Having Fun Vicariously

Later this week and this weekend DPN Westfest will take place at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, CA. Due to financial issues (in other words…no money) I will not be there. I have never been to Westfest and after last year's event, I really wanted to attend DPN Westfest 2010.

To say the least…I'm very disappointed that I'm unable to attend.

A number of my online friends will be there and one, SpenceMan will be attending for the first time. I'm really happy for him because I know he's been looking forward to this for more than a year. I had really hoped to join him….but that's just not in the cards.

Okay…now all of you people going to DPN Westfest, you are getting an assignment…post…post everywhere….on Twitter, Plurk, Posterous and on the DPN Live Blog…and do it a lot and often. I want to be able to feel like I'm there by reading everything you're doing and enjoying.

Yes…I'll still be sad that I'm not in Disneyland with you all, but I can't change that I can't go. I know that if I see that you all are having a great time, even though I'll miss not being there I'm hoping that by living vicariously through you on my phone or laptop I'll be slightly less sad and maybe even enjoying the updates.

So…go to Disneyland Resort….have fun for me and post about your fun.

Now That It's Behind Us…Let's Move On

I suppose if us Americans have a "fiscal year" it ends on April 15th with the filing deadline for our federal taxes. In my and my family's case, I'm glad that the 2009 fiscal or financial year is over. Things are looking up and it's time to move on.

My 2009 started with me out of a full-time job because 2008 ended with me being asked to resign or be let go. I chose resignation. Luckily I had had the sense to pick up a part-time job with an old college roommate the previous fall, so I had that to at least have some income to go along with the severance package I got, which really ended up the vacation/sick time I had accumulated. It wasn't a lot but it was something.

Despite this we still managed to make it to Walt Disney World in June. We were determined to make this trip…even it meant neglecting other things…you know trivial things like food and bills. LOL Relax…I didn't starve my kids to head to WDW. This trip was going to be a special family trip…my oldest had just graduated from Marquette University and or 25th Wedding Anniversary was going to be in July, so this trip was an important celebration trip.

We had a great time….it was well worth the money spent.

I even managed to squeeze enough money together to attend the D23 Expo in Anaheim in September. It might not have been the wisest spending of money but I felt I needed to do it. I had a great time and met some really wonderful people (this is my shout out to Greg, Mike, Brad, Richard (aka Shaft), Ryan and Doug) along with interacting with e-celebrities like Lou & Deanna Mongello, Annette Owens, and Beci Mahnken. It was really a great experience.

By that fall we had exhausted our savings and needed to tap my 401k from my former job….to pay the mortgage and also because our roof needed to be replaced badly.

In October, I had found out that the other hospital in our organization needed part-time help so I was able to pick up some extra work there during the fall. In December, I found out that they had a full-time opening on the 2nd shift (the shift I prefer to work) working Monday through Friday with no weekends and no holidays. I was immediately hired. The job was to begin in January. What a way to start the new year!

I had a full-time job again!

While I was overjoyed….it did cut into my "family time". Being "under employed" gave me lots of time (not money) to spend time at home with the kids and my wife. I miss that….I like the money…but I miss the "home time" I had.

Things are still tight now financially since we ran up a lot of our credit cards over the last year just to live…but we're dealing with it.

This spring has been a bit stressful…getting used to a new job, lots of bills and the impending tax situation created by having to tap the 401k.

I finished up the taxes last night…they are all signed…in envelopes and ready to be mailed. 2009 is now officially behind us.

I have never really been one to celebrate New Years and say good bye to the prior year…but I am so glad to see 2009 over and gone and looking forward to the rest of 2010. It's time to start a new chapter of our life and looking forward to better and happier times.

Good riddance 2009!

Let's move on! Keep moving forward!

Hi…My Name is Ray…And I'm a Blogger

Heigh there….hi there…ho there!

After seeing my friends start blogs over the last few months, and how much I've enjoyed reading them, I decided that I also needed a place to share my random thoughts, rants and feelings about things. So, if this blog totally sucks, don't blame me…you can blame my friends who inspired me with their blogs and did nothing to stop me.

Nah…just kidding…LOL

This blog won't be focusing on any one subject or theme other than what's going on in my life. There will be happy posts, rants and just comments. I've got three kids, a wife, three dogs and a cat…so it's likely that comments about them will filter their way into this blog at some point or another.

I also have a passion for all things Disney, so there probably will be postings about podcasts that I've listened to, books I've read, movies I've watched (okay….more likely DVD/Blu-Rays…like I'm going to see a lot of movies in the theater…LOL), Disney-related news, and trip reports or comments prior to, during and after trips to the Disney parks.

I'm also a huge Packer fan, an alum of the University of Wisconsin, and a Milwaukee Brewer fan so occasionally there will be sports related comments included.

And lastly…as a warning to the non-politically inclined…I'm also passionate about politics, history and the like…so there will be times when I feel that I need to say something in this area.

I will try to post on a fairly regular basis and I hope you all find it interesting…if not…remember it's not my fault….just blame….

You didn't think I was actually going to name people did you? LOL

To paraphrase Walt Disney and his opening speech for Disneyland, "All who come to this fun place…welcome…"