Recovering

To say a lot has happened since my last post more than two years ago is an understatement.

I put this in writing now in the hopes that someday when they are old enough, my kids will know the cold hard truth, since I have sugar coated so much of this for them as they are not quite old enough to understand yet.

Kids:
Shortly after my last post, in November 2008, your mother, Sarah, reconnected with her old boyfriend from college on Facebook. They gradually talked more and more on Facebook IM, and in the end your mother decided there was unresolved business with this boy that outweighed staying faithful in her marriage with me, your father. Sarah announced she was divorcing me in March of 2009.

Sarah moved out of our Drakewood house about a month or so later -- it was a tough six weeks of us being seperated but living under the same roof -- and she rented an apartment in Mason, near her friend Stormy. "He" moved in with your mom about a month later after that (it would have happened even sooner but for objections by me and Sarah's parents that the sleeping arrangements were going to fast for a four year old and a seven year old, who had never even met the new man before). The divorce was finalized in December 2009.

Sarah claimed this was all in the best interest of herself and the kids. Yeah ... right. Actions spoke louder than words, and her infidelity and inability to give more than a passing interest in honoring marriage vows -- mixed with the fact that this had nothing to do with you, my children, at all said it all. It had everything to do with her preference of who she wanted in her bed. This truth is cold and blunt, I know, but sometimes people hide the truth for fear of offending someone. But now you know the truth in all its cold hard honesty. Uncensored.

But I soon realized: I don't want to be married to a cheater anyway, nor someone who wants to flee at the first bump in a relationship. So I figured: Good riddance. Once a cheater always a cheater, and I actually kind of feel sorry for the new guy because now that she's cheated once, it'll be easier for her to do it again. How said that Sarah still feels that the grass is always greener. But this is not about her.

The only one who put the kids' interests first throughtout this whole ordeal is myself. And that, too, is another story.

We sold the house at a loss, I moved in with another divorced friend (Pam) for a while, before moving to Landen.

I'll update more another time, perhaps.

Entering winter

Been more than a month since I posted . . .

1. Football.
Bengals = bleh.
UC Bearcats = best season ever! Are the Bearcats bowl-bound? If they win Saturday against Syracuse, you can almost guarantee it.
Elder Panthers = in the state championship game this Saturday against Cleveland St. I. Unlike the Elder state championships in '02 and '03 I actually saw two Elder games this year of their (potentially) state championship team.

2. Family (Sarah's folks) here for most of November. Taking everyone over to the Lammers on Thursday for Turkey Day.

3. Sarah = awesome as always. Kids doing great, too. Fiona is becoming quite the swimmer (taking winter swimming lessons at an indoor pool, by and large is getting mostly individual instruction). Fiona takes to the water easily. Meanwhile Jack is train-city! Always loves playing with trains (his Thomas wooden railway set is in almost constant use). Awesome.

Promise to post more soon!

In memory of Alex Fensel (1970-2008)

You made a unique impression on my life that will live with me forever. You had that influence on everyone. You made a difference.

A better way to blog?

I've been spending quite a lot of time on Facebook lately.

Yeah, yeah, I know, I know.

But it's surprisingly addictive. Look me up on it!

Oh for six on predictions

Can't help but make one more post on the Reds . . .

Last year, when Dusty Baker was hired, I wrote:
"Dusty Baker makes sense: GM Krivsky is in the last year of his contract, Reds fans have run out of patience with owner Castellini, and Baker needs to redeem himself and prove that the 2006 Cubs season wasn't a fluke. It all combines for an atmosphere where the Reds MUST reach the playoffs in 2008 if Krivsky wants to keep his job, Castellini wants to keep the fans happy, and Baker ever wants to manage again anywhere else. I hear that Baker, as a 'player's manager' might be able to woo top players that other managers might not. On to 2008!"

None of it has panned out, I'm afraid.

Reds fans have NOT run out of patience with Castellini, despite sub-par team.
Baker HAS proved that his impact on Cubs was overrated (Cubs have been better without him, actually)
The Reds WON'T make the playoffs this year
Krivsky HAS already been fired
Baker WON'T be managing anywhere else after he's ultimately fired this year or next
Baker HASN'T been able to woo any top players that we wouldn't have gotten elsewhere

In short: egad!

Friends and Neighbors

This week saw the Ten Year reunion of the Baseball on Broadway Commons committee. I'll spare you the details, but basically this was a Cincinnati volunteer organization which 10 years ago tried to get the new Reds baseball stadium built on the north side of downtown, rather than on the river. I heavily participated in this committee and was among its most active members. We held a reunion this week: Good to see everyone again (Jim Tarbell, Mike, Ed, Charlie, Tom, Jeff, etc. etc.) and remind ourselves what a great cause it was (we were named CityBeat's People of the Year in 1998, even).

Learned many of these guys live close by: nearer than I thought. Might have to have a cookout at my house or something.

On a somewhat different note, forgot to mention that over the past month that one of my long-time college friends, Matt M., and his wife moved to Texas a few weeks ago. Sad that they are moving away, but understand you sometimes go where you need to for work.

Road Trips and Summer

Looks like we're getting into the 'summer road trip' season at the Halloran household. In the past month we've taken day trips to Young's Jersey Dairy (Yellow Springs, OH), Athens (Ohio), and Columbus (COSI). We have a trip to St. Louis (MO) coming up, and probably will take another day trip (Kentucky? Indiana?) before the summer is out.

Hope everyone is having a fantastic summer, too!