It's been awhile

I just realized it has been a long time since I posted out here. Life has been very busy getting ready for the new house. Since we are closing on the house so close to Christmas we decided to have our Christmas next Friday on the 12th. I am very excited! I haven't had a Christmas tree or decoration up in over 2 years. It's so very nice to have a family to celebrate Christmas with. I have been busy shopping and wrapping presents and thinking about the smiles on everyone's faces when they open their presents.

I realize that 2008 is coming to a quick end and I hope everyone that follows my blog has had a great year. In terms of personal growth this has been a great year for me and I look forward to whatever 2009 has in store for me.

Merry Christmas everyone and I'll catch you in the new year.

TheGov, out

Welcome Home

It's nice to finally have a place to call home. A place to put a Christmas tree and hang Christmas lights. A place where I can hang some family pictures without worrying about the hole I am leaving in the wall. A place to play ball in the backyard. A place where I can get my tools out of the boxes and work on things. A place where I can have a pet without getting permission first. A place filled with the happy faces of the people I love. A place to call our own...

38 years ago

I always get a kick out of reading those "what was happening the year you were born" things so I thought it only appropriate that on my birthday I would post a little info on what things were like on this day back in 1970. Enjoy
The US population reached 205 million
The US lowered the voting age to 18
The first New York Marathon is run
The first computer chess tournament took place
The LCD was invented
The Beetles were disbanded
A gallon of gas was 36 cents
A postage stamp was 6 cents
A 1 carat diamond ring was $299
Average income was $9,400
Average house was $23,450
and my favorite - An 8 track tape player for the car was $38.99

I hope everyone has a great day!

TheGov, out

Goodbye Summer...Hello Fall

With the sunset tonight came the end of the 'Great Summer of 08'. School starts tomorrow and even though fall doesn't officially start for another month the summer feels like it is over to me. It was the best summer that I can remember. Three very special people, that I care a lot about, shared this summer with me. Thanks to them I feel that I grew on a personal level and was able to accomplish some things that I always wanted to do. One of those three allowed me to rekindle my love of sports and showed me that I have a lot of knowledge that needs to be shared with those that will listen. He also showed me that is OK to play and have fun. Another one of the three reminded me that there is so much hope and beauty in the world when viewed through the innocent eyes of youth. She also touched my heart with the way she would run up to me and wrap her arms around me every time I showed up. And the last of the three...well...where do I start. She showed me just how much I can accomplish when I have the love of a strong, independent woman in my corner. She also reminded me what it means to love and be loved unconditionally. It is rare in this world to find someone that you share so much in common with. Someone that knows your thoughts and can complete your sentences. We have shared so many great moments that I can't believe we haven't known each other our whole lives. I feel so very grateful and so thankful to have her in my life. Dreams really do come true...

I hope everyone out there had a great summer and is looking forward to the fall as much as I am.

TheGov, out

The First Lady

After 2 weeks of planning and a restless night praying things would go well TheGov popped the question. And to my delight she said yes. I am so incredibly happy! There is no way to describe the emotions I have but to the people out there that have found someone to truly share their life with I don't need to describe them - you already know. I feel like I have finally found someone that I can just be myself with and my life has grown so much because of that. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with this woman.

Have a great week everyone!
TheGov

New Personal Best

I just got home from the River 5 Kade in Sioux City. I must admit that I was thinking about skipping this race today. I had a bad week of training and didn't even think I could finish the race. Imagine my surprise when I crossed the line at 27:03. A new personal best for me. Almost a minute faster than my old personal best. I was so close to breaking the 27 minute mark that I could taste it. Oh well. There is always the next race.

Everyone out there have a great weekend!

TheGov, out

Don't give up, don't ever give up.

It's that time of the year again. The ESPYs are coming up and the ESPYs always remind me of Jimmy V. This year ESPN radio has been heavily promoting an auction for the Jimmy V Foundation. Every penny of the money raised is being used for cancer research. I think they said this morning that there are 165+ clinical trials going on in this country searching for a cure for cancer. I hope the day for a cure is near.

Anyway, as most readers of the mansion know I am a huge fan of Jimmy V. The speech that he gave in March of 1993 at the ESPYs, one month before he died, was a very powerful speech. Here are some of his words:

"When people say to me how do you get through life or each day, it's the same thing. To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. Number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special."

