Ok, so as you might be able to guess from the title of this blog, there are three main topics I'll hit on to let you know how life is right now. So let's begin.
THE GOOD - This weekend is the weekend of Christmas performances. Courtney has one tonight at school, and then 4 at church over the weekend: 1 Saturday and 3 Sunday. At church, Skyler has 2 performances (1 Saturday and 1 Sunday), immediately preceding Courtney's performances. This is always a great time and one of the biggest joys as a parent. I know they both enjoy singing and love it. They also love it because they get to wear the new Christmas dresses their grandma (my mom) bought them. Courtney has been counting down the days to when she could wear her dress and tonight is the night...finally!
Also, today is a happy day for me and Traci because it was 16 years ago we started dating. (It has been 21 years this month since we were first boyfriend and girlfriend.) Not really any special plans prepared as our schedule is pretty busy, but just remembering this day makes me happy! Happy anniversary, Hon!!!!!!!!
It's also been a lot of fun to watch Traci take on the challenge of her own business and so far it is going pretty well. She has been busy with many photo sessions since early November and is actually at one right now as I type this. She has more on the calendar, into January, and there are no signs of slowing up yet. I know the Christmas season is helping, but I've heard and seen good things from these initial sessions. It will be fun to watch as things progress!
THE BAD - Yes, I am still unemployed. My last day at work was October 1 and my last day of getting paid was November 9. At least the last check included a week and a half of vacation I didn't use. Somehow, we have managed to make that check last. However, it is pretty much gone. I am expecting more money coming including payment for working the polls on election day, stock dividends (from Chevron), severance and my pension/retirement. Once the severance shows up, we should be fine into January, which is when the retirement should come. However, in the big picture, I need a job. Kaiser didn't work out (twice!), which bummed me out after having gone through 2 interviews with them. I supposedly have a possible opportunity in the works right now, but no call for an interview yet. I've learned not to make assumptions about anything until it actually happens. If this does happen to work out, it could be great...IF. But until I get that call, I'm trying to keep from getting my hopes up.
THE UGLY - When we dropped Skyler off at preschool (Whittier Christian) this morning, there was some information about her school Christmas performance, which we had expected prior to now. However, we were shocked when we saw that we would have to pay to watch our daughter, Skyler, perform this year!! What that heck is that about?!?!?!?!?! It's $6/seat, which means we'll need $18 for the three of us to watch her sing. $18 may not seem like a lot, but when you have no income (Traci's income is going towards additional supplies for her business) it's especially frustrating. We are not going to pull Skyler from the performance, as has been suggested by some, because she has put a lot of time and practice in at school and should be able to present the final product with her schoolmates and friends and I don't think it's fair to her. She shouldn't be punished for a dumb decision made by the school.
There are two things the preschool is doing different this year than in past years: 1) the preschool is performing with the elementary kids, and 2) it's at the La Mirada Theater for the Performing Arts. That is probably why I suspect they are charging, but still. Does it have to be such a big venue for a school performance? This just pisses me off because the last thing we need is an additional expense right now.
Courtney went to preschool there for two years and this is Skyler's second (and final) year there. We have made a lot of effort to cut our budget and eliminate things we can do without. There are two things we have discussed before but have decided not to touch them...yet. One is World Vision. We may have things rough right now, but our "rough" and how rough the life of our Malawi child is, are completely different. Therefore, we decided that we needed to continue that. The other item is Skyler's preschool. It's $360/month for three half days a week. (It is more expensive than other preschools we checked out, but we also get more than we would get at those other places. Plus we know all the teachers at WCS are followers of Christ, which I question at at least one other preschool we checked out.) We decided she should be able to go to preschool since she loves it and it's been a great experience for her. If I don't land a job in the next couple months, that may be a cut we have to make, which will break all of our hearts, and I don't want to go there. So to summarize my feelings about this whole pay-to-see-your-child-perform thing, I think Whittier Christian really needs to rethink what they are doing. I think it's crap and I'm a little pissed off.
My meds seem to keep me even-keeled and positive, but those negative feelings keep creeping in periodically. At least they are not that bad, but they do worry me occasionally because of the whole job situation, and the last thing I want to happen right now is to go back to where I was. I don't think that will happen, but I can't say it's not possible. I know God is with me and on my side and has plans for me, but I just don't like the timing, whatever it is. I guess it's just His way of reminding me he is in control and to trust Him. I'm excited to see what happens, but just wish I knew when it would happen. All in good time I assume.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
Mindful Diarrhea
It's about 11:00pm as I start to write this and while I should be going to bed, there are too many things going through my mind to allow me to go to sleep right now...a movie I just watched the end of, a disturbing trend I've noticed on the news and life in general.
We just started a free 90-day trials of a movie package through FiOS and tonight is the first night we have had access to it. I caught the end of a movie that just disturbed me somewhat. What happened was this...there was a couple that was engaged to be married, and his friends throw him a crazy frat house bachelor party. He does things he's not supposed to and gets caught in a situation he should not have been in in the first place. This was partly setup by his fiance's ex. Because of this, he is late to his wedding, arriving as his then former fiance is walking out of the church married to the ex that set him up. He (former ex, now husband) cheats on her almost immediately and she goes running back to the guy she was going to marry in the first place.
