Rick Beeman

Please keep in mind I’ve only gone through the first three seasons of Mad Med. I just recently downloaded season 4. So don’t be a spoiler. One of the things about living overseas is I don’t see broadcast television. I don’t miss it at all. Except maybe the sporting events, even then I subscribe to NFL.com, and MLB.com so I don’t miss much. When there is a particular tv series, I will go to the video store and rent the DVD. I watched LOST, most of 24, Heroes, Prison Break and a few others. I can usually go through an entire season in a week or two. I do stay abreast of the entertainment culture quite closely through the likes of Yahoo, and IMDB. So I heard about the buzz of Mad Men and have been waiting to catch up on it. I should confess enjoying Mad Men is a bit of a guilty pleasure as I will explain shortly. Those of you international readers that don’t know, Mad Men is an extremely popular TV show in the US that takes place in the early 1960’s out of an ad...

I think it happened on the way home from the metro. I was walking over the bridge over the marina on my way home. I had just seen a movie and celebrated thanksgiving by sneaking in a Turkey and Cranberry sandwich into “The Next Three Days” which prompted me to immediately text Jennifer to let her know if she’s every falsely imprisoned for murder I’d help her break out too. I had called my children to leave a message telling each one that I loved them and what I was thankful for about them. Then I even said I was thankful to their mom and stepfather that I was even thankful for them because I knew they loved them and were trying to raise the kids the best way they knew how. But what really got me…was that I absolutely meant it. I know in this blog I’ve complained about their actions and choices before, but Im trying to look past that. The message was given in all sincerity without the trace bit of sarcasm. As I walked over the bridge, a sense of overwhelming peace and...

What a great day it was. I had like four blog worthy items happen today. I knew that this was going to be a very busy week. But everything thus far has fallen together perfectly. I remember before the craziness started on Sunday (the first day of the work week) that I was so busy that it was essential that I had my time with God. So Ive been following my devotionally routine religiously (is that a pun?). So far everything has fallen together very nice. Last night was a late night at the edit facility. We had to finish and get a video approved. So the PR guy and I went over the project to what we thought was acceptable then sent it via youtube and waited. Keep in mind this was the end of the day, 6:00PM and we were both exhausted. Finally the word came back to make two changes. In video, when you make two changes essentially you have to do the project over again, remix the music, export files, compress, reauthor the DVD, reburn the dvd, etc. We finally got i...

It has been a very trying day. Actually it has been a really tough week. Im just filled with a deep deep sorrow today. I really miss my kids. Its tough because other than email I have no way of contacting them. I try to call, but my calls are not returned. I know they will see the truth of my heart someday, Im just not looking forward to the wait. What I can’t understand is that its been over four years since my divorce…why do they still harbor and teach so much animosity toward me over there? I have so much I can offer my children but Im just frustrated that I’ve been ostracized. I really miss being a dad. Alienation sucks. This is going to be a big week or month for us production wise. I was able to purchase a lot of broadcast production equipment from the US when I was visiting Jennifer. I can get most electronics about 40% cheaper in the US than here. So I came back with about $7000 worth of lights, mics, and edit systems. The light kit I purcha...

I have mentioned this previously but I believe it bears repeating. I believe that God uses this blog to bless and minister to other people. I believe that God speaks through me when I write this blog as well. That said, I am pretty candid about my pain and my ex wife of course objects to how she is represented. I only speak of my feeling and her actions/choices. I have never spoke of her character in this forum. But she does read this blog every day with her husband sometimes multiple times a day. When I write something disparaging about her actions she will have the kids read it and attempt to further alienate them. Its really quite tragic. I have become numb to the rejection over the years. It breaks my heart but I can't control it. That said, Jennifer has started a private blog. Where we can share heartfelt pain and struggles with our friends and family. The kids will tell you that I have never spoken bad about their mother. Yes I do talk about her choices and acti...

