Ramblings, Incoherent Thought and Family

I've heard it often since I was a kid. "Man you were born on Christmas? That must suck". Most times I smile and nod. I may make a statement like "Yeah...it sucked having only 1 day of presents as a kid. If I didn't get Laser Tag...then I had 364 days to go to try my luck again"...etc. What I don't tell people is how blessed I was to be born on Christmas...and how God ordained it not for me...but for my Grandfather (on my father's side). What I didn't know till I was older...is that my Grandpa Ed hated Christmas when my Dad was growing up. The reasoning was sound I guess. See my Great Grandmother (Grandpa's mother) I guess passed away at 10:02 AM on a Christmas Day when he was still a boy. For every Christmas after that...the holiday was tainted. My Grandpa Ed was a hard man to know. I learned that later with all the poems he wrote. I like to think that's where I got any talent for writing down my thoughts into words. He was able...

This will be the 18th Christmas eve. In 1990, we celebrated what we all knew would be our last Christmas eve with Gram...the woman who served to define it for us all of our lives. For those of you newer in my life...my Grandmother Short (on my Mother's side) had a lot of traditions...but the biggest was the open house on December 24. Grandma had 7 kids, but 6 with families...so you had 14 people to start (counting her and Gramp), add in 18 grandchildren (at the time) of various ages, then any NUMBER of drum corps, bingo, people who had Grandpa work on their cars, adopted family, and the Penguin...and you'd have a small two story house with a garage filled to the rafters with people. It served to DEFINE Christmas for me to this day. To be honest it's one of the most amazing and awesome memories I have. Should I ever develop Alzheimer's...it's one of the memories I pray I never lose. I hold these memories like precious stones in my heart...and to this day while the ho...

Ya know...Patch Saturday is kinda like paying bills... It comes once a month Involves taking resources I don't have I don't necessarilly see any REAL return from the investment. I know it's important to patch servers...I mean if we didn't it would go badly. I knew more than one guy who lost his job in the early 00's when Blaster/Netsky hit when Microsoft released that it could have been avoided should they have applied patches. It's leading me to think about the direction of my life. Ya know...I love my job. Computers were something I was always good at but just didn't spend time with till after College when I decided I wasn't going to pursue performing. I fell into it. Became good at it, and really did grow to like it. I like fixing things...making them work. Helping people understand something they didn't. However as time has gone on I've been growing more restless. I'm not saying I'm leaving my job. UU is great. Working from h...

I'm sad today. I found out someone I considered a friend has passed away. I use the word considered because to be honest...I was a friend with her brother and she was always kind to me. In my world back then and even today...that made you a friend. This isn't an Aunt, or Uncle or old friend of the family (though one did die as well this week)...but someone my age. Who graduated High School at the same time I did...was the sister of one of my very best childhood friends. Who always treated this awkward geeky hangabout tag-along kid with kindness and respect. Now she's gone. I haven't spoken to her in at least 15 years. I've reconnected with her brother both virtually and on the phone since 2006 (a yearly 'how ya doin' call or email or facebook)...but to be honest as what happens with childhood friends...we went various ways. I still care for him (and his family)...but as for daily or weekly contact...we eventually just found other people or ways to spend time...

November 11, 1972. A national holiday. William Rodney Benson and Sally L. Short were married in Rochester, NY. A year and 38 days later...young William Rodney Benson Jr. was born. A year and a half later, Betty Lee Benson was born. A family was created...my family. In 1972, we didn't have internet, cell phones were considered 'Star Trek' technology, cars were simple enough to repair yourself, there were 4 stations on the TV and if the president was on...your night was shot. It was a time before the end of the Vietnam war. Divorce was still somewhat taboo, and people read newspapers and watched the nightly news for information. Today I sit in my office in my basement and my parents are in Canada. They left Sunday after service and hopefully are having a great time. I sit here today thinking about my family. I had so many people I grew up with with broken homes. Parents who couldn't relate to each other, who even hated each other. Who fought and couldn't find co...

Ok...I have some pent-up...whatever tonight for some reason. And frankly I'm ready to give my ten things I REALLY hate...especially when I'm up at 2:30 in the morning. 10: Rachel Ray ('Nuff said) 9: Legally Blonde (the movie and the musical and any and all sequels) 8: Bad Drivers who drive at 1:00 AM on Fridays. 7: People on Facebook who say the word Holla...the phrase is dead. Move on. 6: Did I mention Legally Blonde? If so it's worth at least 2 spots. 5: Realizing you left your cell phone in the car when you're on call, and have your shoes off and are sitting in your Boxers watching last week's episode of The Office. 4: Back Pain (See previous blog) 3: Obamaniacs...ok we get it. He won...yea for you. Now sit down and shut up. He'll do good or he'll tank...but for goodness' sake...people seem more excited about this than their own accomplishments in life. I'm glad Bush is out too, and I know Obama will probably do a good job, but the ele...

Man I was tired last night. In bed by 10:30 and asleep by 11. I was ZONKED! I worked late on Tuesday...from 11:30 PM till 2:00 AM...and so didn't sleep much last week either. Well...last night was another half night. I woke up at 2:00 and rolled over wrong...when I did that a muscle in my back that had been tweeked the last few months decided to spring. Let me just say... FREAKING OW!!!!! So after rolling around like a turtle on his back tryin gto get comfortable I woke up and came downstairs. I laid on the couch for awhile till the pills I took would/could kick in and watched some late night TV. Looking through all the info-mercials, lame movies and news I found a gem...and watched about an hour of "What About Bob?" I was finding myself thinking though...about my back pain. Back pain is one of those just awful things. I've known people my whole life who claimed to have back pain and how it bothered them. I gotta say it's one of those "Oh tough it up...