The whole premise of a bachelor party like that doesn't sit well with me in the first place. I know I would not have been able to look Traci in the eyes at our wedding and seriously mean the vows I said to her if I had been through something like that. I'm glad my bachelor was pretty cool...box seats to a Dodger game (where I was forced to wear a Giants hat for the entire game) driven there by limo (which was way cool!) and I think that was after we hung out for a bit at Dave & Buster's. My type of laid back gathering.
Along the same lines, we already have dates saved for three wedding next year, and each of them in a cool place! The first one is on a cruise ship, although sadly enough, we will not be able to go on the cruise with everyone else afterwards. The second one is in Colorado, which we would love to go to, but probably will not know until just before. The third wedding is two weeks after the second one and is in the Mid-west. I would love to attend all three if invited, but money will be the key issue. (Isn't it always!)
The second disturbing trend is kids being killed and more specifically being killed by crazy parents that are seeking to do harm. I have heard of two cases like this in the past week locally in So Cal. it's ridiculous to me. I don't care what the reason is for wanting to do harm, there is just no excuse for actions like this. My personal opinion is that is probably a lack of maturity, at least in some cases, and in others it could very well be a mental disorder. (I understand what it is like to have mental problems and think crazy things. That's where I was exactly one year ago.) One of the incidents was where a 19 year-old and her 10 day-old baby were killed by the father/ex-boyfriend when the mother wouldn't let him have the baby earlier in the day. Hearing about that reminded of a show I watched briefly for the first time the other day..."16 and Pregnant". I think it's on MTV. The girl was pregnant and the boyfriend was rarely home because of work and then hanging out with friends. He was ignorantly irresponsible; not for the work, but for always going out with friends (pretty much every day) after work.
Watch out, here comes my soapbox to pick me up. If you have sex, you know what the potential consequences are! (Perhaps my assumption is ignorant, but I like to think that people who get themselves into a situation where they can actually have sex have half a brain that works.) You should understand that before you put yourself into that situation. This leads into my beliefs on abortion (uh oh, rare controversial topic opinion ahead). It seems that many women and nearly all politicians are pro-choice. I would not have a problem with this concept if the baby inside the womb was able to say "I don't want my parents! They are stupid and are not capable of taking care of me!" There is only one situation where I think abortion is ok, and that is if the mother's life is in jeopardy. In other words, it is a matter of losing two lives or one. I have a friend who was unfortunately and unexpectedly in that situation. It was not something she wanted to do, but needed to do in order to try to fight for her life. Unfortunately, she passed away a year and a half later. The one aspect of abortion that I'm kind of semi-iffy on is rape. On one side, sex was forced not desired. On the other side, I don't believe in murder, and yes I do think abortion is murder. Please explain to me how stopping a beating heart is not considered killing life, or how eliminating something that will develop a beating heart is not wrong. Therefore, I still think that abortion from rape is not ok, even though it is probably not wanted. Ok, the soapbox has left.
Other things in life that are constantly running through my head all seem to revolve around my job situation. I have now been home from work for over a month, and although I am still on payroll through next Tuesday and have a severance package coming after that, I still wonder how long this will go on and how I will be able to provide for my family should this extend beyond our financial means. I do have one potential job in the works, but it's just that: in the works. Nothing is certain until I am on-site, being paid to work, and the prospective job would have me as a contractor, which is somewhat unsettling although I believe that once I'm in there, I will prove to them that they need to keep me around. I've heard of many instances where people are out of work for several months, some over a year, in this economy. So if this job does come through, I will consider myself lucky and privileged.
Well, I don't know about you, but I feel better and have cleared my mind somewhat. Hopefully I can sleep better now. Especially since we have soccer in the morning, followed by a 3-hour drive to Santa Maria where we are spending the night, courtesy of one of Traci's clients (high school friend) is paying for our hotel for us so that Traci can do a photo shoot for them. Oh, and I have to do more laundry, too. Gotta be sure we have everything ready for the trip that we need!
We just started a free 90-day trials of a movie package through FiOS and tonight is the first night we have had access to it. I caught the end of a movie that just disturbed me somewhat. What happened was this...there was a couple that was engaged to be married, and his friends throw him a crazy frat house bachelor party. He does things he's not supposed to and gets caught in a situation he should not have been in in the first place. This was partly setup by his fiance's ex. Because of this, he is late to his wedding, arriving as his then former fiance is walking out of the church married to the ex that set him up. He (former ex, now husband) cheats on her almost immediately and she goes running back to the guy she was going to marry in the first place.
The whole premise of a bachelor party like that doesn't sit well with me in the first place. I know I would not have been able to look Traci in the eyes at our wedding and seriously mean the vows I said to her if I had been through something like that. I'm glad my bachelor was pretty cool...box seats to a Dodger game (where I was forced to wear a Giants hat for the entire game) driven there by limo (which was way cool!) and I think that was after we hung out for a bit at Dave & Buster's. My type of laid back gathering.
