Day Three Hundred Sixty Six

Dear Readers,
      For a finale act, I will not be rambling on about what happened today or what I want to accomplish this next year.  No resolutions or false hopes.  Just a semi eulogy to my beard.  It is a sad day to think that it will be going away.  I have a feeling that my face will be cold for some time and a state of depression will be setting in.  The cold will be a constant reminder of what I have lost.  So much so that I don't think I can continue on.  So, without further ado, here is a few comments and memories from family and friends.  I'll let them do the talking for my final blog.  Enjoy.

      Beloved Beard Oh how we'll miss you B is for Bad - Bad to the Bone!  E is for Especially sorry to see you go!  A is for Always being there (literally on your face)  R is for ReDONKulous -(even scarey at times)  and D is for David - Beard you served him well in 2012...
Love, Lisa V

Mr Barbasol,
Go easy on Mr D. You can take beard off the man but you can't take the man off the beard. The bearded wonder has represented well in 2012. The beard will forever and always will be a symbol of loyalty, commitment, faithfulness and patriotic stamina of what one man can do to lift up the moral of a nation.
In the tradition of Duck Dynasty, be well my friend.
-Carlos MDV

I'm so glad to see the pubic hair attached to Dave's face disappear. He finally did it. Something I couldn't do. Is it because I'm not man enough? Or is it because Dave has never really felt like a man so he had to take on a challenge of having the overgrown weeds take over his face like the outfield in a school yard during summer vacation? I'm guessing that when he shaves there's going to be a stench that comes from the face of a boy we once knew as Dave. Now, in 2013 he has finally become a man. Long live the beard my friend. Long live the beard. :)
Shaved,
Matt

LoveBug~
I just want to say that I am so proud of you that you blogged for a whole year and stuck to your commitment. (even though you were late....sometimes) It was interesting, funny, and sometimes you exaggerated....but most of all we all got to see a deeper side of your quiet, mumbly self.   You are so cute! I love you brother!
P.S. Long live the beard! One more year! One more year!
Love,
your favorite sister Yoli


It was a great run. The power of your beard took the mighty 9ers to the playoffs! To bad that after you shave the power of the beard will die and the hopes of a superbowl victory along with it. HAHAHA!!!
Well there is always next year.
-TheeSkully

To my dearest hot friend...
I am thankful for you and how happy you make my best friend. I am thankful for a great year full of many fun memories with you guys. I am thankful to have read your blog and learned new things about you. I am most thankful that you will be SHAVING THAT BEARD!! I feel like it is my birthday and Christmas all rolled into one <3 It was a good run bearded wonder but we are glad it is done! Happy 2013 David Ortega.
Love,
Liz Allen (the one who would not sign your petition...sigh)

Dave...
     Well, what can I say...I have not been "as fan" of this blog as you have been. You have no idea how nice it will be to be able to be around you and not have to be on edge...wondering if I will do something that will be worthy enough to make the blog. Now that you no longer have "free range" to write what ever you feel like (which most of the time it consisted of ..badly phrased, misspelled boring content of a guy and his beard). It will be nice to have you back to the Dave I first met..quiet and BEARDLESS!!! It has been such an honor to be mentioned so many, many, many, times in your blogs that I will have to print them out and put them in a "Vanilla Folder" and maybe they will even make a 'Shmovie" out of it. Congrats on this accomplishment, you actually finished something, as opposed to your your College Education. Thanks for all the Love! It has been a great adventure this, cant wait to see what next year brings!!!
Love,
Brooke

Dear Readers....err..Dave,
I have to admit it was pretty impressive to see how you turned your desire to grow out your beard for a year into an experience for a number of people from so many places (even if the blogging aspect was Raina's idea). I'm glad I could give you some material to talk about when things started to get slow (just happy to do my part). Now that your dream is over, I hope that you will be able to find inspiration in something else to give your 2013 some meaning. Since you are cutting off your beard, and training for your next marathon, I figured I would leave you with a quote I found:

-Brandon

Dear Beard,
I think you are weird...
You are not to be feared...
Get to close to a fire and you will be seared...
Happy New Year!!
-Kelly
a.k.a. "Nancy Negative"
a.k.a. "Debbie Downer"

Dave, Beard Bashers will reign on.  Thanks for all the stories and humor.  I did sign for that cart.  Pewackle's ride on.
Eat it,
Jones

To the Beard on the eve before your death....I will not miss you, I do not hate to see you go, I will rejoice when you are gone.  You have taken over my husbands face for far too long and I can not wait to have him back to normal.....But I will miss reading this blog daily.  This blog has been a highlight to my year.  I loved diving deeper into my husbands soul a little bit everyday. The world got to know you as I have always known that you are smart, funny, witty, sarcastic, loving and kind. It is so special that our 2012 year has been documented for us to remember the fun things that we have accomplished (our first half marathon, your spartan race, our trips we have taken, and fun times with family and friends). I will miss reading about your day and learning facts that you forgot to share with me.  But most of all I admire you for your commitment to blog every day for 366 days. WOW! You have challenged me to be a better person. I know that you are sad to be shaving, but we have some really fun and exciting things planned for 2013. And for you, my dear David, your last and final Christmas present..I have found this company that will turn your blog into a book so that we will forever be able to remember the Year of the Beard.
  I love you,
Raina

This Day In History: 1929
Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians play Auld Lang Syne as a New Year's Eve song for the first time, at the Hotel Roosevelt Grill in New York City.

Born This Day: 1937
Sir Anthony Hopkins - Academy Award winning English actor.

"We all have dreams, in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort."

-Jesse Owens

New Years Pictures.

Don't know how we held on as long as we did.

Brandon looks awesome with a beard.

It's late. Can you tell?

One final picture before the shave. After our six mile run.

I think I see tears in my eyes.

Day Three Hundred Sixty Five

Dear Readers,
     Only two days left. I can't believe I am almost at the end of this facial hair journey. Not to mention all the typing I have done. I wonder how many pages it would all add up to if I were to put it all together and print it all out. It is probably more then I typed up through my entire high school years. Especially since I didn't know how to type back then. I didn't learn until late in my senior year and into college. Now I can type on the computer, on the laptop, on my phone and I can speak it and it can be transformed into typed words. So many options. It's amazing what technology has changed. Everything is so much more immediate and creates impatience in us. We are so used to getting everything now. I can get my current events and sports updates to the second. No more waiting for the next days newspaper or listening to the radio for updates. Just amazing to see the breakneck speed at how technology is advancing. Makes you wonder where we are going to be even ten or fifteen years from now.
      It was another day of Christmas in the Ortega household. Celebrating with Kailee and watching her open all her gifts. She spent Christmas with her mom and didn't get to spend it with all of us this year. So we set aside this day to spend it with her. A feast of enchiladas, rice and beans. Even ceviche as an appetizer. A Mexican Christmas. Top it all off with some of Raina's wonderful coffee cake and it was another wonderful family evening. Only one day left of this 2012 and family and friends are exactly who I want to spend that time with. Them and my beard. Only one full day left of my winter coat. It's going to be cold after that. I have decided to go ahead and trim it down. Shave the beard and bring the goatee out of retirement. I have to take a passport photo soon and I definitely don't want to have it during our trip to Europe. I don't want to get "randomly" selected for a screening every time we get on a plane or train. I will probably get treated differently in that part of the world then I do here. I have a feeling they don't have as much love for the beard out there. So, I am sad to see it go, but I think it is going to have to be a necessity. If it weren't for our trip, I might have just forced my way and kept it. I think Raina may have planned that way without me realizing. Tricky wife.

This Day In History: 1916
Rasputin, the "mad monk," is assassinated by two relatives of Czar Nickolas II. Rasputin, who had exercised considerable influence over Czarina, was shot and beaten after poison failed to kill him.

Born This Day: 1865
Rudyard Kipling - Nobel Prize winning Indian born English author and poet. (The Jungle Book)

"Take everything you like seriously, except yourself."

-Rudyard Kipling

Yup, this is what they told me too.