I hope everyone is well. Have a great day!
TheGov, out

Great Weekend

Sometimes I catch myself thinking that I am the luckiest man alive. And during those moments I simply turn my eyes to the sky and quietly say thank you for everything that I have been given. I found myself doing that a lot over the 4th of July weekend.

I hope everyone out there is enjoying their summer as much as I am.

TheGov, out

Ice Cream Days!

What a great weekend! Ice Cream Days started last Thursday and ran through Saturday in Le Mars - the Ice Cream capitol of the world. On Thursday night Beth, Lincoln, Alex and I grabbed some lawn chairs and some snacks and went to the outdoor movie. This year it was High School Musical 2. The weather was perfect and the free ice cream made things even better.

Friday Alex, Lincoln and I were on our own while mom had some girl time with a friend. We spent the afternoon at the pool. I think Alex did the water slide 5,000,000 times in 3 hours. After that we had some dinner and went to the activities in the park. Mr Twister (the balloon guy) was there and he gave Alex a pink sword and Lincoln got a one of a kind balloon hat. We left the park to go see a couple of their friends in a play. After the play it was back to the park for a balloon show and more free ice cream. Then Alex and I ran bases at the T-ball field while Lincoln watched some outdoor hockey in the park.

Saturday morning was my first 5K since my foot injury. I have definitely lost a few steps and finished with a disappointing time of 29:07 minutes. Who am I kidding! If you would have told me 2 years ago I would ever in my life be running 3 miles in under 30 minutes I would have laughed in your face. Every race I complete is one more race in the scrapbook for a guy who never thought he would run again. After the 5K Beth, Lincoln, Alex and I went to the parade. It was a beautiful sunny Saturday morning parade. After that we hit the pool. 4 hours later we left the pool and returned to the house for a living room picnic of Jerry's pizza. Then it was off to listen to the band, do some dancing and enjoy more free ice cream. The night was gorgeous, the kids had a blast and most important to me I got to enjoy a couple of slow dances with Beth. The evening was over to quick in my opinion.

Sunday was Friends Day (I mean Fathers Day). Everyone slept in and after lunch Beth, Lincoln and Alex came over for some more fun. I got an awesome pair of shorts and a wonderful door wreath for Friends Day. Thanks guys! After some relaxing we headed out to the ball park to watch the Explorers play baseball. The game was awesome and ended on a bottom of the 9th game winning home run. Once the game was over we went back to my place for some pool time.

Thanks for a great weekend guys! I hope it's the first of many to come.

TheGov, out

Austin

Beth, Lincoln, Alex and I just got back from a 5 day trip to Austin. We went down for a baptism. It was our first big trip together and I think a great time was had by all. It was the first time on a plane for Lincoln and Alex. They got their pilot wings when we got off the first flight so they are now officially "in the club". While we were there we got to spend a lot of time outside. The temperatures were in the 90s the entire time we were there which was ideal. We spent some time at a huge park throwing the football around (one of my favorite things to do) and climbing rocks. We got to spend an afternoon at a resort pool (another one of my favorite things) swimming and lounging by the pool. One evening we went to a place called the Oasis which overlooks Lake Travis for dinner. What a beautiful place. I definitely want to go back there and watch a sunset. On Memorial Day we packed the car with 7 people and drove to the outlet mall and did some shopping (yes another favorite thing). That evening we went to a local lake and fed the ducks and just relaxed. Come to think of I got to spend the entire trip doing my favorite things with 3 people that I love being with. What a great trip!

I honestly can't believe how fast the trip went. Seems like a reoccurring trend for TheGov. I guess time really does fly when you are having fun...

I have said it before and I'll say it again. Kiss someone you love today and tell them you care. Trust me on this one.

Time Flies

Time really flies when you are having fun. Where on earth did the last month go? All of my stuff finally arrived at TheGov's New Mansion this week. What a relief! I had reached the end of my tolerance for sleeping on an air mattress. Now I have to get use to sleeping in a real bed again. The new place is pretty cool. It's a little bit like living in a hotel. Yes I still haven't pulled the plug on buying a house. Maybe one of these days I will get it in my head that I can actually buy a house and stay in one place for more than a year. I park in an underground parking garage with a car wash in it. I have an indoor/outdoor pool area with a hot tub a few steps from my door. There is a sauna a few steps from my door. And here is the reason I feel like I live in a hotel - I have a snack machine and a soda machine a few steps from my door.