Along the same lines, we already have dates saved for three wedding next year, and each of them in a cool place! The first one is on a cruise ship, although sadly enough, we will not be able to go on the cruise with everyone else afterwards. The second one is in Colorado, which we would love to go to, but probably will not know until just before. The third wedding is two weeks after the second one and is in the Mid-west. I would love to attend all three if invited, but money will be the key issue. (Isn't it always!)
The second disturbing trend is kids being killed and more specifically being killed by crazy parents that are seeking to do harm. I have heard of two cases like this in the past week locally in So Cal. it's ridiculous to me. I don't care what the reason is for wanting to do harm, there is just no excuse for actions like this. My personal opinion is that is probably a lack of maturity, at least in some cases, and in others it could very well be a mental disorder. (I understand what it is like to have mental problems and think crazy things. That's where I was exactly one year ago.) One of the incidents was where a 19 year-old and her 10 day-old baby were killed by the father/ex-boyfriend when the mother wouldn't let him have the baby earlier in the day. Hearing about that reminded of a show I watched briefly for the first time the other day..."16 and Pregnant". I think it's on MTV. The girl was pregnant and the boyfriend was rarely home because of work and then hanging out with friends. He was ignorantly irresponsible; not for the work, but for always going out with friends (pretty much every day) after work.
Watch out, here comes my soapbox to pick me up. If you have sex, you know what the potential consequences are! (Perhaps my assumption is ignorant, but I like to think that people who get themselves into a situation where they can actually have sex have half a brain that works.) You should understand that before you put yourself into that situation. This leads into my beliefs on abortion (uh oh, rare controversial topic opinion ahead). It seems that many women and nearly all politicians are pro-choice. I would not have a problem with this concept if the baby inside the womb was able to say "I don't want my parents! They are stupid and are not capable of taking care of me!" There is only one situation where I think abortion is ok, and that is if the mother's life is in jeopardy. In other words, it is a matter of losing two lives or one. I have a friend who was unfortunately and unexpectedly in that situation. It was not something she wanted to do, but needed to do in order to try to fight for her life. Unfortunately, she passed away a year and a half later. The one aspect of abortion that I'm kind of semi-iffy on is rape. On one side, sex was forced not desired. On the other side, I don't believe in murder, and yes I do think abortion is murder. Please explain to me how stopping a beating heart is not considered killing life, or how eliminating something that will develop a beating heart is not wrong. Therefore, I still think that abortion from rape is not ok, even though it is probably not wanted. Ok, the soapbox has left.
Other things in life that are constantly running through my head all seem to revolve around my job situation. I have now been home from work for over a month, and although I am still on payroll through next Tuesday and have a severance package coming after that, I still wonder how long this will go on and how I will be able to provide for my family should this extend beyond our financial means. I do have one potential job in the works, but it's just that: in the works. Nothing is certain until I am on-site, being paid to work, and the prospective job would have me as a contractor, which is somewhat unsettling although I believe that once I'm in there, I will prove to them that they need to keep me around. I've heard of many instances where people are out of work for several months, some over a year, in this economy. So if this job does come through, I will consider myself lucky and privileged.
Well, I don't know about you, but I feel better and have cleared my mind somewhat. Hopefully I can sleep better now. Especially since we have soccer in the morning, followed by a 3-hour drive to Santa Maria where we are spending the night, courtesy of one of Traci's clients (high school friend) is paying for our hotel for us so that Traci can do a photo shoot for them. Oh, and I have to do more laundry, too. Gotta be sure we have everything ready for the trip that we need!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Job(less) Update
In my last post, I mentioned that I was expecting a call from a company (Kaiser) that seemed to have interest in me. Well, in the time since that post, I have had two interviews with them. The first was with the recruiter and lasted about a half hour. I made it past that screening and had a second interview yesterday. That one lasted an hour and 14 minutes, and I am not waiting to hear what happens next, which I was told I should know in the next few days. I feel good about how it went and am really hoping they feel the same way, which should mean a third interview, face-to-face finally...hopefully...since the first two have been via phone.
One thing that I feel good about is that I don't really get that nervous for interviews, especially over the phone. Also, since I have taken advantage of the career counselor services provided by Chevron, I was pretty well prepared for this last interview since I had been given a cd by my counselor about nearly 100 interview questions and how they should/could be answered. I remember two questions I was asked were worded exactly the same on the cd as they were in the interview. The interviewer, who would be my manager if I'm hired, seemed to be pretty interested in many of the things I was saying. he spent most of the interview asking me about a variety of different situations that I had experienced, which made the interview that much easier. There was only one that I had a little trouble coming up with an answer for, but I did come up with one.
Needless to say, I'm really hoping this will work out and that they realize that I'm the right person for them to hire. The commute (Pasadena) would be 2 miles longer than my current commute (El Segundo), which is manageable. This would also represent the third general area of the "Southland" that I have worked in: Irvine, El Segundo, Pasadena. To me that is kind of cool because it gives me more familiarity with southern California, especially when it comes to alternate route. I already have the alternate route to/from Pasadena recognized, and it would cut the commute to 21 miles via surface streets the entire way!
