I'm married. My wife is okay with the realms. I actually got her to play in two mafia games. I have helped her realize some really cool geekiness.

For example, she loves Doctor Who now.

My wife is making me sell all my clix. She found out how much I had spent this past year.

Also note, all roles have been sent out for UBelt Mafia and the game is scheduled to start Sunday Night.

So, because Life loves to keep you on your toes...

My parents got robbed today. Suddenly they decided maybe having a son connected to law enforcement wasn't such a nuisance after all (I have had my title changed from "paranoid" to "vigilant"). While my specialty lies in darker areas, know enough to advise them and apparently more than they ever wanted to know as I had to reel my mother in a bit. (Long before I became a mass casualty specialist I used to focus a bit on fraud so preparing them how to counter-act the possible identity theft heading their way at least let them feel I hadnt wasted all this time becoming some warped jack of all trades for nothing). On the other hand they seemed disappointed that it was hardly a case that was going to entail bringing out a full CSU like they see on TV. Go figure.

Must go see the Hallowe'en Horror at Universal Orlando: Evil Dead area and the basement from Cabin in the Woods!

Man, you guys make me not want to get married.

I'll be up there in mid October with the family, but that's not on the itinerary. Probably going to do Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure though. The Hulk coaster never gets old, and my son is now into Harry Potter, so we're gonna get a big dose of that stuff.

Not a bad time to introduce him to some of the influences - admitted or not - on Harry Potter, then (eg: Kaytek the Wizard). Nice sneaky way to maybe expand the ol' horizon.

Really, it's less about the institution of marriage and more about communication (or the lack thereof). In any relationship - be it professional or personal - communication is the key to peaceful coexistence. When that breaks down, whether it's due to the actions of one or both parties, things get messy.

Very well stated.

Communication is one of many key elements, it is true. Trust and respect must also be in the picture, though, as well as empathy and emotional support. It has been mentioned that there is a lot of hard work involved. The hard part is not realizing what it really takes until you are there. In some cases, challenges can be overcome and in others one must come to a realization that you can't make it work if it is broken and the other party is not willing. It's never a one-sided deal. All that having been said, it is also true that it can be a very rewarding experience and worth all of the pain. Personally, I have few or no regrets, especially when it comes to the fact that I have awesome kids as a result of the union.

That sucks.

That sucks as well.

Aren't we the cheerful bunch these days????

Good news - I heard from Citibank that they finally found and processed my paperwork so that I can withdraw money from my IRA account. This will allow me to pay back the $2,000 that we got as a loan from my mother-in-law to pay for my recent car repairs. It does mean a tax hit at the end of the year, but at least it solves the issue at hand. I hated having to borrow from the in-laws but had no other choice in the matter.

Is it Friday yet?

Exactly that. Communication failure was a big reason why my marriage did, in fact, fail.

Good luck Charles. I hope things get better for you and yours. It says a lot about you that you are willing to go to counseling to save your marriage. I admire your character and will be sending good thoughts your way my friend.

Charles I would echo the sentiments above. Of course my marriage never produced children but I put in a lot of hard work to try to save things before everything ended. At one point I finally realized she wasn't willing to try anymore and I was running out of my ability to try to meet her where she was at. We also since have both admitted we had no business getting married in the first place. We should have been friends at least first. We rushed into getting married and had 8 years of incompatibility that put even more strain on us making our marriage work.

Also I have no regrets over my last 8 years in reality as I grew up a lot as a person and learned some serious responsibility that I lacked when we got married. So while it went south and we didn't work out I will forever be grateful for how she helped me grow.