In keeping with my last post, following is the next batch of quotes sent to my wonderful Wife, Shannon.  You know, it’s kind of a remarkable feeling that after 13+ years of marriage I still have the urge to emphasize to her how I feel on a daily basis…  Very cool..

Either way, here they are :

10/01 – “As sweet and musical as bright Apollo’s lute, strung with his hair;  And when Love speaks, the voice of all the Gods makes Heaven drowsy with the harmony.”  – William Shakespeare

10/02 – “Love is always bestowed as a gift – freely, willingly, and without expectation – We don’t love to be loved; we love to love.” – Leo F. Buscaglia

10/03 – “But true love is a durable fire, In the mind ever burning, Never sick, never old, never dead, From itself never turning.” – Sir Walter Raleigh

10/06 – “Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul.” – Saint Augustine of Hippo

10/07 – “Love is life. All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love.” – Leo Tolstoy

10/08 – “Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart.” – Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

10/09 – “Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.” – Henry Van Dyke

10/09, Flowers : “I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out.” – Elizabeth Barrett Browning

10/10 – “In all the world there is no heart for me like yours. In all the world, there is no love for you like mine.” – Maya Angelou

Well, to get back on the posting track, I’ve decided to put out a regular entry containing the devotional messages I send Shannon every day.  Let me explain.

A little over a month ago, she and I started working on reconnecting as a couple;  Not that we ever really lost those feelings, but they had taken a back seat to the parents role for quite a while.  Now that the boys are a little older and we feel more comfortable leaving them with a sitter now and again, we decided to put some romance back in the equation.  To that end, we’ve been going out one evening a week and having “grown-up time” (you know, where there aren’t crayons on the tables and you’re not cutting someone else’s meat up for them).  We’ve also rediscovered how much we truly, passionately love each other.

Along with those warm, snuggly feelings I found myself thinking romantic things about her when we were apart.  To let her know that, I’ve been spending a little time each day searching the Internet for appropriate quotations that fit my feelings, and sending them to her iPhone over SMS.  It’s now gotten to be part of my daily plan, and I get a great deal of satisfaction finding these nuggets of wisdom and emotion for her.

So, I thought I’d share..

Here’s the first batch of quotes I sent her organized by the date I sent them, with the appropriate authors included for reference.  If anyone has any I haven’t included here, please feel free to comment them in.

09/17 – “A thousand thoughts of you will haunt me ever after…  The music of your laughter will serenade my heart…”

09/23 – “She walks in beauty, like the night   Of cloudless climes and starry skies;   And all that’s best of dark and bright   Meet in her aspect and in her eyes:”  – Byron

09/24 – “You know you are in love when you see the world in her eyes, and her eyes everywhere in the world.”  – David Levesque

09/25 – “For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart.  It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.”  – Judy Garland

09/26 – “Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves.”  – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

09/29 – “Love is the seed of all hope.  It is the enticement to trust, to risk, to try, to go on.”  – Gloria Gaither

09/30 – “I love you, not for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.”  – Roy Croft

I can’t help it… She’s got me heart and soul.

Wow… More than a year… Where have I been…

Oh yeah… Azeroth.

They say to begin to deal with an addiction, it’s first important to admit you have a problem… Nah…

Yes folks, I‘ve joined the ranks of those who spend much of their free time in the alternate reality that is World of Warcraft.  I can’t claim that’s the only thing that’s kept me from blogging, but after spending over 31 days of playing time (yes, that’s over 744 hours) since November of last year I do think it’s had a slight impact on other extracurricular activities.  And of course, just like any good addiction I’ve managed to hook quite a few other people in the process;  My Wife Shannon, my Eldest Son Jonathan, my Brother, his wife and Children (2) and a couple of guys in my office have all fallen victims as well.  I know… I’m a bad, bad man.

Along with WoW, we’ve been very busy at Diamond as of late, the kids are growing like weeds, we’ve been on vacation and life in general has moved forward in many, many ways.  Instead of trying to recap all that I’ve not posted in the last year, I’m instead going to start writing about what’s new from here as well as throwing in some thoughts on my other life as a Level 70 Night Elf Hunter.

Well, it’s getting late and my sleeping pill is starting to kick in so I’m going to wrap this entry up.  More to come soon… Honest.

Phil Malmstrom
philm@mycoffeecuphasfeet.com

Hi everyone!

After a long hiatus from blogging, I’m back and starting with a fresh blog app, theme and more. Please bear with me as I get things up and running.

Phil Malmstrom

Yesterday was just plain fun.

