Progress...

So, the other day when I was out about town, I saw a face that I recognized. I couldn't remember the name, just the face. I knew that I had worked with this person at <you know>.

So, I talked to them. Normally I would pretend not to see people, but, for some reason, I did talk. Well, we did the whole feeling-out-phase of the conversation in which we both try to figure out if the other was RIF'd or not. We discovered that we had, not only had both been aborted from the P womb, we were in the same room when it happened. She had been in management there and was as shocked (or more) as I was [That day sticks with me and may never leave.]. She found it sad that some of her people were in there, too. These people were set to get promoted and they were being let go. Their team had a person on STO's and was kept. Go figure!

I feel much better knowing that it was not a performance thing. I had always thought this to be true and it was nice to get this confirmation. While I realize that some people may still think that people like myself "got what we deserved." I give them a hearty FU! And, in the words of Col. William Ludlow: "Screw 'em!"

BlackBerry Storm

So, I started a new job a few weeks ago.

I will talk about that later.

Per the title, I now have a BlackBerry Storm. I had wanted an iPhone, but Verizon does not have that phone. I am getting used to the phone. I like it, but am aware of its limitations. I am looking forward to learning the phone.

As for the job, I like the job. The job is no different than any other BA job, but the application is far more complex. Wish me luck with the job and the parking.

Oh, by the way, I sent this from my Storm!

New Job

So, today is the first day of my new job. I am SO nervous. I hate first days! I am sure that I look handsome (LOL) and that I will do well, but first days are just so unpleasant.

I am now 35 minutes early for meeting my contact at the new job. I hate being so early, but I would rather be early than late.

Today is also an exciting day. My little one has her 1st t-ball game. I know that she will do well.

Also this weekend, my eldest had her 1st Communion. I am so proud of her. She looked so akwardly cute in that dress. I loved the low-top Chuck Taylors with it. Of course she put on her shirt, tie and jacket when we got home.

Finally, I am such a lucky guy to be married to Amy... She is quite amazing.

One week to go

So, I have one week to go until the new job. I am excited but nervous. This job will have its own learning opportunities (beyond the work), but
I am ready. My current job has taught me that I am much stronger and braver than I could have imagined. It also showed me that I have a great family and group of friends.

So, the new things for this job:
1. Securing my own health insurance.
2. Driving and parking downtown.
3. Working as a contractor.

And, of course learning the job...

Finally, I need to get a new phone...
This is my last week with this phone. Oddly, I will miss it. It had been my constant companion while on the road.

NAMASTE...

Next Week

So, this week was interesting... I had training - my first real training in this job (that has been beneficial)...

Next week should be interesting... We will see what transpires...

As for this week, I wish I had been home to spend time with my family and lend support to one of me best friends...

Namaste everyone... Namaste

Work, etc... Morons, et al...

Work, in general, sucks... We all know that...
We also know that if no one had to work that nothing would ever get done...
It would be nice, though, to have some supernatural being touch me and make me the beneficiary of some wealthy and generous altruist...
We all can dream, right...
(While I am at it, there is this dream that includes... uh, nevermind...)

I definitively found out recently that a guy I had worked with closely for almost a year had thrown me under the bus for the lack of success for my project. I had thought that he would blame me for the failing project, but I never was for certain. In reality, all of our projects suck. So, what do you expect. Anyways, this guy and I went to lunch and dinner almost every night last year when I was out of town. And then, when things were going bad he blamed me... He was responsible for managing the project. Why would it be my fault if the project had spiraled out of control? If it hadn't been for one of my peers standing up for me and the fact that this stronzo had screwed up on some other things, I would have been the fall guy. Because of situations like this, I have decided to throw away my philosophy that only ass kissing, incompetent morons sounded their achievements to the executives above. I love to provide for my family and will do anything to keep the paycheck coming...

On to lighter topics...
Two nights ago, I went to downtown Dallas to eat dinner with some friends. They stay in a nice highrise apartment that has crazy amenities... There is an outdoor pool seven floors up... There is a gym and a wireless cafe and a two theaters (indoor and outdoor)... It was quite amazing... Although, an apartment on the other side of the street (a few buildings down) has an eternity pool that juts out about 5-10 feet over the street...

Last night, I drove to dinner with some other friends. We went to a Turkish restaurant in Dallas. On the way there, I saw the biggest houses I have ever seen in my life... These houses had to be tens of thousands of square feet. Apparently, BIG $$ people live there.

So, I head home today... I am so looking forward to it... Adios.. Tweet you later...

Sick Kids, etc...

So, being home a lot means very little posting of blogs...

Both girls are dealing with "flu-like symptoms." Thank God that no vomit (or "the other"), but the girls have fevers and are pretty lethargic. My eldest is on the recovery portion of the sickness. My little one is at the beginning of it all. I SO hate to see them sick. I really hope that my wife and I don't get it!

