From An Introvert’s Corner

About

Welcome and thanks for visiting. My name is Karl and I live Maryland, USA. I’m a husband and father of two kids. I work for the federal government as an IT Specialist/Project Coordinator. When not working, I like to read and play games (mainly on PlayStation). I’m a hobbyist photographer and guitarist though I have been slacking on both.

I’ll be sharing whatever is on my mind . Thanks for visiting.

recent posts

    From An Introvert’s Corner

    Random Thoughts from a Moody Introvert

    • “Going off the rails on a crazy train”

      This past week, I’ve truly felt like I was on a crazy train or a roller coaster with various twists and turns. It’s become the norm lately when you work for the federal government here in the US with the current administration. However, there is the personal life, your family, your house, etc. that gets thrown in the mix like a smoothie in a blender.

      My crazy week started last Saturday and went into the early morning of Sunday. As a person especially a parent, the one thing you hope to never hear is “go to the ER or emergency room”. Those were the words I heard when I took my son to urgent care.

      He hadn’t been feeling well and even got sick. We thought it was just a bug because the following week he was fine then the nauseous feeling came back the following weekend. We started off at urgent care but eventually spent the evening and Sunday morning at the emergency room.

      I dread going to the emergency room because it generally means a 6 hour visit. Visits to the ER have become a bit of a norm especially with my wife given her health issues. The ER is often crowded and a lot of waiting. Patience has never been one of my strongest traits. I would like to think I’ve gotten better with age but I still struggle.

      Back to my son, after 4 hours we left the ER and went home. Blood work, CAT scan, and other tests showed nothing majorly wrong. Maybe a possible abominable infection. As I write this, my son is still not feeling well and going back to the doctor again this afternoon.

      To add another loop to the crazy train ride, I mentioned in post https://fromanintrovertscorner.blog/2025/08/02/joys-of-home-ownership/ that I was trying to get my fence replace and I was on my second company. The second company came out for a free estimate and I haven’t heard a damn thing since. Phones are disconnected and they don’t respond to emails or contact forms. Buh bye. I’ll take my money elsewhere. Seriously though, how does anyone run a company like that? I’m bringing business your way and you don’t want it? They were very responsive when I initially asked for the estimate though. On to the next company.

      To add a nice little cherry to the top, I got called yesterday on my day off for a work emergency. While I’ll get paid for the work, I really wish I could take a day off without being bugged for an issue. It’s stressful enough when I am working. I need to disconnect and just enjoy some time off. Lately it doesn’t feel that way. It feels like a burden to even take a day off.

      I’m off today and hoping I won’t get bugged. Hopefully this ride of a week is in the home stretch without any more twists or turns.

    • What Brings Me Peace? A quiet house

      Daily writing prompt
      What brings you peace?
      View all responses

      Since the start of the year, I’ve been trying to find ways to keep my mental health in check. My job has become increasingly stressful and when I get home I need a way to decompress.

      Several years ago, I would decompress by playing video games. There was nothing like a good round of Call of Duty getting in head shots to make you feel better right? Of course that changed when my son took over the PlayStation and started playing all the time.

      Lately, I get home, change clothes, and just sit in a quiet house. No noise, wife is taking a nap, and my kids are doing there thing in other parts of the house. I just sit on the couch and listen to the silence. Sometimes, I’ll read a book though. Depends on my mood at that time. I may also even watch some TV.

    • “Joys” of Home Ownership

      As a kid, I was immune or naive as to what my parents went through to maintain the house we lived in. I was in my own little world, living life, having fun, and no cares in the world because I knew my parents had things covered.

      As a father, husband, and home owner for 25 years, I never realized how much went into maintaining the home. Getting the AC/heat looked at, water heater replaced, etc. I wish I had paid a little more attention to what my parents went through so that all of this wouldn’t have been so shocking.

      One of the other “joys” in owning a home is the fence surrounding our small backyard. We live in a 3 story townhouse. We bought it 25 years ago from my sister-in-law. The house itself is about 30 years old and so is the fence.

      The fence has been slowly getting worse and worse condition. I knew it was ultimately going to have to get replaced but I applied “band aids” to it to keep it upright. Well it finally got to a point where I need to replace it.

      One of those “joys” is finding a company to replace it and hopefully replace our deck as well. So far I have contacted two companies and it hasn’t worked out. The first company charged a ridiculous amount of money to replace the deck and the fence. Then they said the couldn’t replace the fence without tearing down the deck. Yeah right. Sounds like a scheme to me.

      The second company came out for a free estimate two weeks ago and I haven’t heard anything from them since. When I try contacting them, their phone numbers are disconnected and the only way I’ve been able to reach them is through a contact form. It’s been nothing but crickets since.

      I’m now looking for a third company that will hopefully replace my fence. I never thought it would be this difficult. I guess that’s what all homeowners go through at some point right?

    • Law Enforcement

      Daily writing prompt
      What profession do you admire most and why?
      View all responses

      This was a tough question. I was torn between law enforcement or medical. Both fields require working with the public and different personalities. I would say though that I do admire law enforcement mainly police officers the most.