As I mentioned in my last posting, we’re spending some time up in the Pocono Mountains on vacation and yesterday was the first full day here.  The morning started out quietly with some coffee on the deck, and following showers and changing we started off down the mountain to find the stream at the bottom.  Now, this was described to us as a fishing stream, but once we found it we realized this was a slight exaggeration as it was only a foot or so deep and contained nothing-resembling fish.  Not to waste the walk, the kids started digging under the rocks at the creek’s edge and were tickled to find a wide range of wildlife living there.  Jonathan was fascinated by the salamanders and crayfish, while Aidan was fixated on the slugs he kept turning up everywhere.  Not exactly a fishing trip, but a whole lot of fun nonetheless.

After the long hike back up the hill to the house, we spent some quiet time decompressing and playing games.  Dinner was cooked on the grill, followed by some smores (A hit with the kids).  The rest of the evening was spent playing card games (I was indoctrinated into the ranks of Texas Holdem players, Women cheat <g>).  All in all, not an overly exciting day.  What a nice change of pace.

Today we’re heading out to Bushkill Falls for some hiking, fishing (in a slightly more target-rich environment) and miniature golf.  Quiet is good.

Phil Malmstrom
philm@mycoffeecuphasfeet.com

Well, it really has been quite a long time since I last posted.  However, that time has been well spent. Here’s the Reader’s Digest version.

We had another scare with Jonathan and some “suspicious” moles on his head and foot. After examination, they (The specialists at AI DuPont Hospital for Children) decided better to err on the side of caution and excise them.  We scheduled the surgery, and they were removed at that point. The follow-up biopsy showed some “A-Typical cells” from the excised tissue, but everything looked good and he’s recovered nicely.

Speaking of excisions, I’ve had a slowly growing sebaceous cyst on my head for many years and now that my hair is getting, shall we say, scarce I decided to see about having it removed. To that end I visited a surgeon who scheduled the surgical extraction in July; Loads of fun to come. I’ll be sure to post an update following the procedure on July 26th.

The yearly Summer Party went over wonderfully. We had a great turnout as always, and a good time was had by all. After missing having the party last year (for the first time in 10 years), this was a nice reaffirmation that we are truly blessed by knowing such a lovely variety of people.

At the moment, I’m posting from a house in the Pocono Mountains in the Paradise Township area. For those who know me, you know this is the one place where I seem to be able to find calm and clarity. Mind you, I always twitch when separated from my company, but having a staff as competent and trusted as mine certainly makes life easier when I get the chance to take some time away. I still twitch, but I know in my heart that they’ll handle things while I’m away.

While we’ve been in this area on vacation quite a few times, this is a new home rental for us. It’s a nice place so far, with a large property bordering on a small resort which seems reminiscent of the 1960s (Think Dirty Dancing…) Either way, I think it’ll work out fine and we’ll have a great time.

To end the day, Jonathan had a slight meltdown this evening. He forgot his Lovie (For those who aren’t aware, Lovie is a stuffed animal that we got him when he first got sick and has been with him ever since.  It’s his long-term companion to date). He forgot to pack Lovie and come bedtime, realization set in. After over an hour of crying, he got control and settled in to bed.  God, he tears my heart out when he does this. Either way, it’s going to be an interesting week away from his friend.

Ok, well it’s getting late and I’m headed towards bed. I’ll try to post some more this week as life unfolds further.

Phil Malmstrom
philm@mycoffeecuphasfeet.com

Cleaning out your desk drawers can be an interesting experience.

In this case, while trying to unclog the upper drawer of my office desk I ran across my collection of fortune cookie messages stashed away over the last couple of years. I don’t really know why I’ve saved them, probably some desperate attempt to gain universal truth through junk food, but there they were all the same. Looking through them, I can’t quite put together the truth part but it dawned on me that maybe someone else might succeed where I’ve failed.

So here they are (Please note that these are in no particular order). If anyone comes up with that Eternal Verity I’ve been seeking from these, please let me know.

• - Ask advice, but use your own common sense.
• - He who hurries cannot walk with dignity.
• - The road to success is often a lonely one.
• - All the effort you are making will ultimately pay off.
• - Please someone at work by remaining calm and impartial.
• - The one who snores will always fall asleep first (this one’s for my Wife)
• - Don’t pursue happiness, create it.
• - You have an unusual ability to put your best effort forth at all times.
• - A good home is happiness.
• - A danger foreseen is half avoided.
• - Devotion is worth the effort at this time.
• - In life, you won’t go far unless you know where the goalposts are.
• - Right before you wonder “Am I doing things right?”, ask “Am I doing the right things?”
• - A friend in the market is better than money in the purse.
• - Soon you will be sitting on top of the world.
• - There is a prospect of a thrilling time ahead for you.
• - Your determination will bring you much success (My personal favorite)

I think I need to eat more Chinese food…

Phil Malmstrom
philm@mycoffeecuphasfeet.com

You know, I do so look forward to Saturday evenings.

I know it may sound silly to some, but I have a Saturday night routine that I look forward to the whole week. It’s simple, but it’s my time to let the week’s troubles fade away and focus, at least for a while, on something fun and uncomplicated. In a nutshell, it’s a simple, quiet evening that is usually the only real “down-time” that I get during the week.