I'm sitting here at my desk at 1:00 AM on November 5. I'm actually working with some of my other SA's...BUT...they're doing most of the work so I find myself just sitting here and thinking about tonight's election...and where I believe it went wrong. I know this will run the risk of offending some really good people I've been blessed to reconnect with...but the fact is I think that Obama wasn't the right call. I think he's a media darling...I think that CNN and the networks and Oprah decided to back someone...and a media hungry country ate it up. All because we bought into the whole "Bush sucks". Problem is...Bush DOES suck. I don't think he's a bad person, and I'm sure he's been through a lot...but he's a weakling. He's been led by his father and father's former playmates to play house at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. He wasn't a strong leader, and I'd dare say the worst president we've had in the last...

A lot of people today are telling us to get out and vote. I'm not going to disagree. There are many people in the world who can't vote for their leaders. Or even have the illusion that they are voting for their leaders (something I believe with the Electoral College...we're dangerously close to)...however it's important to vote. Yes...the system is broken. The electoral college was created at a time when the country didn't have anything close to fast communication. It took literally weeks to get a letter across state lines. Messages travelled by 1 horse power. So the Electoral College was created to give local voice to national elections. The local vote would happen...then the college would meet and then decide on the president. Now we live in an age where media is overrunning our lives. If a public figure has a sniffle at 2:05 PM...by 2:30 it's on the news as a possible life-threatening illness. The fact is...by the time we wake up tomorrow we'll kn...

Ya know…I dig lazy Saturdays. Last week we had one and today it’s another one. I’ve got a few chores to do (garbage, vacuuming, general cleaning) but overall it’s a pretty empty day…and ya know what I need those every once in awhile. I’ve been able to finish my sister’s web page (bettyandbernie.com) and redesign mine (willbenson.com)…put together the media for service tomorrow and discovered the coolness that is Picasa. (I mean seriously…this thing found pics from 1997…1997!!!! I mean that’s 3 years before I met my wife. I can’t even imagine that). I think as Americans we’re losing touch with the idea of weekends. Remember when we were kids (those of us older than 30)…and there were only 20 or 30 cable channels…and your parents spent weekends with you. When we had weekends to spend. Now it seems like we’re spending more and more time filling our schedules to the point of overload. Responsibilities are good…but left unchecked…sometimes we book ourselves so heavy…we forget to tr...

Ok...I'll get this out of the way. Yes I lean to the right. I consider myself somewhat moderate but yes...I believe in personal responsibility fiscally and I believe that the right tends to reflect more of my personal and religious beliefs. So that's out of the way... So as I sit today on my sister's couch watching morning TV ( a true first) I hear McCain has suspended the campaign to go back to Washington. He's called on Obama to do the same and has said he MAY miss the debates tomorrow due to the fiscal crisis and his position as an active senator. My first thought is that this is nothing more than a campaign tactic. That in fact he's trying to 'one-up' Barak...and in truth I was ok with it. It IS a competition and frankly he's trying to win. However the more I think about it...the more I realize that I was being unfair a bit. I believe what McCain is doing is not JUST trying to one-up Obama (sure that's part of it and I'd be foolish no...

I woke up this morning early. Got up, did my constitutional, watched some TV about the hurricane, got mad at an author who claimed that a vote for John McCain was a vote for George Bush and went to my desk at like 7:30. I started my day, and while working I opened CNN which talked about a 9/11 memorial. I thought to myself how nice they're running 9/11 stories just because...then went to my MySpace and saw my cousin Dawn's bulletin about thinking of the people today. Then it hit me. Today is 9/11. Seven years have passed...and I'm one of the many who have truly forgotten. What an amazing jerk I am. I'll stand up when the topic comes up. I'll defend our country, and the leadership of the time immediately after...I'll spout the verses of righteous anger and mention that I knew someone in one of the towers. I'll mention that I used to go to New York once a year and every time felt like I'd see the view from the towers "Next time" etc. Wha...

Ya know; Election years just flat out are annoying.  I know they happen every year but especially the big ones…Presidential, and Gubernatorial.    The fact is I’m tired of it.  Tired of them shilling for my vote.  I’m tired of them trying to sway me with half-truths, and mud-slinging to get me to behave the way they want me to.   The fact is…most people vote their party…or their heart.   They don’t vote for Bush because he had a really cool ad campaign, or for Kerry cause he got these boat captains to endorse him.  I don’t care.  I voted for Bush because he was the closest I felt to what I believe in (at the time).  Values, conservative ideals, and personal responsibility.    Yes since he’s been in office he’s been about little to none of those…but that’s beside the point.   Now we’re in a new election year…and for the fi...

Hey all; Ok I'm moving over here because frankly...it seems more condusive to blogging. It's got drafting etc. So I guess I've found a new home. I'll probably push this to my facebook and if you want to read my old writings...go to http://myspace.com/mynameisthetuna For the first time reader... Hi...my name is Will and I'm a recovering internet addict. Well not REALLY recovering...more like still trying to find a way to recover. I'm a 34 year old husband to a wonderful and beautiful wife Debi...and 5 (yes 5) cats named Oreo, Sunny, Simba, Kitty, and Monty (Short for Monster). I like Comics, Star Wars (books and movies), gaming (Playing Star Wars Galaxies right now, and the 360), spending time with family and friends, singing and making music and any number of other activities. I'm a Christian. Meaning I believe in Jesus Christ...that he died and rose again from the dead to save my soul (and others) and that it's not a religion but a lifestyle (and...