Transparency

Here's a little more about me and why I am writing...
As my introduction states, I have been through a few pretty intense life-experiences thus far. I figure if I haven't learned at least a couple lessons along the way then I wouldn't even be here right now. What I'd really like to do is try to start a process of openness and transparency that can increase appropriately over time. More to the point, my goal in writing is to hopefully be a light where others in darkness can avoid the missteps I've taken and prevent the needless pain those missteps usually bring.
I intend to write candidly on my past and struggles with pornography. I wish to tell of my crisis of faith after my wife died leaving me with a 2-year old daughter. I will detail how I married a drug addict and survived co-dependency. I will admit that I cheated on the woman I took a vow to multiple times.
In sharing all this, I will certainly not miss detailing the utterly incredible power that I tapped into (finally) that got my life back on track.
Today, I have the most amazing woman on earth as my wife... who knows every single detail about me-- and still loves me incredibly. She even considers me with all my failings to be the BEST thing that ever happened to her (hear Ray LaMontagne in background:)! Think about that... (it'll hit you harder when I tell you a little bit more about both of us later).
For now, let me just end with this: The key to the beginning of my journey from darkness to light (turmoil to peace, weakness to power... whatever you need to hear for me to convey an A to Z experience) was a willingness to walk IN the light. That can mean a lot of things, but for now let's just say it means 'a complete willingness to embrace the TRUTH no matter what those consequences may mean.'
THAT is what I want to communicate!

A Portland Original (redux)

This evening I am taking my wife on a date to a legendary Portland establishment that is now BACK in existence after a short hiatus: The Braserrie Montmarte.
Think moderately priced french food, live jazz, escargot and.... magic (both literal and esoteric). I'll let you know how they stack up against the original.
We're dressed moderately nice and ready for some kid-free spouse time.
Au Revoir!

Hurricane Dodged, Back from Mexico

Today completes my first full week as a house spouse after returning home from our family trip to Playa del Carmen, Mexico (just south of Cancun).

What a way to celebrate the end of one's career, let me tell you!

We spent two weeks in a beachfront timeshare complex with some of my wife's family. And I mean it was RIGHT on the beach! It made it

doubly exciting when we had front row seats for Hurricane Ida. It actually turned out to be somewhat of a non-event as we realized we had a romantic

walk on the beach the night Ida actually passed us (perhaps 100 miles abeam us, beyond Cozumel). All we experienced were some heavy downpours,

the resulting mas grande mud puddles, and occasional gusty winds.

One of the absolute highlights of the trip-- and my LIFE-- was going scuba diving with my wife in a Yucatan cenote (the photo to the left was actually

taken of us on our dive). Cenotes are underground fresh water rivers that have been filtered by the limestone ground. You can see the utterly amazing clarity

of the water. There is no photo trickery here! What you see is what we got! There were fossils and caves that went on and on. It was breathtaking and I

highly recommend the experience for anyone who ever gets the chance. I am still amazed even looking at the photo now.

Takeoff and landing: An airline pilot becomes a stay-at-home Dad.

This is my first entry on my second attempt at blogging. If the third time's the charm, then this is a pointless waste of time. But time is what I have and writing is what I do, so let's just press on and see what we come up with. Off we go then!

As of eight days ago, I am a former major airline pilot and currently a full-time, stay-at-home Dad. My (former) airline gave me the chance to either be one of the most junior pilots on the property, or be furloughed (read "laid off"). When first notified of being let go, I was relieved because it's really quite hard to willingly give up a (close to) $100 grand per year job.

I say "relieved" because I had realized that being home to raise my two daughters was exactly what I had been waiting, hoping and praying about for almost two years. And now my chance had come. When the company called to tell me that there were enough volunteers to allow me to stay employed & flying, I literally said, "But I wanna leave!" And so I pretty much got the choice whether to stay or not. I was one of the lucky ones.

How can I be so lucky losing out on a nearly six-figure income you ask? And WILLINGLY?!? Am I crazy? Did I mention my wife is a doctor? A psychologist to be exact. And you'd have to ask her about my mental stability or lack thereof. She'd tell you.

So now, here I am at home with a sugar momma and two blonde princesses aged 10 and 3.

I have the world and a keyboard at my fingertips as I prayerfully consider what my future entails. I have some ideas, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. Right now it's time to get dinner started.

I'll c u tomorrow.

The Grounded House Spouse