I tried to post this video about Eid earlier, but I couldn't do it. Here's the link on Youtube if you want to see it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRw3Pllg9vc

It is officially Eid now. The proper greeting is Eid Mubarak, which is similar to Merry Christmas. There are two Eids, Eid Al Fitr a three day holiday which commemorates the end of Ramadan and Eid Al-Adha which commemorates Abraham’s sacrifice of Ishmael on the altar. Its interesting to note that Jews, Christians and the Bible believe that Abraham attempted to sacrifice Isaac (son from Sarah) while Muslims and the Koran believe that Abraham attempted to sacrifice Ishmael. This is a festive three day holiday. While Dubai is only comprised of 12% Emiratis I think they are all out tonight. Looking out my window, I see a long trail of cars waiting to go onto the Jumeirah Beach Strip. I am going to walk down in a bit with my new roommate Harj as we’ll enjoy the spectacle of hundreds if not thousands of people all walking along the beach front. I posted the video since a picture is worth a thousand words I’ll keep this blog a little shorter tonight. The weather here right...

OK, I’ve been going on and on about God’s faithfulness and Im a living testimony. But now Im going to complain. Is it a sin to complain? Im not sure. Jesus got angry and there is something about righteous anger. I’ve held my tongue for the most part for the last year or so, but something happened that just got me mad. Whether or not I write about my ex-wife, the relationship with the kids just gets worse. No matter what I do, good or bad, the relationship just gets worse. Ive held out numerous olive branches only for them to come back disdainfully in my face. I have lost any and all types of relationship with my children. Im not sure if they hate me, but they intensely dislike me, well two of the three do anyway. Do I blame them? No. They are teenagers and teenagers are naturally angry to begin with. I still dearly love them. But the hostility and lack of respect they are showing not only me, but my family is inexcusable. A parent should train and model behavior for thei...

My flight landed about 4:00 on Thursday in Raleigh. It was an eight hour flight from London. I had the middle row to myself as the plane was about half full. I slept for 30 minutes at a time a few times on the leg. I was anxious to see Jennifer but I knew she wouldn’t be home from work til around 7 so there was no need to rush through customs. I got through immigration and gave myself a commuter shower which basically meant I washed my arm pits at the sink and put on a fresh shirt and deodorant. I rented a car and then I got worried. I had done such a diligent job of covering my tracks but then there was an unavoidable mistake. I had to rent a car. I couldn’t tell Jennifer to pick me up from the airport. So there was a slight chance she could look at the credit card and see Enterprise Rent a Car, Cary, NC. So that was a chance I was forced to take. Jennifer is really sneaky like that. Sometimes its too much for her own good. But she can find out anything a...

I am sitting at the Dubai Airport right now, waiting to board a plane first to London, then nonstop to Raleigh Durham. I probably won’t be able to post this for awhile. I am feeling quite a bit of anticipation as I am quite smug with myself. Jennifer has been begging me to come home just for a weekend as she misses me so. I keep telling her, I can’t, Im too busy, we have lots of projects. All of that is true, but she is such a priority for me, and I do miss her terribly. I was able to schedule a quick week long excursion to the U.S. My visitor visa for the UAE expires every 30 days, so I have to make an international trip somewhere. Might as well go back to the U.S. Jennifer, if you know her, is incredibly smart and pretty darn sneaky. She prides herself on never being surprised. So she has no idea that I am coming so she’s never going to be able to use that never word ever again. I have had the trip booked for a couple of weeks now. I have thrown plenty ...

Its difficult right now. I really miss my wife. What makes it even worse is that she misses me too. We haven’t gone longer than 6 weeks without seeing each other, and we are at the six week mark now. Now, absence does indeed make the heart grow stronger. So the pain of our temporary isolation is soothed by the fact that is so nice to have someone out there in the world that loves and misses you. I just hate to see Jennifer in so much pain and really be helpless to do anything about it at this point in time. The company we’re starting over here is really going well. We have added a cameraman and someone to help out in the edits. We were together all day at a production facility. He is from the UK and has a young one year old daughter (as opposed to an old one year old daughter). He asked what I did to handle the loneliness from missing the family. Well, I didn’t really have an answer for that. I have a secret weapon, well its not all that secret. But my fai...