Comments (1) Disappearing for a little bit again, but for a good reason. We’re off on our first family vacation since before the new job, move, etc. We’re going to Disney World, and it’s well needed. Sparkle wrote a bit more on her blog, so I’ll just leave this post with the immortal words of Tigger:
“T.T.F.N. — Ta ta for now.”
So I’ve gone and done it. I have MySpace now.
http://www.myspace.com/firemn_chris
Feel free to check it out, and if you have an account, to add me as a friend.
Less than 12 hours from now, Sparkle, the princess and I will be driving south to spend Thanksgiving with my family. This will be the first trip we’ve made down there in over a month, since the close of escrow on our house. While I’m not particularly looking forward to 300-some miles of driving (each way), it will be good to see my family again.
Given how crazy this year has been, I have taken more time this year than I usually do to reflect on what I’m thankful for. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays to begin with, but this year, it just seems even more pertinent. So here they are, in no particular order:
1) Sparkle – I have no idea how I would have survived the past 8 months without my loving, wonderful wife. Honestly, without her, I probably never would have made this move…not because it wouldn’t have been a good thing, but because I probably wouldn’t have let myself take the chance. Even with being apart, she’s been there for me, supporting me and loving me, and I can’t thank her enough for that.
2) The princess – I know being apart from me was hard for her as well, but her natural exuberance and love never really let that show (at least when we’re together). Opening the front door at the end of the day and hearing her squeal “Daddy! You’re home!” is one of the best sounds in the world. Her whole life has been changed as well, and yet, every day is a new adventure for her. I love her excitement and curiosity, and her energy often energizes me (and sometimes exhausts me).
3) My parents – My parents seem to have finally reconciled with my sister over some issues that they, frankly, unfairly made into issues that never should have been. It’s been a painful chapter in our lives, but they do seem to be past it and for that I am truly thankful.
4) My sister, brother-in-law and soon-to-be niece or nephew – My sister married a wonderful man this past May, and put their honeymoon to good use as they’re expecting a child in February. I am so happy for her, and thankful that she has such a wonderful partner to start her own family with. I honestly can’t wait to be an uncle and hold that newest member of our larger family. And, of course, pay her back for all the times she’s spoiled our daughter.
5) Iris – I don’t know if Iris even now fully understands what a blessing she’s been in our lives. She’s struggled with many things in her own life over the past year, and yet she’s always been there for us. I know she was a tremendous help to Sparkle’s work and sanity during my absence, with taking care of our princess and being there as a friend for Sparkle. She’s more than a friend…she’s family, and all three of us are ever grateful for her presence in our lives. I’m also so very thankful that she and M have reconciled, to the point of moving in together.
6) Our new “life” – Hard as it has been at times, this move has been good in so many ways. I love my new job…it’s the first one in my 11 year career that I can see staying in long term. It’s still strange to me to think of myself as a full-time paid firefighter. At one point in my life, I’d hoped for that, but for the past several years, it’s not even been on the radar, and now here I am. We love the area, and in fact, just made an offer on a new house this week. We miss our friends and my family, of course, but friendships and family endure and it makes us appreciate the time we do have together with them even more.
There’s so much more. Other friends, other family. The financial stability we enjoy. All the blessings in our lives. I’m thankful for each of them, even the ones I can’t articulate.
What are you thankful for?
Here’s a few new blog links I’ve added, including a couple I’ve been very remiss about not having added sooner.
Enjoy!
Since I never really finished my Shadow Lane party report, I’ll touch on one aspect I wanted to mention about the Saturday night dinner. And since my wife’s a much more attractive model than I am, I’ve interspersed this with some pictures I took of her wearing it (OK, wearing part of it) after returning home from the party.
Starting at last year’s party, Bailey began “suggesting” that I wear my fire department dress uniform to this year’s party. At first, I wasn’t too crazy about this idea, but upon further reflection, I began to like it more and more. First, I should point out that my dress uniform from my old volunteer fire department has absolutely no specific identifying marks on it. There is no patch on the shoulder and the other features (buttons, rank insignia, etc) are all generic, so the only thing that provides any sort of departmental identification is the badge. Even the uniform itself is a fairly common style…in fact, my dress uniform from my new department (which does have a patch) is practically identical. Now, I’d never wear a departmental badge to something like this, but generic fire department badges are fairly easy to come by, so I picked one up and thus my old uniform became suitable for a party setting.
So, Saturday night, I fully reveled in the narcissistic pleasure of wearing the uniform to the party. Bailey was, of course, suitably pleased, and I got quite a few more comments and compliments, including a very nice one which Niki Flynn mentioned on her blog. Any trepidation I’d felt about wearing the uniform pretty much disappeared.
I did end up giving a couple of spankings in uniform, including a rather fun spur-of-the-moment one in one of the suite parties. I was sitting on the couch chatting with Bailey when the hostess mentioned that she’d not seen me spank someone in a fireman’s carry position. I grinned and looked at Bailey, who grinned back and nodded, and she was soon hoisted over my shoulder getting her cute little bottom smacked. It was only as I set her back on her feet that I realized the whole room had pretty much gone quiet to watch. *grins*
So, the uniform will probably be making a repeat appearance at next year’s party. Until then, here’s a couple of pics of my lovely wife modeling it for your enjoyment.
Wow, it really has been two months.
I’m not entirely sure why I’ve not been posting as of late. To be honest, I’ve had something of a lack of interest in the kink scene in general. Not a lack of interest in kink itself, mind you (as Sparkle’s backside can attest), but more the whole group social aspect. I’ve not been posting on the boards, I’ve not been going to the chats, I’ve not even been commenting on blogs.
Some of it might be the post-party letdown from Shadow Lane. I had a really great time, but it’s seems to be somewhat jarring to return to “real life” after that total kink immersion.
Another part of it might be all the other stuff that’s been going on. As you may or may not have heard, we closed escrow on our house in Southern California in October. That meant that we made the 350-some mile trek south (and back north) each weekend in September to pack the rest of our things and clean up for the new owners. We’re now sans-mortgage and enjoying it, but starting to look for a new place to buy as well.
Life continues to be busy as well. We’re currently all three out of town for a conference I’m attending. I left on my own last Wednesday for a pre-conference meeting, and Sparkle and the princess flew out to meet me yesterday. Thursday we leave here and stop to visit some friends on the way home. Next week’s Thanksgiving, which will involve another 700-mile round trip down to see my family, and the following week we leave on a family vacation to DisneyWorld. And then at Christmas, we’re traveling both to Southern California and Indiana to see both our families.
I wish I could say I’m going to start blogging more regularly again. I hope I do because I do miss it and do want to, but at the same time, I’m not sure I’m totally out of this slump. I guess all I can say is that even if I disappear from time to time, I’m still here and will still be blogging.
Based on the Panorama Theme by 
Themocracy
