Ramblings, Incoherent Thought and Family

Ya know...it's not often I put people on pedestals. I have met some awesome and famous people in my time. I met Jim Kelly once at a party for a company I was working for. I introduced myself as "Hi Mr. Kelly, I'm Will Benson...Systems Admin. I'll be making sure everything is running technologically sound. Is there anything you need?" To which he replied "No Lou, thanks Lou, Good to meet you Lou." Jim Kelly thought my name was Lou and repeated it three times to make sure he remembered it. And people wonder why I'm a Dolphins Fan. Another time I met Kelly Ripa on the streets of New York. This is BEFORE she was with Regis and just some soap actor I thought my Mom would dig me getting a picture with. We got the picture and she was very kind and nice...and dug the Marvin the Martian slippers I had just bought at Warner Brothers. I was jonesed for the pic because NOONE would believe this happened. My Roommate TOOK the picture... It didn't com...

Wow...time sure is fun when you're having flies. I've often wrote about how awkward I once was as a kid...I had a big head (and little arrrms), a bigger mouth, and a complete lack of what was funny or acceptable. I had friends but I was more of the 'tag along' then part of things. It was a good time...high school probably at one of its best for me...and when they all graduated (I was a year younger)...my senior year didn't seem the same. We hung out a bit during summers in the 90's. I think the last time we all hung out was when Denise's family was selling her house so we had a party over there (if I remember correctly)...but since then we all kinda went our seperate ways. Staying in touch with a few but for the most part moving on. Fast forward to the last year when Facebook blew up. All of a sudden we found ourselves talking and remembering. Some with rose-colored lenses...but for the most part enjoying the shared experiences. Then Denise finally up and do...

***SURGEON GENERAL WARNING*** The below blog is EXTREMELY geeky and talks about a community that almost NONE of my usual readers belong to and probably won't understand. However...I felt like writing...so I did. If you're offended by geekiness or feel that by writing this I'm showing how not 'with it' I am...or that I care too much for something so trivial...I encourage you to close this now and read another post. I don't really CARE care about this...but just wanted to share my observations about things as I've been watching this play out over the last 6 days. You've been warned. ****** Man...who knew? I haven't had the iPhone a month...and already I'm hooked. Ok...if you know me at all you knew THAT would happen...let's face it I'm a gadget fiend. What I didn't know though was that there was a whole COMMUNITY based on this. See when I first got the phone I said I wouldn't 'jailbreak' it. I thought that meant that I w...

This week has been NUTS! Chris who usually gives the challenge at the men's group during week 2 was indisposed...so he asked me to go up a week. What I didn't realize is that that means I'm in Week 2 of my month as well. The week that consists of a church leadership meeting on Monday, Tuesday with Deb, Wednesday Business Meeting for work, Thursday Gauntlet/rehearsal and Friday Radio Show. He asked me on Saturday I think...and I said yes without thinking. WHOOPS. I had TUESDAY to write the challenge. However...sitting down Tuesday I just didn't feel it coming...I started writing but one of my readers felt it may not work...so I scrapped it...so on Wednesday...I figure I'll write during my business meeting.(which is usually done remotely). Except this week. Nope...they wanted us on-site. GREEATTTT. It was cool seeing the people I work with locally...but still I planned to stay awake and try to write...and experienced writer's block like you wouldn't be...

One night. One night is all it's taken me to know that I can NEVER go back. I'm awake at 6:00 in the morning because as soon as I'm done writing this I'm going to shower, and get dressed and go to the hospital where my beautiful wife is resting (I hope) comfortably after elective surgery. I left the hospital last night at around 9 because she had just gotten out and was out of it. I came home for the first time to an empty home without her. For the first time in seven years...I was to sleep in our bed without her. Feed the cats without her. Flush the cats toilet without her. Eat without her. Watch TV without her. Game without her giving me that knowing look that says I'm playing too long. We've spent nights apart before. I've been in ministry awhile and also had to go away for work a few times. However...she's always been the one here. It's somehow easier I think to have to sleep apart from her somewhere else. The whole house is her domain...

April 1, 2009. A day that will forever live in Infamy. When the news came down last week about Time Warner's plans for Internet Capping in Rochester...I remember feeling outraged and a little ambivalent at the same time. On one hand I sit and think "Man...that sux. I'm furious..." and then I think "They won't do it...they can't do it...that's nuts right?" Fast forwarding 9 days...I'm seeing now the truth. It's probably gonna happen...at least for awhile. Which has only infuriated me more. Time Warner is made up of people who's only goal is to make money. That should surprise ABSOLUTELY noone. To hear the words monopolistic, and unfair makes sense. It is...but they've got us by the short hairs here. TWC is made up of shareholders, corporate raiders, and executives who are being hit in this time by the 'economic downturn' (and by 'hit' I mean may need to only take 10 weeks of vacation in Bora Bora). So having them lo...

I woke up this morning...thankful for my friends. Such an odd statement coming from me. Especially given how little sometimes I truly know about being or having friends. Yet here I am...thankful for 'em. Most of my life...I've gone through my days thinking "why can't I have friends?...what's wrong with me?" I've said it before but I was a VERY AWKWARD geeky kid. VERY hard to get to know. I seemed to revel in being unlikable at times. Sure I desired it more than anything...but my actions and outlook seemed to cloud that. I'd make a stupid joke here that could be insulting...I'd ask a stupid question...I'd play dumb for a cheap laugh. I'd throw an insult at someone so then I'd then be backed into a corner where I usually tried to fight my way out (very badly I might add...I was NEVER a good fighter...I got one good one in once...with John Stambach in 7th grade...in Mr. Y's class...he was busting on me...pushes me and I punched him in...