      With law enforcement though, there is a require for restraint and de-escalating a situation. There’s no way I could be a police officer. I would get in trouble really fast.

      I’m a fan of the show On Patrol Live which documents police officers on duty. They deal with a variety of things and often deal with difficult people. It’s a great show and really gives you perspective on what officers go through.

      If I were in their shoes, you might as well throw me in jail because some of these people need to get smacked around and have some common sense beat into them. I wouldn’t have the patience these officers do. I guess that’s why they go through their training.

      While I do support police officers, I don’t support all of the things they do. They are supposed to keep the peace and protect the public. Like other professions, there are bad apples and their are some bad officers who should be held to the same level of justice as the public. That’s not often the case though. As police unions and sometimes judges let the office easy.

      Still, I do admire their dedication and service. It’s not an easy job and frankly we need more police officers enforcing the law.

    • Happy Gilmore 2

      I’m not the biggest Adam Sandler fan. I didn’t see any of his SNL shows when he was on so I only see him in the movies. With his movies, it’s more of a love/hate relationship. It depends on the character he’s playing. For example, I hated Little Nicky and Hubie Halloween but I loved The Waterboy along with the Grown Ups movies including the second one I’ll admit.

      One of my favorite movies of his though is Happy Gilmore. It’s an iconic, hilarious film. Hockey player turned golfer with a short temper Adam Sandler style. I mean come on.

      When I heard they were making a sequel, I was skeptical. I admitted earlier that I like Grown Ups 2 but it was really not as good as the first one. The second film had a mess of a plot filled with child like pranks that I admit gave me some laughs.

      With the making of Happy Gilmore 2, I was hoping that it wouldn’t be screwed up and would be done right unlike what was done with Grown Ups. Happy Gilmore was a successful movie and a beloved character.

      To my surprise, the sequel was better than expected but not as good as the first one. As usual, Adam Sandler had his usual supporting cast in this film like he does with the other films and had some throwback references to the first Gilmore film. He also had some of the top PGA golfers in the film as well.

      I don’t want to spoil the film but it was funny and if are a fan of the first one definitely watch this one.

    • New Fantastic Four Movie

      I’m not sure why but I never got into comics growing up. I also watched the super hero shows on TV like The Incredible Hulk, Batman, and Superman. In fact the only two super heroes that I cared about where Batman and Superman.

      I didn’t know much about the Marvel super heroes except The Incredible Hulk and Spideman. I had and still have no clue who all the super heroes are in the Marvel or the DC universe. Maybe I had a depraved childhood but I just wasn’t really into the whole super hero genre.

      With the release of the new Fantastic Four movie with Pedro Pascal, my son really wanted to see this while I was meh on it. I remember watching the two Fantastic Four movies with Jessica Alba. They were good but not great. With this new movie, I felt like Hollywood was using the same recycled movie formula for the next generation which really frustrates me.

      Anyway, my son and I went to see it yesterday. My son loved it but for me it was good not great. The movie takes place during the 50s or 60s I guess. We get a anticlimactic recap of how the foursome got their super powers and the different villains they defeated which apparently only happens in one city for whatever reason. Yet the rest of the world knows who they are which didn’t make sense to me.

      Maybe if I read more of the comics I would have a better understanding of who the Fantastic Four really are but the movie dragged halfway through but picked up when we meet Galactus a giant metal…thing that destroys planets. The foursome have to find a way to stop him or it from destroying Earth.

      Overall, the movie is good. Not sure it was worth paying the money to see in the theater but at least I got some bonding time with my son.

    • Remembering Hulk Hogan

      For any kid growing up in the 80s, you knew who Hulk Hogan was. He was the guy that made wrestling popular. He made wrestling cool. He made you believe taking your vitamins and saying your prayers was the success to life. He was an icon.

      As a kid, I did the poses and would often say “watcha going do to when Hulkamania runs wild on you brother!”. He was an idol of mine and I loved watching him wrestle or I should say entertain.

      Whenever he got “injured”, I was sad. My hero was hurt and wouldn’t wrestle. I was a kid then I didn’t realize wrestling was scripted. I thought it was real. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.

      As the years went on, I would continue to watch wrestling off and on. Wrestling was still kind of cool but it got cooler when Hogan turned heel or bad guy and formed the NWO. That’s when the WCW vs WWE wars started happening. Wrestling was going to get hotter and it was a great time to be a wrestling fan.

      You wanted to hate Hogan and the NWO but they were just so cool. Who doesn’t love the bad guys right? Plus on the WWE side, you had Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, etc. It was fun to watch and flip channels because you never knew what was going to happen.

      As the years went on, I was watching wrestling less and Hogan wasn’t on TV as much. I began reading wrestling autobiographies and reading more about the wrestling business. I was learning more about Hogan and how he did “business” off camera.

      One of the autobiographies I read was Bret Hart’s book “Wrestling with Shadows”. He talked about wrestling Hogan and how Hogan didn’t want to drop the title or do “business” which is wrestler’s speak. My respect level for Hogan started to diminish.