So what have I been doing with all this time at home? The biggest thing to me is spending time with the family. I get to take the kids to school and pick them up, which I love doing. I get to spend more time with Traci, although with the way Traci Steinman Photography is going, she is pretty busy now, not to mention that she is also co-coordinator for MOPS at our church, which is another job all by itself. I have been doing some job searching, although that has slowed considerably with the prospects of this job at Kaiser. Plus I have attended a few webinars related to job search preparations, via the career counseling services company.
I also spend time just hanging out. It's been nice to be able to watch the playoff games that are on during the day (even though the Dodgers are already playing golf) and I have taken Skyler to Disneyland a couple of times while Courtney has been in school. I'm planning on taking Courtney by herself on the 29th since she doesn't have school that day (parent conferences) so that we can do all the fast and crazy rides she wants since we're kind of limited when we usually go.
The highlight of my week has remained Saturday because of the joy I experience coaching Skyler's soccer team. I haven't felt that good about doing something in quite a while. The kids are great, the patents are great, my assistant coach is great and my team mom is great. Of course it helps that the Asst. Coach and Team Mom are family, but that makes it that much better.
Traci and the girls will be home from the gym soon, so I better catch up on the Yanks-Rangers game and hope that the Rangers are taking control of the series! Too late, they're home and need to get ready for bed...the girls anyway.
One thing that I feel good about is that I don't really get that nervous for interviews, especially over the phone. Also, since I have taken advantage of the career counselor services provided by Chevron, I was pretty well prepared for this last interview since I had been given a cd by my counselor about nearly 100 interview questions and how they should/could be answered. I remember two questions I was asked were worded exactly the same on the cd as they were in the interview. The interviewer, who would be my manager if I'm hired, seemed to be pretty interested in many of the things I was saying. he spent most of the interview asking me about a variety of different situations that I had experienced, which made the interview that much easier. There was only one that I had a little trouble coming up with an answer for, but I did come up with one.
Needless to say, I'm really hoping this will work out and that they realize that I'm the right person for them to hire. The commute (Pasadena) would be 2 miles longer than my current commute (El Segundo), which is manageable. This would also represent the third general area of the "Southland" that I have worked in: Irvine, El Segundo, Pasadena. To me that is kind of cool because it gives me more familiarity with southern California, especially when it comes to alternate route. I already have the alternate route to/from Pasadena recognized, and it would cut the commute to 21 miles via surface streets the entire way!
So what have I been doing with all this time at home? The biggest thing to me is spending time with the family. I get to take the kids to school and pick them up, which I love doing. I get to spend more time with Traci, although with the way Traci Steinman Photography is going, she is pretty busy now, not to mention that she is also co-coordinator for MOPS at our church, which is another job all by itself. I have been doing some job searching, although that has slowed considerably with the prospects of this job at Kaiser. Plus I have attended a few webinars related to job search preparations, via the career counseling services company.
I also spend time just hanging out. It's been nice to be able to watch the playoff games that are on during the day (even though the Dodgers are already playing golf) and I have taken Skyler to Disneyland a couple of times while Courtney has been in school. I'm planning on taking Courtney by herself on the 29th since she doesn't have school that day (parent conferences) so that we can do all the fast and crazy rides she wants since we're kind of limited when we usually go.
The highlight of my week has remained Saturday because of the joy I experience coaching Skyler's soccer team. I haven't felt that good about doing something in quite a while. The kids are great, the patents are great, my assistant coach is great and my team mom is great. Of course it helps that the Asst. Coach and Team Mom are family, but that makes it that much better.
Traci and the girls will be home from the gym soon, so I better catch up on the Yanks-Rangers game and hope that the Rangers are taking control of the series! Too late, they're home and need to get ready for bed...the girls anyway.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Time Off
So it has begun, the nerve-wracking time off from work. In one way it's nice because I don't have to worry about getting up early every morning, I don't have the stresses of work or sharing an office with someone who I do not feel very comfortable around. However, there are the other stresses from being home such as wondering where my next career move will be, financial concerns if nothing pans out before the money does and the (what feels like the remote-) possibility of heading back into depression, especially if money issues affect being able to medications.
The one nice thing is that although I would still love to be working for Chevron, financially, what's going on could be a ton worse. I turned in all my company stuff yesterday and now have no access to anything Chevron. However, I am on their payroll until November 9. This means that benefits are will remain in place through November 30 and that I will continue receiving my normal semi-monthly paychecks. If I don't have a job by November 9, I then qualify for 8-weeks of severance pay, plus unused vacation (1.5 weeks). In other words, we should be OK with money until the end of the year.
I have never enjoyed job hunting. I would rather negotiate the purchase of a car before job hunting. Fortunately, though, it appears I may have a lead on a potentially promising position with Kaiser Permanente (in Pasadena). A friend of mine who actually took over my first analyst position at Chevron, let me know about the position, which just got posted this week. From the sounds of it, this would be a great move for me as the job sounds very similar to what I have been doing. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and praying and hoping that something comes of this. I've been told that I will be contacted, but so far, no call. Therefore, I assume nothing yet about it.