Day Three Hundred Sixty Four

Dear Readers,
     Wow, what a day. It started out as a lazy day. The rain changed our plans and made both Raina and I crave for a day curled up under the blankets with a good book. We had planned to go for a run, but as soon as we were about ready to go, the downpour showed up. It was perfect timing for Raina, because she was trying to convince me to stay in bed with her. She wasn't ready to leave the warmth just yet. So, she got her wish. I changed back into pajamas and curled up. It didn't last long though. Between Raina wanting breakfast and my two nephews being over the house, I didn't get much rest. I made a Mexican American breakfast of potatoes and refried beans. With a stack of tortillas of course. Just the way Raina and I like it. After breakfast and getting the kids playing something to keep them occupied, I though I would finally get my chance to warm up under the blankets and bust out my kindle to finish The Hobbit. Just as I started to warm up, Raina was getting ready to leave, to take Micah to get a haircut. It has been forever since his last one and my sister, Yoli, had been dreading taking him, because it is a huge ordeal to take him without him having a meltdown. So Raina agreed to go with her. I liked his long hair and didn't want them to cut it. They hated it though. Now he hardly has any hair. Like he just finished his basic training for the Marines or something. Poor kid. Back to my point though. Raina ditched me just when I thought it was going to be a nice lazy day at home together. Brandon timed his phone call to me just right too. He had called to ask if I wanted to go with him and Brooke to visit her grandfather. You see he has an awesome wooodshop in his garage and I have been wanting to check it out. If Brandon had called about twenty minutes earlier, I might have said no, but since I was getting ditched, I figured why not. So I got out of the warmth of my bed to get ready in the cold world. Then waited for my ride.
      Brooke's grandfather is an awesome woodsmith. I was not disappointed with my trip over there. He is an old man but still putts around in the woodshop. I think they said 93. That's pretty amazing in and of itself. Then I got to see some of his works of art. Beautiful wood jars and bowls and an assortment of furniture items. End tables and cabinets and even grandmother clocks. Everything was so precise and detailed and finished beautifully. My favorite pieces had to be his boxes he made for jewelry and mail and other things. Some of the wood was spectacular and was finished so nicely you could almost mistake it for polished marble. It was awesome. The best part about touring his house was the stories. Everything had a story to it and was done by himself. And this is just a hobby for him. I love that all the furniture had a story to it. It means so much more then when you go pick it up at your local department store. I had a great time. I thank Brooke for sharing her grandfather with me even though it is just a little bit of him. It was even great to hear him give Brooke a hard time about things too. She had a habit of asking how old everything was and eventually he told her he can't remember how old everything was. Telling her "What kind of a question is that?". It was awesome. Brandon and I weren't the only ones picking on her. It just earned him an even more special place in my heart.
      So, even though I had to get out of my comfortable bed and see the light of day when I didn't want to, I'm glad I did. It turned into a pretty great day.

This Day In History: 1607
After listening to the pleas of his daughter, Pocahontas, Chief Powhatan of Virginia spares the life of English settler John Smith.

Born This Day: 1800
Charles Goodyear - American inventor of vulcanized rubber.

"It's very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners.  Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit."

-George Sheehan

Preach it Calvin!