      In reading stories on wrestling sites and watching many different biography shows on wrestling or wrestlers, I was seeing a more negative side to Hogan his business savvy. Was the childhood hero I adored a selfish and egotistical prick? Maybe that’s the way the shows wanted to present and I’m just too naive.

      Yet with his passing, I see these tributes from his fellow wrestlers saying thank you for what he did to their career or helping them with a personal situation. Were the shows wrong and trying to make him look bad?

      I never met Hulk Hogan so I don’t know what type of person he really was. I’m conflicted though. He did a lot for kids in his wrestling career but his post wrestling career has had controversy. He didn’t have much of a relationship with his daughter, if TMZ is to be believed. He was recorded on audio saying the n word and didn’t seem to be remorseful for saying it or trying to make things right. Then there is his involvement with President Trump which speaks for itself.

      I want to remember Hulk Hogan as the guy who made my childhood fun and make wrestling cool twice in his career. Those are the things I want to remember.

      Should he be on the Mount Rushmore of wrestling? Absolutely. He was an entertainer and put wrestling on the map. Without him, I don’t think wrestling would be what it is today. He needs to be respected for that at least.

      Thank you Hulk for making wrestling cool and for all the memories.

    • More Civil Conversations

      Daily writing prompt
      What would you change about modern society?
      View all responses

      When I saw this question, the first thing that popped in my mind was civility and the loss of civil conversations.

      Maybe there is civil conversations in person but there sure isn’t any on social media where keyboard warriors hide behind their phones, laptops, or tablets.

      The ugliness of politics and political rhetoric has certainly caused most of the uncivlity.

    • Whirlwind of a Week…It’s Only Wednesday Too

      Today maybe only Wednesday but it’s been a long week already. As I was getting ready to leave for work on Monday, my wife said I didn’t have to go and I get to take her to the ER. Something that you didn’t want to hear. All of the sudden, my routine for getting for work went up in smoke and I began to panic. I took her to the hospital because she had problems breathing and they wanted to keep her for a few days. Thankfully she came home today and is doing much better.

      Three years ago, she went in for a procedure (sorry I don’t remember the name of it at the moment) and found out she was a ticking time bomb. She had a 95% blockage or something like that in her heart. She didn’t leave the hospital and had to have a triple bypass heart surgery. It was one of the scariest times of my life and I’m sure my kids but they were strong and didn’t show it. When she went away for that 6 hour surgery I was on edge. Would there be complications with the surgery and would I see my wife again? Thankfully the surgery went well but the recovery has been very slow going.

      This latest visit to the hospital wasn’t serious thankfully but she just needs to take one of her med more regularly. She had some fluid in her lungs and that was the issue.

      My kids and I are glad she is home now and thankful for the doctors who took care of her. Although they seem to forget about her when she got discharged because they were supposed to wheel her out so that I could pick her up.

      Just another small reminder how precious life is

    • Scribbles from a Crowded Mind

      I don’t know who will read this or see it.  For all I know, I’m just writing this for my own mental health into the black void of the internet.

      My mind has been spinning the past few days.  So much on my mind.  So many questions, not enough answers.  Mentally, I’m in the decline again which happens often.

      My mental state started on the decline on Wednesday or Thursday (honestly can’t remember at this point), when my daughter and I got into a big fight. It was over current living conditions and emotions ran hot.  Rather than taking the high road and letting things calm down, I ultimately said something things that I really regret and tried taking back but my free spirited, pistol of a daughter wanted nothing of it.

      4 days later, my daughter barely says anything to me.  She doesn’t even communicate with me through text.  I feel like I should try to apologize again but I don’t.  When I tried apologizing, she didn’t accept it and basically told me to go away.  Maybe things would be better if I wasn’t around.  Sorry for typing that but that’s kind of how I’m feeling.

      To add onto my mental state, is the ongoing shit show with the orange idiot and his administration.  I probably should stop saying that as a employee of the government but that’s honestly how I’m feeling right now.  Everyday there is something new and it’s becoming to much.  I should disconnect and not read the news but then I wouldn’t know what’s going on.

      As if that isn’t enough, I’m trying to work on getting my fence replaced in my backyard.  God, I hate owning a home sometimes.  So much to do to keep in great shape.  Little by little things are falling apart.

      Thankfully, we have money to pay for it but I wish I didn’t have to spend it on a fence.  I wish I was in a bigger house.  I wish I could snap my fingers and have a clean house.  I wish, I wish, I wish….
      Ahh…maybe I need to up the dosage on my Lexapro.  Maybe that 10mg isn’t enough and I need a higher dosage.  Maybe I just need that kick in the ass to motivate me to be a better person overall.
      Maybe I’m just feeling this way because of what I said to my daughter and I need to find a way to rectify that first.  I just really don’t want to hear her say “fuck you” again or “you’re piece of shit” which got me pissed off in the first place.

      Here’s to happier days.  To whoever in the Internet void reads this, thanks for reading.