In the meantime, this next week should be pretty productive as I will be establishing communication with the Chevron people (a specific corporate team) that will be looking out for other Chevron positions that I could perform based on my experience and the like. I will also be attending a webinar orientation for the company that will help me market myself, sharpen the resumes and such in order to successfully navigate the job market (outside Chevron). Both of those services are paid for and provided by Chevron...not bad.
One thing that has very quickly become the highlight of every week for me, especially with the current circumstances, is coaching Skyler's soccer team, the Green Gators. It has been so much more fun than I expected. It's awesome to watch the kids get better and better each week, We've now played 4 games and have 6 to go. Our first two games, we tied. Our last two games, we've won! So we are undefeated after 4 games: 2-0-2. I would not have expected this based on my significant lack of knowledge of soccer. In that sense, this has been a good learning experience for me as well as the kids. I think some of them know a lot more that I do about the sport. Some of them are just flat-out studs/studettes!
Thanks to my friend, I was able to take in one last Dodger game this year last night. Of course the Dodgers lost 7-5, but what happened in the game did not compare to my experience in my seat. For the first time ever, in about 25 years of going to Dodger games, I caught a game ball! We had pretty good seats on the Loge (second) level about seven rows behind third base. The ball initially landed two rows and one section past me, but took a hop or two off a chair and/or fan who didn't know how to catch. All this while my friend was up getting a drink or hitting the restroom...but, oh well.
The one nice thing is that although I would still love to be working for Chevron, financially, what's going on could be a ton worse. I turned in all my company stuff yesterday and now have no access to anything Chevron. However, I am on their payroll until November 9. This means that benefits are will remain in place through November 30 and that I will continue receiving my normal semi-monthly paychecks. If I don't have a job by November 9, I then qualify for 8-weeks of severance pay, plus unused vacation (1.5 weeks). In other words, we should be OK with money until the end of the year.
I have never enjoyed job hunting. I would rather negotiate the purchase of a car before job hunting. Fortunately, though, it appears I may have a lead on a potentially promising position with Kaiser Permanente (in Pasadena). A friend of mine who actually took over my first analyst position at Chevron, let me know about the position, which just got posted this week. From the sounds of it, this would be a great move for me as the job sounds very similar to what I have been doing. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and praying and hoping that something comes of this. I've been told that I will be contacted, but so far, no call. Therefore, I assume nothing yet about it.
In the meantime, this next week should be pretty productive as I will be establishing communication with the Chevron people (a specific corporate team) that will be looking out for other Chevron positions that I could perform based on my experience and the like. I will also be attending a webinar orientation for the company that will help me market myself, sharpen the resumes and such in order to successfully navigate the job market (outside Chevron). Both of those services are paid for and provided by Chevron...not bad.
One thing that has very quickly become the highlight of every week for me, especially with the current circumstances, is coaching Skyler's soccer team, the Green Gators. It has been so much more fun than I expected. It's awesome to watch the kids get better and better each week, We've now played 4 games and have 6 to go. Our first two games, we tied. Our last two games, we've won! So we are undefeated after 4 games: 2-0-2. I would not have expected this based on my significant lack of knowledge of soccer. In that sense, this has been a good learning experience for me as well as the kids. I think some of them know a lot more that I do about the sport. Some of them are just flat-out studs/studettes!
Thanks to my friend, I was able to take in one last Dodger game this year last night. Of course the Dodgers lost 7-5, but what happened in the game did not compare to my experience in my seat. For the first time ever, in about 25 years of going to Dodger games, I caught a game ball! We had pretty good seats on the Loge (second) level about seven rows behind third base. The ball initially landed two rows and one section past me, but took a hop or two off a chair and/or fan who didn't know how to catch. All this while my friend was up getting a drink or hitting the restroom...but, oh well.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Top Ten Potential New Owners of the Dodgers!
I may not be David Letterman, but I can still make a top ten list with a little bit of humor (or so I think). So here's my latest attempt. (Are there any other lists you want me to try? Let me know.)
10. Peter O'Malley - Why not?
9. Me - If the Dodgers are community property, and I'm a part of the community, then I should already own them!
8. Lady Gaga - I would love to see the Dodgers new uniforms!
7. Japan - Free baseball player pipeline
6. China - They already own half of America
5. Vince McMahon - I would love to see baseball played inside a steel cage!
4. City of Bell Officials - This is something legal they could do with all that extra money they've collected
3. President Obama - He's throwing money everywhere else to make things better. Why not include the Dodgers?
2. Mark Cuban - Seriously...Mark Cuban
1. Preparation H - They might make us feel better since current ownership is such a pain in the @$$!
10. Peter O'Malley - Why not?
9. Me - If the Dodgers are community property, and I'm a part of the community, then I should already own them!
8. Lady Gaga - I would love to see the Dodgers new uniforms!
7. Japan - Free baseball player pipeline
6. China - They already own half of America
5. Vince McMahon - I would love to see baseball played inside a steel cage!
4. City of Bell Officials - This is something legal they could do with all that extra money they've collected
3. President Obama - He's throwing money everywhere else to make things better. Why not include the Dodgers?
2. Mark Cuban - Seriously...Mark Cuban
1. Preparation H - They might make us feel better since current ownership is such a pain in the @$$!
Monday, September 20, 2010
The Best Engineers
So, being the weirdo that is fascinated by spiders that I am, I was watching one of my friends in the backyard last week as it moved from the center of its web up to the tree where it is attached at one point. As I angled to see just how the web as setup and where exactly it went, I began to appreciate the instinctively intelligent design of it. If you've ever watched an Orb-Weaver create its web, it really is something pretty cool, if you aren't freaked out by the spider.