Today was a mixed day for me. Besides sick kids, I was able to see my friends from Prog. I so love seeing them (especially Geno)... I feel so badly that Les received such bad news today. I will honestly and truly pray for her mom.

Another Islay Favourite

Yes, the spelling of favourite was on purpose...

So, I have a challenger to my favourite Scotch...
As we all know, I believe that the best Scotch comes from the South-Western part of the Scotland. For a long time, I believed Laphroaig to be the hands down the BEST Scotch in the world... Laphroaig is a Scotch distilled on the Isle of Islay.

Well, I found a new Scotch that may replace Laphroaig...
The Scotch is... Lagavulin ...

The Scotch is SO smokey and peaty that I could lovingly eat it with a fork!

Ok, now my friend in unison: That crap is horrible! LOL

Happy St. Patrick Duffy Day

Happy St. Patrick Duffy Day to you all. No one on "Dallas" deserved a day more than him (except maybe Donna Reed).

So, I am in training this week. It has been interesting. I do have one of my friends from the SB office with me, so I am not completely bored. We have had quite a lot of fun laughing about people we work with, people in the class and anyone else we see. One of the people we saw today was a lady who was wearing a Harley Davidson shirt. Well, I assume that it is Harley Davidson because the shirt had two large letters H and D. The problem is, though, that it really looked like and H and an O. I am not sure that walking around with a big HO on your shirt is the proper message for the workplace.

In other news, I am, like my kids, playing Animal Crossing on DS. The game is kind of fun.

Oh well... Wish me luck...

Namaste

To Hartford

I am going to Hartford this week for a training program. My flight plan is home to Detroit to Hartford (my return swaps Atlanta for Detroit).

It occurred to me today that I should really account for all of the places I have been since I took this job. I had never really traveled anywhere growing up. We went to Altoona, PA often because my grandparents family was there. I went to Niagara Falls twice, Cape Hatteras, NC once, Reheboth Beach, DE once and a Western Caribbean cruise with my wife's family. That's it. Almost all of the travel was after I reached adulthood. So now, all of the places I have been these 14 months (if the location was an airport, I will indicate by (ap)): Salt Lake (ap), LA (ap), Phoenix (ap), Santa Barbara, Atlanta (ap), Dallas, Houston (ap), Chicago and Hartford. I guess that, once I listed them, that my list is not that big (especially compared to my wife's cousin - she is a world traveler. :D ). For me, the list has enormous for it means that I have spent A LOT of time away from my family. I hate that... I do have a job, though, and for that I am appreciative!

So, I am in Hartford for a BA certificate program that is provided by one of the CT universities (I can't remember which one). The program should be interesting. It will be one of the few training opportunities I have received in this job and one of the only resume building aspects of this position.

Pappadeaux and Pappasitos

So, I got in late to Dallas and I was starving. I arrived at a new hotel for me. I normally stay at Marriott's, but a buddy at work told me about a Hyatt right by the office. You know, you gotta like a room that has a 42" TV. The room is small, but it will work.

I am hoping that this is a good week. I have some training for my new project. Wish me luck!

I am a little nervous about the department with the closing of the Santa Barbara office. I will keep you informed.

Oh look... My food is here... Thank God I caught Heroes the moment I got into my room, but I am starving...

Adios

Last Night in Santa Barbara

Another Blackberry Post (well started on Blackberry ...

So, this is my last night in Santa Barbara. I have never traveled to a city that I loved being in until I first came here 14 months ago. Don't get me wrong, being home with my wife and kids on a lazy Sunday afternoon is the 7th layer of heaven. But, when you travel for work, being in a city you love can make the loneliness of travel more bearable.

So, what do I love and not love about this city...

Santa Barbara's beauty is second only to the faces of my three girls bathed in the glow of their bedside desk lamps. The city is a mellifluous cacophony of sounds, smells and sights. There are homeless people begging, credit-card hippies serenading passerbys with songs by Phish, U2 (no band sucks more than U2), Neil Young, The Rolling Stones, etc., people walking dogs, sponsored bike riders peddling down the street and skaters traversing through this maze. State Street (the main throughfare) is brimming with restaurants of all types. You can smell fresh Danish pastries, Italian pastas, Indian non, Greek pitas, etc... Plus, they have a Seinfeld deli!

All of this is captured on the canvas of the main street of what is a college town, a vacation spot and a celebrity magnet. The city is surrounded by the Santa Ynez mountains and the Pacific ocean. It is a city that is blessed with Mediterranean temperatures in the 60's and 70's all year round.

Ok... I wanted to capture the essesence of the city and I may be too tired to stay focused. Well, I guess it is all right, unless I decide to sell my story... LOL

Santa Barbara - The Day Before Last

So, this is my last trip out here. My company is closing out this office at the end of the month. It is sad... This office was one of the FEW perks of the company.

