Ah, life is good. We are expecting baby # 4 in August. I'm pulling for Peter Parker Nelson or Mandella Nelson if it is a boy. We've got a lot to get done before the baby arrives. Need to repaint Accalia's room, buy a bunk bed and transform it to Accalia and Cole's room. Need to get the van door fixed (outside handle broke off).

The Cubs are playing again. I stayed home for the opener yesterday and was mostly disappointed, but it was the first game of the season. Hope the Brewers savor the flavor of the victory, because they aren't going to take many this year, especially if they keep that train wreck, Gagne, as their closer. Fukudome for the Cubbies is batting 1.000, has a 1.000 OBP.

We are progressing on the debt snowball. We've essentially stopped use of credit as of October (had one fall off the wagon, but it is because our emergency fund wasn't in place). Had a Thanksgiving and Christmas paid for with cash. Was wonderful. Have seen minimum payments and interest rates fall. Hoping to continue to chip away at it, knocking a boulder off now and then.


I've been a busy boy. The private practice took off briefly. At one point in Oct., I was up to 7 clients. Helped pay some bills. At the moment, I'm down to 1 client weekly, 1 bi-weekly. Hoping things turn soon or I can see my partner wanting to close up shop. That would be bad.

In September, I decided I was going to be done moonlighting at the community mental health center. Too much bullshit, too many politics. Had people with no clinical clue supervising me, critiquing my work. Not that I'm such an egomaniac to feel I can't be criticized, but I want it to be done by someone who can actually do therapy, not just talk about it. Anyway, I was down to 3 kids there. 2 were truly ready to be done and the other, I found out, was seeing another therapist in addition to me (that's a no-no for the community MHC).

So, I started a different job in October. I'm working more hours for less pay, but have been paying the bills. I'm working at the local Pizza Hut as a delivery driver. Been a lot of hours there, learned a lot, and have a whole new appreciation of those working in the service industry. The tips have been okay. Have made as much as $10 an hour in tips. Have also made as little as $0.57 an hour in tips. That was this past Sunday. Five hours, four deliveries, two with no tip.

I don't mind the work, much prefer doing the deliveries to dough prep., dishes and (ugh) box folding. I was expecting Super Bowl Sunday to be crazy, but it wasn't too bad. We had busier nights between Christmas and New Year's Day. The busiest day I've worked so far was a day it snowed 6-8". EVERYONE wanted pizza that night and didn't want to go out to get it. I kind of thrive on the busy times. Guess I do well in high stress situations. It's odd, but I actually feel a member of a team there than I did when working at the community mental health center.

Have dropped one pizza coming out of the oven. Tried to catch it and ended up with a nasty burn on my right index finger. I also was named employee of the month in January. I go there with the attitude that I'm there to WORK. I get my work ethic from having worked for Dad in his painting business. I can remember my first day out when we were working in town. I was told by Dad and Mark to always be doing something, to always be busy because someone would always be watching. So, when I see something I can do that needs to be done, I do it. If I don't know how to do it, I ask.

Have a new clinical director at the prison. So far, seems decent. I'm hoping he is licensed so he can begin to supervise me for my LPC-MH. This guy came from the CO prison system and has already made an impression here. We're tightening up the clinical skills and note writing, getting rid of some of the nastier medications. Given time, I think we can actually get some things changed for the better.

Accalia and I will be going this week to see Dad's performance in the Al Opland Singers. It is a bit frustrating to find information about the show on-line. Probably not much out there as few who go to the show surf the net on a regular basis. I'm hoping Accalia will enjoy the show. I went solo last year. We'll see if we come away from it with her wanting some songs added to her b-day CD

Speaking of her birthday... we got an entire camping loop reserved this year. Means we don't have to worry about anyone around us partying or being obnoxious. It will just be us and that is easy to police. I'm looking forward to it. Already have put in for the days off that weekend.