Typically, you have one master strand that is strung from two high places that is the main line used to create the rest of the web, from which they drop down one new strand for a third attachment point of the web, sometimes on or close to the ground. Upon watching the spider crawl along the main strand back into the tree, where it hangs out when it's not in the middle of its web, I noticed that it had at least three other strands attached to that main strand, from the tree, to support it while the large spider (it's body is pretty close to the size of the fingernail on my pinky finger) crawls along it. The main strand only sagged a little while crawled along it. That's what got me to thinking about how smart these spiders are in terms of web design (and I'm not talking IT here). And it's all instinct...no schooling needed!
Typically, you have one master strand that is strung from two high places that is the main line used to create the rest of the web, from which they drop down one new strand for a third attachment point of the web, sometimes on or close to the ground. Upon watching the spider crawl along the main strand back into the tree, where it hangs out when it's not in the middle of its web, I noticed that it had at least three other strands attached to that main strand, from the tree, to support it while the large spider (it's body is pretty close to the size of the fingernail on my pinky finger) crawls along it. The main strand only sagged a little while crawled along it. That's what got me to thinking about how smart these spiders are in terms of web design (and I'm not talking IT here). And it's all instinct...no schooling needed!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Tick, Tick, Tick...Goooooooooooooooooooooooal!
As each day goes by, I continue to wonder what God has planned for me and the family. No news on the job front is not a good thing in my mind. Then again, the news I have already gotten hasn't been good either; a number of thank-you-but-no-thank-yous, and no interviews. I'm trying to stay optimistic, which can be tougher on some days than others, because I don't want to think of what may happen if I wind up with no work. I'm determined to make something happen, though. So I check the internal postings daily at work and am noticing that the number of openings seems to have dropped pretty dramatically within the last week or so. I still have a number that I'm waiting to hear on or the postings haven't closed yet. I'm getting in the mindset that we will be moving because I'll get one of those internal jobs I've applied for. (The only way I can stay with Chevron at this point, is to accept a position in another location.)
There is this one phrase that I have gotten used to, which is a good thing: "It is what it is". The first time I really remember hearing that phrase was at my last employer, when my manager there would use it, typically in a negative way. So everytime I hear the phrase, I think of him, which makes me a little tense because of how I left there and the fact that I didn't like him. I hear it so often now that it doesn't bother me as much although I always picture him saying it when I hear it. Fortunately, I can make myself laugh though because I picture the chef from Ratatouille saying it. He and that manager look eerily similar. (Traci even agrees!)
There's not a whole lot to do at work since I turned all my contracts over to a co-worker. Contracts were about 80% of my job even though my title is Procurement Analyst. The other 20%, the analysis, I'll be turning over to my "roomie" here at work next week when she's back from vacation. I will not miss sharing an office with her. She's very smart and knowledgeable about the work she does, but she comes across as talking down to you when she explains something. I've gotten used to sharing an office with her so it's not bad. She just wouldn't have been my first choice.
On the home front, Skyler had her first soccer game last Saturday, which was also my first coaching experience. I was happy with how it went. We tied 2-2, but at the age of these kids (4-5 year olds), that doesn't matter much. The idea is to teach them some basics of the game and to have fun playing the game. It seemed like most of them had fun. The only one I think that wasn't enjoying himself was my assistant coach's nephew. I'm hoping he warms up to playing as the season goes on. If he starts running with the kids in the game, I'll consider that a victory. There's another kid on the team who is extremely shy. I was excited during the game when he kicked the ball and looked back at me (I was on the field also) with a smile that said "I kicked the ball!" That was great to see.
It was fun to see which of the kids seem to have a talent for the game and how each of them performs. They all followed the ball really well and for the most part knew which way to kick it. Both us and the opposing team kicked one into our own goal. The ref didn't count either one, although it turns out it wouldn't have mattered. I think I'm really going to enjoy coaching this team, even if soccer isn't my sport. This Saturday will be a little more fun than usual too. One of the coaches on the opposing team was a high school baseball teammate of mine. (It all comes back to baseball!) Then in the afternoon, we have our team's first party of the year...the always enjoyable pizza party!
There is this one phrase that I have gotten used to, which is a good thing: "It is what it is". The first time I really remember hearing that phrase was at my last employer, when my manager there would use it, typically in a negative way. So everytime I hear the phrase, I think of him, which makes me a little tense because of how I left there and the fact that I didn't like him. I hear it so often now that it doesn't bother me as much although I always picture him saying it when I hear it. Fortunately, I can make myself laugh though because I picture the chef from Ratatouille saying it. He and that manager look eerily similar. (Traci even agrees!)