From 6:00pm to a bit after midnight, my posterior is firmly planted on our Cuddlebags with a warm cup of tea (or bourbon, depending on the week leading up to it) engrossed in the comic escapades of the Britcoms showed on MPT (Maryland Public Television). I’m not quite sure why, but the British Comedies have an allure to me that I just can’t seem to find in any of the American Sitcoms. It’s a completely different perspective, less pie-in-the-face and more plot driven programming I suppose. And at the end of the night (if I can stay awake) the evening ends with old episodes of Doctor Who; One of my all time personal favorites (Go figure).

Either way, it’s a nice way to end the week. Now if I could just get rid of those damn pledge drives…

Phil Malmstrom
philm@mycoffeecuphasfeet.com

My goodness, has it really been this long since I posted? Well, today I had one of those experiences that I felt required a full-blown rant, so here I am again.

It’s been an amazingly hectic last few months, both personally and for Diamond Computer. We’ve been running non-stop at the office, and more just keeps on coming in (A nice problem to have, but tiring all the same!). In fact, we’re back in a hiring mode, so if anyone knows a good technician out there who’s looking for work please, please, please have them submit a resume to hiring@diamondcomputer.com. (We’re actually looking for two, one entry level and one more advanced network tech) Either way, it’s a positive direction and from all indications, 2007 is going to be an exciting year.

But that’s not really what got me writing tonight…

I’d been out on a job for the morning, and it had gone quite well so I was feeling the satisfaction of “solving the puzzle” once again. I got back to the office and among the myriad of messages I had waiting was a voice mail request from an employee of another branch of the client I just left for me to return her call as soon as possible. I called her back, and was greeting with a stern voice indicating that she had a “serious problem” to discuss with me.

To summarize the next 20 minute diatribe, one of my techs had been at their site last week, and at some point he had picked up a plastic mechanical pencil from her desk for some reason. Obviously, his mind was on other things and he accidentally ended up leaving the site with the pencil.

This woman was LIVID that he had “stolen” her pencil and was sure this was only the “tip of the iceberg” as she phrased it. No, livid doesn’t even describe it;  She was “creeped out” (her words folks, repeated several times) and insisted that I investigate this matter thoroughly. I of course, apologized for the incident, insisted that I was sure it was accidental and offered to see if we could find it and bring it back to her or if not, replace it.

That wasn’t acceptable.

After continuing to rant for a few more minutes in which she indicated this episode had left her to feel “violated” (no really, we’re still talking about accidentally taking a pencil…) I finally asked her what I could do to correct it in her eyes. At that point she then told me she not only wanted that pencil returned, but wanted $3.00 to buy a new one as well. (I’m still not sure how the three bucks plays into this one) When I made the mistake of questioning that, we moved on to the “You must not care about your clients…” bit.  I, for once, was at a loss for words (nice ones anyways).

Arguments were obviously pointless at that stage, so I calmly told her I’d see about finding her pencil and that I’d be up that way the next day, and would be happy to sit and discuss this with her further at that time. That ended the conversation, and she finally hung up on me.

It’s sad, but folks they’re out there. She was so upset, I truly thought she was going to have a coronary on the phone discussing this. God help her if anything serious ever happens to her.

Either way, the tech found the pencil in question, and it’s going home to it’s Mama tomorrow. I hope they’ll be very happy together.

And the beat goes on…

Phil Malmstrom
philm@mycoffeecuphasfeet.com

I‘ve always wanted to be a Superhero.

I just finished watching Batman Begins for the umpteenth time, and it made me think back to when I was little.  I lived from comic book to comic book, convinced that all I needed to change the world was some tights, a cape and an ideal;  Then I grew up… What a shame.

My observations as an adult have led me to the following conclusion;  Superheroes can’t possibly exist in today’s world, And here’s why:

- We live in a world now where to be outstanding is to be pompous, and where to strive for excellence means that you think you’re better than everyone else.

- Society plays to the lowest common denominators of our culture, wrapping them inside the fold and protecting them for their own safety while making the productive members of the world take the brunt.

- Compassion shows weakness, and weakness is as quickly exploited as it’s displayed.

- As phrased so eloquently by Edmund Burke, “All it takes for evil to prosper is for good men to do nothing.”  In today’s world, apathy is the rule, not the exception.

Now, do I believe all this?  Well, not entirely but to some extent I do.  However, I’ve also witnessed that there are a great many good people in the world who are trying to make a positive difference.  I’m just afraid that too many individuals are more interested in having someone to blame their misfortunes on, than on working to overcome them.  In the end, Superheroes can only help those who want to be helped and are willing to try and help themselves.

Therefore, we’re just not ready… Someday, maybe.

Phil Malmstrom
philm@mycoffeecuphasfeet.com