I love coming out here. It is beautiful. The mountains, the ocean, the shops, the restaurants, the office, the people - even the homeless... I have never been to a place like this....

But, my company decided that the cost was too much and they decided to close the office. They offered all of the employees a transfer to the Dallas office. Sadly, they seemed to have been unconcerned if any of the developers moved. They are all a great bunch of CA kids... Oh well...

With all of that said, I am happy that I have a job. I am on a new project and I really enjoy it. Wish me luck!

Trip to SB

So, I am flying to Santa Barbara for training on a current project within my company. I will be taking over the project from another analyst. Being on a project is paramount in this industry since "being on the shelf" too long can spell doom.

I looking forward to the travel legs of this trip with the same anticipation as a person looks forward to a root canal without novacaine. My boss booked the trip. The route there takes me to ATL, LAX and SBA. The LAX to SBA flight is the worst. I have a middle seat for an almost 5 hour flight. Then, there is the way home... I fly SBA to SLC and then SLC to LAX and then the red eye home. My first flight is @noon and I come home the next day @6am. I am SO not looking forward to this.

Now a break for my whining...

I often spend so much time worrying about how the girls are affected by me not being home that I often forget about the effect it has on my wife. She is one amazing person to put up with me. I really need to do a better job of showing her how important she is to me.

Vegas

So, My wife and I went to Las Vegas this last weekend. It was so nice to spend some time alone with her. Since taking this job, she and I have had so little time to spend with each other. We decided that a little trip together would be nice...

Thursday - 02/05/2009

• Met Bob the Bachelor at the CLE airport (see above).
• Flew first-class to LAS (using my airline miles plus a $10 processing fee).
• Landed in Vegas and went to our hotel
• We received a nice suite at the Renaissance. The room was nice. We had a bedroom, living room and 1.5 bathrooms.
• Our hotel was next to the LAS convention center which was hosting "The World of Concrete." Who knew that there was a World of Concrete?

Friday- 02/06/2009

• Woke up. Got out of bed. Dragged a comb across my head (crap, we forgot a brush).
• Ate breakfast in the club lounge (a perk of traveling a lot - it was only open one day for us).
• Gambled.
• Saw the Body Exhibit. I was a little disturbed (pause for laughter to die down) to see all of those dead people. Sure, it was interesting, but those were REAL people.
• We ate lunch. Yes, in spite of seeing dead people, I like to eat. I have always been able to compartmentalize experiences like that. I know it is weird, but welcome to my world...
• Rested.
• Saw a show with my wife. Zumanity was an awesome show. We had a front row sofa. Yes, it was a sofa. The show was very racy with lots of nudity and suggestive elements. Who doesn't like that? Plus, the show had a dwarf. I am really in awe of dwarfs. I really love them.
• After the show, we went to a fancy dinner for my birthday at Nobhill Tavern in the MGM Grand. We had some nice cocktails while waiting for our food. My wife had a nice fruity vodka drink (I can't remember what it was called). I had an amazing glass of 16yr Lagavulin Scotch. My wife had Colorado Lamb and I had Organic Pheasant. We also shared some Truffle Macaroni and Cheese (I do not typically order Mac and Cheese, but this was NOT Kraft. This was decadent). We finally ended dinner with the best coffee I had ever tasted and a very sweet Chocolate Coconut Bar (seen below).

Saturday - 02/07/2009

• Guess what? It rained today... ALL day.
• So, my wife and I went shopping. The Venetian has some great shops. They have Barneys (my dream store). They have tons of designer stores like Ferragamo, Pal Zileri, etc. They also have a 7 For All Mankind store. This made my wife VERY happy. This store has her dream jeans. They truly fit her so nice.
• The purchase - My wife bought a pair of jeans at 7 For All Mankind. They altered the jeans for us the same day. My wife is so petite; she needs a hemmed pant. These jeans look amazing on her.
• I had thought about buying shoes at Ferragamo or Barneys, but I can't see how anyone can spend $300-$500 on a pair of shoes. Heck, Barneys had a pair of shoes there for $1400. My first car was worth less than that.

Sunday - 02/08/2009

• We flew home. My wife was really getting used to being in first-class. She was now an old pro.
• On our way home from the airport, we learned that our eldest had been ill. We left with our little one getting over being sick and came home to our eldest being sick. I hate for my kids to feel sick.
• Overall, minus the tiredness from walking, it was a really nice weekend. I am really grateful that I was able to spend so much one-on-one time with my wife. She really is such a good person and, best of all, she gets me (in more ways than one... wink... wink...).

Sytlist Dilemma

So, I posted this dilemma on Facebook, but I thought I would post it here too.