It's been quite a lot of fun. Beth, Lincoln and Alex have been over on the weekends a few times to hang out at the hotel with me and the time always seems to fly by so quickly. I wish things would slow down but I know that they won't. It looks like the summer is going to be a great one for TheGov. I'll keep you all posted.

I hope everyone is well!

TheGov, out

What a great month

Sorry I haven't updated in awhile but TheGov has been pretty busy for the last month. I have had quite a few trips and a whole lot of fun. Beth and I took our first trip together to Seattle. We spent some time at Pikes Place Market, did some people watching at Starbucks, watched a sunset from the Space Needle, enjoyed a party at the Experience Music Project (where we learned to play the drums and piano), ate some great food and still found time to relax in the hot tub at the hotel. It was a fantastic time but of course went by very quickly.

The big news from TheGov is that I have decided to follow my heart and relocate The Mansion. I am not sure who all I have told but I thought I would post the announcement here. I am loading up the limo and moving to South Dakota this weekend. I am very happy and very excited about this move! I will update everyone after I get settled in at the new place.

I hope everyone is well.

TheGov, out

The man, the whip and the hat

I can't tell you how many times as a kid I used to dream about being Indiana Jones. Seriously, who wouldn't want to try and find secret buried treasures with magical powers? It looks like the summer is shaping up to be full of great movies. Enjoy.

5K Anniversary

First of all it looks like my presidential bid has been derailed. I figured with my late start it would be rough going. I also never imagined I would have to use my own cash for advertisements - YIKES. Anyway, thanks to the 22 people in Missouri who voted for me and a very special thanks to the 3 in California! Maybe next time guys...

So it has been a year since I started running 5K's. It was a rough year on the body but after a nice break in November and December I strapped on the old running shoes and started back up again. It also doesn't hurt that I have a group of friends in KC who love running races with me and keep reminding me of that. On January 27th, I returned to the scene of my first 5K - The Children's TLC Groundhog Run (starting line picture on the left). This race is believed to be the only 5K in the nation that is completely underground which makes for a unique race. I had one goal for this race - this year I was going to beat that guy in the beaver, I mean groundhog, outfit.

If you have been reading the mansion for awhile you remember the post from last years race. We got to the start line late, I was sick and I couldn't catch that groundhog no matter what I tried. I finished with a gun time of 39:14. I am not sure why they don't do chip time for this race. In case you are wondering gun time is the time recorded from the the moment the gun goes off until you cross the finish line. In terms of this race it can add an additional 30 seconds or more to your time if you are in the back of the pack when you start. Chip time is the time recordced from when you cross the start line until you cross the finish line. I imagine if you chop the 5 minutes or so we were late getting to the starting line I ran about a 34 minute 5K last year.

Well this year was a different story. We got to the race early and I was at the start line with plenty of time to spare. Actually it was probably a little too early as I started to get nervous waiting for the race to start. After the star spangled banner (and yes I still get goosebumps listening to that song before I am competing in an event) the race started. It took me about 20-30 seconds to get to the actual starting line and after running elbow to elbow with people for the first quarter of a mile I decided enough is enough and turned on the jets. By mile 1 I had put a good 1300 of the 2000 race entrants behind me and got back to running at my own pace.

It was a pretty uneventful race once I settled into my own groove. The groundhog was safely behind me (actually I never saw him again after the race started) so my goal had been accomplished by mile 1. The only real problem I had at the race was I started my finish line kick a little early and had almost nothing left for the last 100 meters. I will work on that. I finished with a gun time of 27:40 and finished 628 out of 2000. That gun time was my personal best by 20 seconds and it felt really good. I have high hopes for a 25 minute 5K this year and that is my goal for the year of running.

I guess it is time for TheGov to get back on the campaign trail. Thanks for stopping in and remember, the first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want. Have a great day everyone...

For the love of...