Day Three Hundred Sixty Three

Dear Readers,
      Day two of working over my vacation. It is a rough one today. Sitting in my truck, planning out our trip to London and trying to finish The Hobbit. Now I can even get some work done on my blog. These are hard days. Okay, you and I both know that isn't true, but I'm going to make the most of it before I go back to real work and having to live out of a dufflebag for a week. I'm really not looking forward to that. So, easy overtime today and time spent with my wife tonight and tomorrow. I hear it is pot roast night. Looking forward to that. Picking up the meat on my way home.  
      Okay, I have already had dinner now and it was fabulous. I should have taken a picture of the finished product, but I was too excited and forgot about it. A pile of mashed potatoes topped off with beef pot roast and then smothered with a sauce Raina makes from the pot roast juices and vegetables.  Delicious. I have only had the pleasure of the pot roast twice now since I bought her the Dutch oven.  I can't wait until she finds another recipe to try out. It probably won't happen until we get our house. Just a little incentive to hurry up and get our own home. Hopefully it will bring out the cook in my wife again. It might help if she wasn't working so much too.
      Our dinner date in turned into a family event. First, my mom ended up babysitting my two nephews, Joseph and Joshua. They are staying the night. Then, Yoli found out that Raina was busting out a little Julia Child in herself and decided she wanted in on it. So, Matt and Yoli and Micah also made the trek over here. Making it one full house. Thankfully, there was enough food for everyone and even enough for leftovers. It transformed our night together into a hectic mess of kids and food and a little bit of Lego's. All great fun. I had a blast playing Lego's with Joseph. Even though it was mostly me just building his toy for him so that he could play it. Taking me back to my childhood. Also making me wish I had my Lego's so I could build again. It isn't playing with, it is building. Being an architect. Design and construction. Adults don't play Lego's. At least that is my way of justifying what I do. I think there are plenty others out there who would agree.
This Day In History: 1945
The U.S. Pledge of Allegiance is officially recognized by Congress.

Born This Day: 1954
Denzel Washington - Academy Award winning American actor.
2006 - Janie Garrard - One of the kids Raina has babysat for since birth pretty much.

"Insanity is hereditary--you get it from your children."

-Sam Levenson

Man I wanted to be an archeologist when I was a kid. If this were real I just might have.

Day Three Hundred Sixty Two

Dear Readers,
      Okay, our European vacation is becoming even more of a reality.  The hotel rooms are booked for London and Paris.  Next on the agenda, is to book our hotel for our one night excursion to the beaches of Normandy and to book our rental car.  Yes, we will be driving around in France for a day.  Trying to figure out how to drive around the country a little bit.  I have heard that France drives on the same side of the street as us here in America.  I didn't know that.  I am pretty sure that the cars may still have the drivers drive on the opposite side of the car though.  I won't know for sure until we get out there.  Just another adventure we will be working through.  It just adds to the excitement and fun, even though it looks like we may end up driving around a tiny Fiat.  As long as it gets us from point A to point B.  Right?
      I went back to work today for a little bit of overtime.  It was probably one of my easiest days at work in a really long time.  Working basically as an inspector while the contractor does all the hard work.  I had to keep them in line.  Not really, I just had to make sure they got the proper parts and shut the water off for them to be able to do their work.  Pretty boring stuff, but it gave me a chance to read some of my book, The Hobbit.  Just trying to take advantage of any free time I can find.  Including trying to get this blog done without falling asleep.  Which I have already done a couple of times tonight.  My point is, I spent some time sitting in the work truck today and I get more of the same tomorrow.  Taking my book with me.  Maybe I will even start my blog up while sitting there.  I am hoping for an early day, so that I can come home to Raina quickly.  Get to spend a little time with her.  She says she wants to make dinner tomorrow, and I am all for it.  She's gonna pull out the Dutch Oven and cook up a pot roast.  Yum.  Looking forward to a wonderful night in with my beautiful bride.

This Day In History: 1968
U.S. Apollo 8, the first manned mission to the moon, returns safely to Earth after a historic six day journey.

Born This Day: 1822
Louis Pasteur - French scientist who discovered that most diseases are caused by germs and who developed the pasteurization process.

"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another."

-Walter Elliot

How cool is that?  Droids in Egyptian history.