I have a stylist dilemma. (A what?... you might ask...) My hair stylist (You pay $$ for that haircut?) is back from maternity leave. In the meantime, I have been seeing a different stylist. She is nice, friendly and cuts hair so well, but I do not have that same connection with her that I have with my normal stylist. What do I do?

How does one dump a sylist without hurting feelings? This is SUCH a dilemma. In reality, do I sound like a 16 year old girl? Probably...

Let me click "Publish Post" and let the embarrassment of my dilemma commence...
But, the dilemma remains...

Chao...

Can I be in your Five?

So, it has been a while since I posted last... Coincidentally, I tend to post more when I am not home... Oh well..

1. I am without a project now. In someways, I am relieved. I really hated some of the people and problems associated with that project. Being without a project is normally pretty scary, but my company has a good number of projects ready and waiting. Let's hope that the next one has less travel and hours... Oh look, a leprechaun!
2. I am obsessed with A&E. That network differs so much from TLC and Discovery in that the people on TLC and Discovery tend to be normal or attractive or stylish, etc. A&E has some new exterminator show with some guy who looks like a cross between Yahoo Serious and Nikki Sixx. The real gem of A&E, though is a show that is not new. It is Dog the Bounty Hunter. I can't believe that a family like that really exists. Those people are crazy! I can't stop watching. Dog can't seem to buy shirts that stay buttoned up. Beth makes Dolly Parton look like a classy, flat-chested socialite. Dog's sons are muscular ex-cons. And then there is Baby Lyssa. She is Dog's 21 year old daughter. The other night she took down a fugitive. The takedown cracked me up for some reason...
3. What's up with Facebook? I feel a little sophomoric for being on that site, but I have caught up with so many friends from high school, Progressive, etc. Maybe the ice is beginning to melt. I really miss some of those people.
   
4. I am lucky to be a dad and husband. Yes, it is not always easy, but sometimes one of my girls looks at me and my heart stops... I live for that look or smile or expression or funny comment or fancy dance move or runway walk or scissor hand-scissor hand-scissor hand-fork-fork-spoon arm-scissor fingers... Well, you know what I mean, right? They are truly and without a doubt the reason I live.
5. I can't believe that I am going to be 36. WTF is that all about? I really am getting old.
   

Finally, I am going to Vegas for my birthday. I can't wait. The little lady and I have not spent a lot of time with just her and I for a LONG time. She deserves an Arc de Triomphe for all that she does.

Funniest Video I have seen in awhile

Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it) from Joe Nicolosi on Vimeo

Facts of Life: 2009

“You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have the facts of life...”

The Bad
My rental car was vandalized.
They broke a window and stole the rental company’s GPS.
It is freakin’ -6°F…
Why they hell would someone be out there doing knucklehead things in those elements…

The Good
I have a new best friend on Myspace…
I know that me having a Myspace is moronic, but I have one.
My new best friend is my favorite celebrity not named Salma Hayek…
Her initials are JLH.

I was never really insane except upon occassions in which my heart was touched...

Well, I am back on the road... I so hate spending time in hotels, airports and rental agencies. I know that part of it is that I have been coming to the same airport and the same hotel and the same customer for almost a whole year. Last year at this time, I was just starting out with this company. I was just so grateful to have a job. And, I was dealing with the emotions of the layoff and its effect on my family. This last year was a crazy one. In addition to the new job, I replaced the most tenured BA in my company on the most complex project. My company was purchased by a much larger company. My company laid off people (including some of my friends - I sure know how that is). Office locations were closed.

But, in the grand scheme of things, I work this job that I hate so much for one reason... to buy my eldest a PSP, laptop and desk... LOL
I would work as a custodian in a well-frequented bath house if that is what it took to earn money for my family.

I truly hope, though, that I can find a company or project within this company that will not require me to travel and work as much.
I miss seeing my family (especially after being home with them for over six weeks). I also miss hanging out with my Prog friends. I really need to spend more time with them. In reality, I really need to extend myself out there to be a good friend and to accept that others might want to be my friend. Being a friend (and making friends) takes energy. For the most part, I often think that I just don't have the energy to do it even though I know that I will have a more rich, more vibrant life. It is like I have become accustomed to and enjoy the shades of grey that forgot the beauty of the colors that exist beyond me. I have friends from high school that I never contact because I just don't know if I care. Maybe I am just afraid to extend my energy on seeing them when I can barely see the friends I do really care about.

With all the rambling above, I have realized that I really need to make this year a good year. "F" it! I need to sound my barbaric yawp. I need to seize the day to make my life better, my family's life better and my future better. I need to choose happiness. You know (of course you don't know...why do people begin a sentence with that inane phrase?), I have often thought that depressed people were selfish and that I would not choose to be sad. I have realized that happiness is selfish, too. I need to be selfish. I need to chose happiness.