There's not a whole lot to do at work since I turned all my contracts over to a co-worker. Contracts were about 80% of my job even though my title is Procurement Analyst. The other 20%, the analysis, I'll be turning over to my "roomie" here at work next week when she's back from vacation. I will not miss sharing an office with her. She's very smart and knowledgeable about the work she does, but she comes across as talking down to you when she explains something. I've gotten used to sharing an office with her so it's not bad. She just wouldn't have been my first choice.
On the home front, Skyler had her first soccer game last Saturday, which was also my first coaching experience. I was happy with how it went. We tied 2-2, but at the age of these kids (4-5 year olds), that doesn't matter much. The idea is to teach them some basics of the game and to have fun playing the game. It seemed like most of them had fun. The only one I think that wasn't enjoying himself was my assistant coach's nephew. I'm hoping he warms up to playing as the season goes on. If he starts running with the kids in the game, I'll consider that a victory. There's another kid on the team who is extremely shy. I was excited during the game when he kicked the ball and looked back at me (I was on the field also) with a smile that said "I kicked the ball!" That was great to see.
It was fun to see which of the kids seem to have a talent for the game and how each of them performs. They all followed the ball really well and for the most part knew which way to kick it. Both us and the opposing team kicked one into our own goal. The ref didn't count either one, although it turns out it wouldn't have mattered. I think I'm really going to enjoy coaching this team, even if soccer isn't my sport. This Saturday will be a little more fun than usual too. One of the coaches on the opposing team was a high school baseball teammate of mine. (It all comes back to baseball!) Then in the afternoon, we have our team's first party of the year...the always enjoyable pizza party!
Friday, September 3, 2010
Job Update & More
And the job search goes on. So far within Chevron, I have been rejected for 3 and have 12 more I'm waiting to hear on. Of the 12 I'm still waiting to hear on, they are located in Bakersfield, CA (6), San Ramon, CA (4), Salt Lake City, UT (1), Covington, LA (2), and Houston, TX (1). There are no positions available in El Segundo where I currently work. Therefore, if I stay with Chevron, which is my preference, we will need to relocate. Fortunately, Chevron would pay for almost all of the moving costs. It would still be a hassle though.
Outside of Chevron, I have submitted for 8 different positions located from Whittier to Universal City. I submitted all of those today so nothing has happened with any of them yet.
I took the girls to Disneyland tonight and realized that as of tomorrow (Sept. 4), it will be exactly 11 years since I last worked at Disneyland. It doesn't seem like that long ago, but I think that's because I always think about it and how much I enjoyed and wish I could work there again. Hey, there's another place I need to look at for work!
Traci continues to amaze me. She ran (and finished) her first half-marathon this morning! I couldn't be more proud of her. She has built up quite a bit of endurance since she started running. I need to try to catch up to her.
Outside of Chevron, I have submitted for 8 different positions located from Whittier to Universal City. I submitted all of those today so nothing has happened with any of them yet.
I took the girls to Disneyland tonight and realized that as of tomorrow (Sept. 4), it will be exactly 11 years since I last worked at Disneyland. It doesn't seem like that long ago, but I think that's because I always think about it and how much I enjoyed and wish I could work there again. Hey, there's another place I need to look at for work!
Traci continues to amaze me. She ran (and finished) her first half-marathon this morning! I couldn't be more proud of her. She has built up quite a bit of endurance since she started running. I need to try to catch up to her.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Busyness All Over
I guess it comes with this time of the year, but it seems like there are so many things going on. Everytime I ask Traci what we have going on, it's like a while new list! I figured I would try to organize my thoughts while I have a little time, even though it's getting pretty late and this weekend gets really busy tomorrow. So here's the haps...
First of all, the biggest issue right now is my job situation. Chevron (Global Downstream operations) is in the process of downsizing. They are currently neat the end of the seventh of eight rounds. This seventh round is the one I'm involved in. The first week of this month, I put in my request for the five positions I'm most interested in. Three of them are in El Segundo, where I currently work, and two are in Brea, which would be a very nice commute (< 30 minutes one way). This week, my (new) manager was at HQ up in San Ramon with all the other managers associated with this round, in meetings to determine who would be offered what positions. I have an appointment with him on Monday afternoon, as do the other 11 in our department that are going through this at the same time. Of the 12 of us going through this joyous process, only 7 of us will remain after this is all said and done. There are others in our department who have already gone through this process and they all ended up with jobs within our department, sot his will be the first bad news for the group and where all the changes will really take place, although we did layoff two support staff at the end of June and didn't replace one who left earlier this year. I also have other potential options within Chevron that I have been pursuing but one of those doors is now shut I learned yesterday; still several others open, although I'm not sure I should hold my breath for any of those. The good thing is that my depression has not comeback during this more-stressful-than-usual time.
Outside of work, personal life is going pretty well although starting to get really busy for all of us. Traci is in her first semester of co-leading MOPS at our church and she has already been very busy with that. Courtney starts first grade on September 1 and Skyler starts Pre-K two days earlier. At least we already have Skyler's school supplies bought and ready to go when she meets her teacher(s) next Friday.
