Catharsis of the Bogue

Oddities, Profundities, Profanities and Dad Stuff

Category: Observations (Page 9 of 24)

SAHD Friday: The Truth Hurts!

May 27, 2014 / / 0 Comments

I am sitting here today in a small conundrum. I had a post all ready to go about patriotism and teaching your kids pride in the country but I just couldn’t publish it today.
You see, the old cliche’s about how fast kids grow up is slapping me in the face like so many cold fish from that old Monty Python sketch. go ahead and watch it, it is only 15 seconds.

I have known for well, 10 years now that I someday will have a 10 year old. It was inevitable. Time doesn’t stop. I have been trying to talk about it a lot lately to get used to it. Today however, the big fish hit. We have been preparing for Leatha’s birthday party. Her first slumber party. Today is the day and it just hit me that my daughter is getting this close to being a teenager.

She is not too far away from driving and college. She is still 20 years away from a boyfriend though.;) I guess that having the new baby here is really putting some perspective on things. We now have all of our kids and the next babies that my wife and I will be playing with will be our grandkids. In 25 years or so. 😉

I know I am getting older, I finally don’t feel like a 14 year old kid most of the time, but I still don’t feel like 36.  I have finally given up on all of the assorted BS that kept me somewhat repressed and timid for all of these years.  I am only concerned with my immediate family now, everyone else is just there to bring gifts on holidays.

I know it has been said before and will be again, kids grow up fast.  10 years goes by like a flash, it seems like Leatha should be turning maybe 6, not 10.  Enjoy every minute that you can with your family.

Being a Stay At Home Dad has afforded me several opportunities to watch my kids grow and develop in those intimate moments when they think no one is watching.  It is a perspective that is very valuable towards finding great Christmas presents because I feel that I know my kids and their personalities fairly well.

Anyone can do it though.  Watch your kids.  Spend time with them.  Throw a ball around with them in the yard.  Let them help when you fix the toilet or patch the wall.  My son is very excited about the new belt sander.

All in all, I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.  I love my family and cant wait to see what happens when we have that 18th birthday party.

Have a great Weekend, go do something fun with your family.

-Justin

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Hey, You Wanna Buy a Watch? Tricks to be careful of.

May 27, 2014 / / 0 Comments

The other day my doorbell rang.  Upon answering, there was one of the kids from around the corner standing there with a couple of other kids from our street.  They started with “Do you want to buy a raffle ticket for our raffle of stuff?”  I thought this odd.

I checked the “No” that was forming on my lips and asked what they were giving away in the raffle.  “Just some stuff” was his answer.  I said no thanks, an shut the door thinking, just some stuff was a bunch of nothing.  I already had it figured that my dollar would go into this kids pocket and end up with the ice cream man or something.

There was no real raffle.  I got to thinking that this kid was actually a decent marketer.  He will do well on the internet with all of those other scheisters that try to sell us stuff.  Think about this, how many slick sales pages have you seen that promise something, part you from your money and you get a mediocre ebook that you never read or even just a series of emails that will probably end up in your spam filter anyway.

Tons and tons right?  I saw the beginnings of 2 infomercials tonight both promising over $11,000 in profit the first month for part time work!  That sounds fantastic and I really wish I could get in on some of that action.  Well for only 3 easy payments of $49.95 I could get in on it, aka, would you like to buy a raffle ticket?

The only people who really seem to make money at these programs are the guys selling the programs.  There are certain people who sell stuff that sounds like a fantastic book but if you dig deeper they have been to prison for fraud and are probably scamming you again.

If you wan’t to spend your hard earned cash on something, go for it.  Just be aware that you are gambling with that cash and you may never see any of it again.

So, wanna buy a watch?

tell me what you think in the comments below.

-Justin

PS if you want to buy something, I have a couple of great products in my affiliate stable that I really like, Blog Post Engineering and How to Build an E-book.  Check them out if you are interested.  I also have my first Fiction Saturday e-book, Death With a Vengeance, available.  If you have some cash waiting to be used that is.  At least you will get something, and hopefully not just used bytes on your hard drive.

