, it didn't take me very long to find out exactly what it was. I had Paronychia and it matched exactly the symptoms I had. At that point, it probably would've been a good idea to see a doctor for it the next day, but I figured I could at least attempt to fix it myself. So I got some hydrogen peroxide out, put some of it around the infection and see where things went from there. A little bit later, I got the nail clippers out and tried to open up the infected area and not before long, pus started to ooze out from one area. I soaked my finger in peroxide a few more times that day and by the time the next day rolled around, it was about as good as new. But that is one thing I have never experienced before - my finger being infected that bad. Hopefully it'll end up being a lesson-learning event for me. That's not really something I care to go through again anytime soon.
Another thing that has been bothering me as of late and started around the time of the construction project is the irritated and itchy skin around my ears, neck, and face. It all started with my ear lobes being really itchy at times and it seems to have progressed further and further to my face and neck. I think it's due to dry skin which is not really much a surprise because we haven't gotten much rain as of late and the humidity in the air has been pretty low. But I don't ever recall having dry skin around my face like this. I don't know if it's a combination of the weather and the soap I'm using - which I've never had a problem with before, or if it could be an alergy of some kind. If it keeps progressing, it's probably going to be something I'll have to get checked out. There have been moments when I can't stop itching and other times when it's been okay. I've been putting lotion on my face now which seems to be helping a little bit. I'll see if it ends up making any difference as the days move along.
So we are reaching the end of August and there's still lots that I intend to do. Hopefully in the midst of everything going on, I can still get out and enjoy the nice weather we've been experiencing. The temperatures have been really nice for this time of the year - hanging out around 80 during the day and in the mid 50's during the night. So that's one thing we can't complain about - although it would be nice if we did pick up some rain. The grass is starting to look quite parched and it wouldn't hurt if we got a nice soaking rain for a change. We'll see what happens as the rest of the month gradually comes to a close.
Probably the activity that has kept me busy the most is the construction/remodel work taking place at my mom and dad's. I wrote about it in a previous blog; but for about a week straight, my dad and I worked many hours on the project. Of course I had already started taking all of the siding off the west wall of the house earlier in the month and before my dad and I really started working on it, he also did a good chunk of the demo on the rest of the siding that needed tearing off. But from Monday, August 11 through Sunday, August 17 - our main focus was tearing out the old and installing the new. By the time Sunday rolled around, we would've liked to have been farther than we had gotten, but that's basically how it goes in construction. One of the days we had to take a trip to town to get construction supplies and we didn't leave as soon as we would've liked. Then we spent too long in the home improvement store. And then another day, my sister and her kids were over, so our entire focus wasn't on the project for a good day in a half. Those two things slowed us down, but to be honest, I was pretty happy with all we had accomplished. All that we have left now is to install the vinyl siding, which I was able to start on this past Monday. I figure it should take us a couple of days to have the vinyl completely installed on the house and we can be 100% completed. Of course that's not taking into account other delays that could pop up and further disrupt our progress.
In the midst of all the construction work that was taking place, I developed an infection on one of my fingers which nearly made me take a trip to see a doctor. To make a long story short, it was caused by a bad habit that I still have been unable to shake for all these years - nail biting. Usually when I'm nervous is when I start to bite my nails or a lot of times, I like to trim off the hang nails that develop with nail clippers. I think what happened is I trimmed a hang nail from the side of my ring finger and dirt got stuck in there from work. Then in a matter of days, an infection formed. I will be honest, I've gotten these sorts of infections before, but my fingers usually just got red and it hurt to touch the sore area. But within a few days, my finger would be as good as new. Not this time - my ring finger only got worse and worse and before long, it was puffed up near the first knuckle and the skin was turning green near the side of my finger nail. I was getting pretty concerned, so I got on-line to see exactly what it could be. And wouldn't you know, it didn't take me very long to find out exactly what it was. I had Paronychia and it matched exactly the symptoms I had. At that point, it probably would've been a good idea to see a doctor for it the next day, but I figured I could at least attempt to fix it myself. So I got some hydrogen peroxide out, put some of it around the infection and see where things went from there. A little bit later, I got the nail clippers out and tried to open up the infected area and not before long, pus started to ooze out from one area. I soaked my finger in peroxide a few more times that day and by the time the next day rolled around, it was about as good as new. But that is one thing I have never experienced before - my finger being infected that bad. Hopefully it'll end up being a lesson-learning event for me. That's not really something I care to go through again anytime soon.
Another thing that has been bothering me as of late and started around the time of the construction project is the irritated and itchy skin around my ears, neck, and face. It all started with my ear lobes being really itchy at times and it seems to have progressed further and further to my face and neck. I think it's due to dry skin which is not really much a surprise because we haven't gotten much rain as of late and the humidity in the air has been pretty low. But I don't ever recall having dry skin around my face like this. I don't know if it's a combination of the weather and the soap I'm using - which I've never had a problem with before, or if it could be an alergy of some kind. If it keeps progressing, it's probably going to be something I'll have to get checked out. There have been moments when I can't stop itching and other times when it's been okay. I've been putting lotion on my face now which seems to be helping a little bit. I'll see if it ends up making any difference as the days move along.
So we are reaching the end of August and there's still lots that I intend to do. Hopefully in the midst of everything going on, I can still get out and enjoy the nice weather we've been experiencing. The temperatures have been really nice for this time of the year - hanging out around 80 during the day and in the mid 50's during the night. So that's one thing we can't complain about - although it would be nice if we did pick up some rain. The grass is starting to look quite parched and it wouldn't hurt if we got a nice soaking rain for a change. We'll see what happens as the rest of the month gradually comes to a close.
Friday, August 01, 2008
David Archuleta - "Crush"
Alright all of you David Archuleta fans out there - if you haven't heard yet, David premiered his first debut single from his upcoming album this morning on the Elvis Duran Morning Show. It is titled "Crush" and all I have to say is that it is fantastic! So far there has been a ton of positive reviews and this song will soon be headed up the charts! It's definitely a pop-kind of song and probably is for the younger audience, but even older fans are loving it, too. It has a nice beat and as always, David displays his excellent range and emotion in the song. Today officially starts day one of his post-Idol career and here's hoping it's long and very successful. If you don't mind me saying, he's off to a great start.
Listen to "Crush" by David Archuleta HERE.
To see In-Studio Video of David listening to the song play live for the first time on radio, as well as view a variety of pictures from today's premiere event and read listener comments, go HERE.
To visit a fan page created especially for David, to view a variety of pictures of David from not only today's event, but from the Idol's tour, click HERE.
And be sure to watch out for any exciting new David Archuleta news here at Luke's Ponderings! I may not update the blog about David Archuleta very often - but I follow the progress of David's fledgling music career all of the time. So if something important happens to him, I'll more than likely blog about it.
Listen to "Crush" by David Archuleta HERE.
To see In-Studio Video of David listening to the song play live for the first time on radio, as well as view a variety of pictures from today's premiere event and read listener comments, go HERE.
To visit a fan page created especially for David, to view a variety of pictures of David from not only today's event, but from the Idol's tour, click HERE.
And be sure to watch out for any exciting new David Archuleta news here at Luke's Ponderings! I may not update the blog about David Archuleta very often - but I follow the progress of David's fledgling music career all of the time. So if something important happens to him, I'll more than likely blog about it.
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