Yesterday I had one of those days where I felt like my mind was just a step behind my body all day long. I'm heading out of town tomorrow for a 5K this weekend and am feeling a little stressed. By the way, thanks for your emails yesterday Beth they actually kept me smiling and sane throughout the day. Last night I had one of those moments where I just sat and laughed so I have to share with the visitors of the mansion.

I've been living on my own for almost 2 years now. When I moved out I think I took my computer, the bed from the guest room and my clothes and pretty much left everything else for her. I started all over again with trying to fill an apartment with stuff. I've done a pretty good job on the living room and my bedroom but the kitchen is still lagging way behind.

After work I went and bought a pizza from Papa Murphys. They have a new chicken, bacon and artichoke pizza that is off the hook. The deal with Papa Murphys is that they put the pizza together for you but you have to take it home and cook it yourself. No problem as I can run an oven better than most.

So I get home, preheat the oven, put on some relaxing clothes, pour a glass of wine, put in Good Luck Chuck on BluRay (first time I have ever seen that movie and I laughed my a@@ off), put the pizza in the oven, set the timer for 16 minutes and start the waiting game. After 16 minutes the smells of an Italian kitchen permeate the house, my mouth is watering and my stomach is growling in anticipation. I take the pizza out of the oven and set it on the stove top. I pick a piece of chicken off the top and enjoy the wonderful tastes as I turn to my utensil drawer to grab my pizza cutter. As I open the drawer my mind finally jumps back in my body. In my utensil drawer I have a large wooden spoon, a mix'n scaper, a large knife and a can opener (that is 2 months old and has a similar story to this one) but interestingly enough NO PIZZA CUTTER! I chuckle to myself as I look at the rather empty drawer. I now have this delicious pie in front of me and no way to cut it.

My mind starts racing through the options. I could just pick it up and start eating it - I decide this is not an option because a video of me eating it could wind up on YouTube. I could use my kitchen scissors to cut the pizza - again not an option as I can barely cut paper with them anymore. I could use my dremel tool - I decided against this option as I can never cut a straight line with the darn thing. I could use my cordless DeWalt circular saw - I eventually decide against this option after getting it out and realizing it would be overkill.

The hunger pains and the glass of wine overtake me as I think back to the recent trip to the Hibachi grill. AHA - I will just use my huge kitchen knife. I pull it out of it's case and with one fell swoop slice the piece in half. Feeling like a ninja I go about cutting the pizza into 8 very uneven, half sliced pieces. Satisfied with my carving of this wonderful pie I gently placed the sword on the counter and pull two pieces off the pizza pan and place them on my plate. Actually it was more like 2 and a half because I grabbed a piece that wasn't completely sliced and it pulled the toppings off the piece next to it but at this point I don't care.

I refill my wine glass, grab my pizza plate and retire to the living room to watch my movie and eat in peace. After shuffling between my three remote controls to get the movie working again I start laughing. Great - I have three remote controls but no pizza cutter. I ask myself - "why is no one here to see this? this is the stuff that sitcoms are made of". As I start eating my pizza I make a note to myself - tomorrow go buy a pizza cutter (and more batteries because the remote controls require 2 a piece).

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I'll check back in next week.

TheGov, out.

Announcement

I didn't want to have to do it but I guess I have no choice! After talking things over with Dubya I have decided to throw my name into the ring for the 2008 election. Details to follow.

The Holidays

11 days, 1400 miles, 2 major snowstorms, 3 "oh shit I am going to die" moments in the car, National Treasure part 2, candle light service with 2500+ people, Christmas Vacation, jumping a snow board ramp in a Styrofoam sled, Karaoke, Hibachi grill, Sake bombs, Night at the Museum 4 times, Yahtzee, Yahtzee, Yahtzee, and more Yahtzee, AVP Requiem with my mom, a 4 foot sub from Subway, I am Legend with mom and dad, BINGO, tons of pictures, The Blues Brothers, breaking my brothers wireless internet and then spending 4 hours fixing it, growing a beard, watching the news with my dad, cooking New Years Eve dinner for my sister's family, Season 3 of the Office, eating way 2 much food, a ton of laughter and then going home and missing everyone dearly. There is never enough time to see everyone anymore.

I hope everyone had a great holiday season!