What would you do?

Hey gang. There will be reviews to come, I promise.

But first, my wife and I are dealing with some things. You should know that I grew up a "dog person". Had one since I was little and never cared for cats. While I was dating my wife she was given a couple of kittens by her family. She named one of them Spice and the other Sugar. I told her that I couldn't live in the same house as two ridiculously named cats so she changed one to Tink, short for Tinkerbell. My wife lived in a rowhouse apartment in Towson at the time and I remember coming over the first night she had them. They were tiny, meowing balls of fur. I was ignoring them when Tink climbed up on the sofa, climbed on my chest, and curled up in a ball and fell asleep. I was smitten. Tink went on to become my wife's cat, sleeping beside her and sensing things that are unspoken.

Last night, at 4 am, we had to decide to put Tink down. She was 15 years old and had become very, very sick. We were going to take her to our normal vet but decided that she was suffering too much. We were there at the end, with both of us in tears and devastated. We know that we did the right thing in ending her suffering, and we take (or will take) some comfort in know that we gave her a terrific life, full of love and happiness. But right now, we are 2 people who are mourning. We can't have kids of our own, and they had become our children. Think it's stupid? Screw you. Why does doing the right thing hurt so damn much? It's what Boo asked me last night. I told her if it was easy, everyone would do it. The truth is, I don't know why it hurts. It just does.

Rest in Peace, Tink. You will always be loved and remembered.

A Warning

OK, if I can get it together in the next 24 hours, there will be comic reviews to come. I decided to wait until the big events started to gather my thoughts.

I know that you all await breathlessly, so I promise that I will not disappoint.

In the mean time, be good and be safe.

Tired.....

....so freaking tired. And now I have to go to work. Man, sometimes it's tough to be the king.

More to follow in the coming days. Stay tuned.

Settling in

Hey gang.

It is a big period of adjustment over here for the household. It's one thing to be a nightowl, it's another to be one and working at the same time. It ain't brain surgery, but there are worse things out there. It's great to be close to home (saves on the gas) and the Mrs. is going thru her adjustment as well. She hasn't had to deal with me being gone for long periods of time, but I think this will benefit us both in the long run

Some comic quick hits:
Secret Invasion 2- not as good as 1, but I'm willing to give it a go.
Buffy- Man this book is just too good. Each one has that episodic feel that Joss infused into the series.
Batman- the start of the R.I.P. story left me sort of lacking. I'm sure that the story will pick up speed over the coming months (at least I hope so).
Titans- Man, did the artwork suck this last issue. They look more like bend-it figures than heroes. Totally threw me out of the story, but Winick is worth reading.
Punisher- The last Garth Ennis arc is really good, but the "book" pages sometimes disrupt the flow. Still, it's a great read.

I am looking forward to the Final Crisis and Trinity stories. Oh and I read the FF Secret Invasion book in Rusty's store the other day. Not bad, did a good job of explaining what happened in SI 1.

That's it for now. I don't think I will be doing a whole lot of posting on the weekends (have to sleep sometime) but will still keep you all on your toes, so watch out.

Oh, and the IRON MAN movie ROCKED!!! Only problem? I missed out on the Nick Fury cameo after the credits. Oh well, I'll wait for the DVD. Other than that, it looks like Marvel has another solid franchise on it's hands.

Be good! =)

Some news and notes

Sorry I haven't put anything up in a while but I've been directing my energies elsewhere.

So where to begin???

-How about this: I finally, FINALLY have a job!!!!
Yeah, yours truly has gotten off his rear and entered the working force. Actually, I caught a major break. A friend I bowl with in a league told me that his store was looking for overnight help. Seeing as I'm a bit of a nightowl myself, I went and applied. After a couple of nervous weeks, it came through. Someone finally is willing to take a chance on me (I know that you guys would as well, but I'm speaking of a workplace). It's not a full time (32 hrs.), and it is weekend nights, but shoot, I'm happy to be working anywhere. I know that one or two of you may say "well, I would have tried to get him something if he asked". I know that, but I could not bring myself to use my friends and family like that. It's just how I'm wired. This was something that fell into my lap, and for once went my way. There has been much rejoicing in the house. Actually it's more like a sense of relief.

-The Mrs. and I are going to catch IRON MAN tonight as a way of celebrating. That, and next week is our anniversary. 15 years, holy crap. We have been through the ringer at times and hope that the next 15 are slightly less uneventful than this 15. Less hospital visits, less bill collectors, and more of you guys and the fun that is out there in life.

-On a comic note, I am slightly perplexed by the DC Zero issue. One the one hand, it's really nothing more than an ad for the other upcoming events. But it was only 50 cents. I know that there as been a slight hue and cry about why they released the book on the week of Free Comic Book Day and that it should have been given out then. But I don't fault them. Their choice of FCBD is a great one (All-Star Superman #1). If you haven't read it, go to your local comic store on Saturday and pick one up. In fact, pick up a bunch of books that interest you and give them a try. Maybe you'll find a diamond in the rough.

OK, that's about it for now. See ya!

Moving Forward

Yep, I'm back.

Thanks for bearing with me. I think that I've finally turned a corner. It happened the other night when I actually slept for more than 2 hours at a stretch.

You guys have been great with the support and thoughts. I can't begin to tell you how much you all mean to me. It took something else to shake me from the fog. I have been a loyal listener to "The Don and Mike Show" for a long time. Dang thing makes me laugh so hard sometimes. A couple of years ago Don lost the love his life in a car accident. He came back to the show even though he said at times he didn't want to. He met someone else recently and even though he didn't anticipate it, he fell in love. He realized that the show was reminding him more and more of his former wife and life, and decided that it as time to move forward. That meant leaving the show and all the people that have supported him over the years. He has earned that right to move forward. Anyone should be able to move forward if they so choose.

Why am I bringing this up, you may ask? Because in listening to this man pour his heart out, to lay himself bare to the world, it has sparked something in me. I have to start moving forward myself. No, I am not leaving my friends or family. Nor am I leaving the love of my life, Cindy. But it's time to stop wallowing in the fog that has occupied my brain for the past month and get on with things. So when you see me, I may look the same and probably sound the same, know that there is something different about me. Not bad different, hopefully good different. I just know that my perspective has been kicked in the ass, and that's not a bad thing at times.

See you out there in the real world! =)

Hitting the Pause Button

On life that is.

I really appreciate all the kind words and thoughts you guys and gals have given me over the past few weeks. I mean that sincerely. It's been more of a morale booster than I can possibly express.

But for the next few days, you won't be seeing hide or hair of me. I am hiding out for a couple of days. I need this to remove that last little bit of fog that is clouding my brain and keeping me from enjoying the things I love in life, including you guys. So I hope that you'll bear with me while I take a small siesta and just veg out with the Mrs.

I will see you on the other side of this, I promise.

Be good! =)