Stupid Little Things That Keep Me Motivated

May 27, 2014 / / 9 Comments

I got up the other day and put on one of my newer shirts.  It is a nice grey polo style shirt.  It also has my company logo on it.  I turned into a small child when that arrived.  I was so excited.

Of course I ordered it myself but that is beside the point.  I have a shirt with my company name on it.  I ordered business cards with my name on it.  I also got a pen in the mail that I didn’t order with my company name on it.

These are all little and seemingly petty things but they really motivate me.  They are something besides a computer screen that legitimizes my business.  It doesn’t matter that I have made or ordered most of them, at some point IBM and Microsoft did something similar.

I will be that big someday but for right now, I have to start somewhere.  These little things keep me motivated to make my business work.  They make me want to work harder, and better.  They make me want to be worthy of a brand.  I want to get to a point where my brand is important to people and I have to order more things with my name on them.  I am excited.

I have a slew of things coming for the next couple of months that I hope will pay the mortgage for a while.  I have e-books and affiliate books that I am working on and I am also working on a full rewrite of my wife’s website.

In about a month, the new Brenda’s Quilt Shop website will be live and filled with table runners and quilts.  Something to keep in mind, they make great Christmas gifts.  I will be asking for feedback on some of the sales copy for these and offering prizes….stay tuned.

Thanks for stopping by and reading.  My blog is growing in a fantastic way and if you are reading this, you are a part of that.  Thank you!

Please join the conversation below!

-Justin

You can always check out the ebook I have right now,

I have put this story together in a lovely little e-book that will be available at my Store for $2.99!

PS tomorrow, part 2 of The Man With The Hazy Suit on Fiction Saturday!

Ruminations on Holiday Magic

May 27, 2014 / / 1 Comment
The First Thanksgiving, painted by Jean Leon G...

Image via Wikipedia

Hello folks.  Today, as most of you know, is the day before Thanksgiving in the US.  I do like this holiday for itself, a day when we can make a giant fancy dinner and overeat before dozing off watching football.  I have always liked the day for giving us an excuse to be together as a family and just give thanks to the Almighty for allowing us to be here for another year.

Granted, our location has changed over this last year but the family is still together and that is what makes the home.  I know I won’t be seeing my sister and her boys or my other sister, much less my Mom and Dad.  I am ok with that.  Why?  I am in charge of my family now.  I am in charge of my kids and making this another special day for them.

That is what happens when you get older.  That is what happens when you are the parents.  You are now in charge of making any holiday magical.  I know I have written before about these things but I feel it is worth repeating.  I am in charge of making Holiday’s magical for my kids, and Thanksgiving starts that holiday season.

Not Black Friday.  Black Friday has become a blight on the image of Thanksgiving.  I know I have enjoyed reading the paper on Thanksgiving night to decide what to get the kids but the commercial push for Black Friday this year has almost eclipsed the Thanksgiving it is supposed to follow.

Black Friday (1940 film)

Image via Wikipedia

I don’t want to get on the Black Friday kick, of you want more of that head over to Cantankerous Old Coots  and read Ralphs post today and mine tomorrow.

As I write this, I am bathed in the glow of some Christmas lights.  We spent Tuesday getting a good portion of our Christmas decorations put up.  Much to my chagrin that we can’t wait until Saturday, but the kids are really excited to get that little jump on Christmas.

They are excited for the whole Santa and family thing.  We are going to be making gifts for each other again this year and the kids are looking forward to deciding what they can make for their siblings.  I am still trying to decide what to do for them individually, but I am writing them a story for all of them to be revealed on Christmas Eve.  Any illustrators out there who could use a couple of bucks???

Back to Thanksgiving.  I usually do the turkey and dressing.  I have done all of it in the past few years when my wife has had to work the night before or on the day.  Nurses have to work holidays, you know.  I get a kick out of making the big dinner and serving it.  I like help with it too.  My wife willbe home this year and doing better than half of it.

I look forward to playing with the kids, hopefully it will be warm enough to go throw a football around the back yard.  I also am looking forward to watching the Macy’s parade with them and I hope that we can keep the focus on Thanksgiving and the family and looking forward to Christmas and not just the shopping.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, do something nice with your family today no matter where you live.

-Justin

Santa Claus with a little girl

Image via Wikipedia

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