Day Three Hundred Sixty One

Dear Readers,
     Here I am, finally catching up.  I have been trying to do this for what seems like forever.  It is 10:30PM at night and Raina is watching one of her shows.  So I am not distracted by the TV.  Although, some of the meals on Top Chef can be distracting to me, even though I am not hungry at all right now.  I guess I could have done this so much earlier today, but it was just one of those lazy days for me after the hectic four of five days we have had.  Even though my poor wife had to go back to work today.  I am sure she was just a little bit jealous of me for it.  That's okay though, because I go back to work tomorrow, by choice.  I didn't have to, but I decided to make a little extra money by working the next couple of days.  Have to save up for our trip.  The plan is in motion.  The plane tickets are purchased.  We have our luggage now and possibly a nice carry on for the plane.  I just have to double check the carry on size to make sure it isn't too big.  Next is the purchase of our train tickets and then booking hotels.  Yup, it will be three nights in London and then a train through the chunnel into Paris.  Then immediately to a town near Normandy beaches so we can stay the night and get an early start to check out all the historical sites of the most intriguing part of history.  At least to me.  Probably near the top of my list, if not the top of the list, for things I want to see on our trip.  If I could, I would take a tour of nothing but World War II sites.  Unfortunately, I would bore my wife to tears on the first day.  That's alright though, because there are plenty of things we both want to see and do together.  I'm very excited and am so very looking forward to it.  We have our travel books now.  I bought them for Raina for Christmas and they are already being marked up with sticky notes.  One book for London.  One for Paris.  And one for all of France.  Raina also got a small book of all the best pastry shops in Paris.  I think there is a chance we come back just a few pounds heavier.  It's gonna be a vacation.  Might as well try everything.  You don't know if you will ever be back, so make the most of it.  Carpe Diem!  I can't wait.

This Day In History: 1941
Winston Churchill becomes the first British prime minister to address the U.S. Congress.  He urged the legislative body to back President Franklin D. Roosevelt's proposal that America become the "great arsenal of democracy."

Born This Day: 1893
Mao Zedong - Chinese communist revolutionary and founding father of the People's Republic of China.

"The will to win means nothing if you haven't the will to prepare."

-Juma Ikangaa

Ha ha. Where do I get a tree like that?

Day Three Hundred Sixty

Dear Readers,
     Merry Christmas everybody! It is day number three of our Christmas marathon. Getting up early in the morning and loading up all the gifts into the car and heading over to Raina's mom's house. This time it started with the unwrapping station. Gifts and gifts and more gifts. Of course I got some more of my favorite gifts. Books!  One about the assassination of Lincoln and another about the Kennedy assassination. Both things that interest me. I got some sweet new Star Wars t-shirts. An awesome comic book and an even more awesome drawing of Darth Vader. It is a one of a kind vintage art work. Okay, it isn't vintage, but it is one of a kind and it was done by my sister in law, Brooke, as my Christmas gift. I am going to get it framed and ready for my mancave when Raina and I finally get our house. I also have another special gift on its way. It is a personalized bobble head. It will be me as a bobble head. How cool is that? I think it was just the year of personalized gifts, because I got a personalized Spartan book from Brent and Yvonne. A picture book of our adventures as Spartans in Malibu. All kinds of pictures that I didn't even know about along with captions. It was funny and special. Another great year of gifts.
      My brother in law, Brent, has been all about buying things that are made in America. Supporting his country. So Raina and I decided that we needed to get him stuff that was made in this great country of ours. To the point of making a little booklet of all the things we would have liked to have gotten him but couldn't because they weren't made in America. Including a pair of Vans, a Callaway driver, and a Porsche. All made outside of the good old U S of A. So we resorted to a shirt and a cup from the Made In America store. And a Home Depot gift card so he could make something himself in America. Have to support our country.
      It was a wonderful day with family and games. Playing Apples to Apples and watching some Indiana Jones. Raina doesn't like when the TV is on while we are playing games though. She says that I always get distracted. I don't get distracted easily. At least I don't think I do. So sue me for trying to multitask. It was a fun three days and it is a little sad that it is all over. One of our favorite times of the year and it is already over. Only one week left of my vacation from work. Not looking forward to going back and right into another week of standby. Just trying to enjoy my vacation and maybe get a few workouts in.

This Day In History:1776
During the American Revolutionary War, General George Washington crosses the Delaware River with 2,400 troops.

Born This Day: 1642
Sir Isaac Newton - English mathematician who discovered the binomial theorem, the method of fluxions and the law of gravitation.

"The pain of discipline is far less then the pain of regret."

-Sarah Bombell

Christmas pictures.

Ready for presents.

Now we are ready for our trip.

Awesome tools and my new shirt. My sister didn't like it so much.

Thanks Brooke for the sweet picture.

My Spartan Book.

My favorite page in the book.