Also, Skyler will be playing soccer in our Youth Kicks league at church and I'm the head coach of the team. I find that ironic because my only soccer experience was in PE classes in school, and I have never really liked the sport that much, I think mainly because my feet do not function well in sports. Running was always the weakest part of my baseball game. We went through some training last weekend and it just confirmed that soccer is not my sport. However, I was asked by the Sports Pastor at our church if I would be willing to coach, and I accepted. I figure there's not really a whole lot to teach since they will all pretty much be chasing the ball like a swarm of bees. Besides, I'll have a cool Assistant Coach in Traci's cousin Bryan. It should be a fun season and I'm really looking forward to it. The fact that all practices are immediately before the games on Saturdays (at 8AM) is nice too since it will still leave Saturdays very open for us. We take team pictures next weekend and the season starts September 11.
In preparation for the season, I will be spending tomorrow, most of the day, at church helping construct the new indoor soccer walls for the upcoming season. I'm excited because I may be able to use my screw gun, which doesn't get a whole lot of use, and I really enjoy using it when I do. Plus it will be good to know that I have helped get the church gym ready for the season. (Traci will be at an all-day meeting for Women's Leadership for our church, so the grandparents will enjoy some quality time with the girls.)
Sunday will be made up of church,and Sunday School BBQ/game day and then a birthday party (out in Corona). it should be a pretty fun day and I'm looking forward to all of it, but I know I'll be pretty tired at the end of the say, not to mention probably sore from Saturday's work day.
Let me back in time slightly. Last night turned out to be quite the interesting night. Since Traci was hosting a MOPS leadership meeting at our house, I needed to take the girls somewhere for a while and Disneyland was the first place we all thought of, but we didn't have enough gas in either car and we didn't have enough money to put gas in either car until I got paid today so, Disneyland was out. So off to my parents' house we went. The girls always have a good time over there and last night was no exception. Things got interesting very quickly towards the2 teeth had been knocked out: the two top front teeth. The right one was already hanging on by a thread so it didn't bleed as much as the other which was loose, but not nearly as loose as the other one. I'm assuming that was the one she was holding in her hand since there was so much blood on it. My mom and I had her sit on the couch to put pressure on her gums, with a paper towel, where the teeth had fallen out. Within about a minute, the paper towel was half red with all the blood has absorbed. Fortunately, it began clotting pretty quickly after that and after 5-10 minutes, the bleeding was done. We started looking for the other tooth but couldn't find it. (Fortunately, my parents found it as soon as we left and brought it over.) So now Courtney has a big gap in the front of her mouth since the two top teeth are no longer there and one on the bottom (immediately to her left of the middle teeth) recently also fell out. Now there is another tooth hanging on by a thread on the bottom on the other side of the middle teeth. That one could easily fall out anytime as it can already be pushed pretty far forward and back. So she has lost 5 teeth by the time she is 6 1/2 (today) with a sixth ready to go. School pictures should be classic this year!
Now that it's just past midnight and I need to get to bed, I'll sign off. Until next time!
First of all, the biggest issue right now is my job situation. Chevron (Global Downstream operations) is in the process of downsizing. They are currently neat the end of the seventh of eight rounds. This seventh round is the one I'm involved in. The first week of this month, I put in my request for the five positions I'm most interested in. Three of them are in El Segundo, where I currently work, and two are in Brea, which would be a very nice commute (< 30 minutes one way). This week, my (new) manager was at HQ up in San Ramon with all the other managers associated with this round, in meetings to determine who would be offered what positions. I have an appointment with him on Monday afternoon, as do the other 11 in our department that are going through this at the same time. Of the 12 of us going through this joyous process, only 7 of us will remain after this is all said and done. There are others in our department who have already gone through this process and they all ended up with jobs within our department, sot his will be the first bad news for the group and where all the changes will really take place, although we did layoff two support staff at the end of June and didn't replace one who left earlier this year. I also have other potential options within Chevron that I have been pursuing but one of those doors is now shut I learned yesterday; still several others open, although I'm not sure I should hold my breath for any of those. The good thing is that my depression has not comeback during this more-stressful-than-usual time.
Outside of work, personal life is going pretty well although starting to get really busy for all of us. Traci is in her first semester of co-leading MOPS at our church and she has already been very busy with that. Courtney starts first grade on September 1 and Skyler starts Pre-K two days earlier. At least we already have Skyler's school supplies bought and ready to go when she meets her teacher(s) next Friday.
Also, Skyler will be playing soccer in our Youth Kicks league at church and I'm the head coach of the team. I find that ironic because my only soccer experience was in PE classes in school, and I have never really liked the sport that much, I think mainly because my feet do not function well in sports. Running was always the weakest part of my baseball game. We went through some training last weekend and it just confirmed that soccer is not my sport. However, I was asked by the Sports Pastor at our church if I would be willing to coach, and I accepted. I figure there's not really a whole lot to teach since they will all pretty much be chasing the ball like a swarm of bees. Besides, I'll have a cool Assistant Coach in Traci's cousin Bryan. It should be a fun season and I'm really looking forward to it. The fact that all practices are immediately before the games on Saturdays (at 8AM) is nice too since it will still leave Saturdays very open for us. We take team pictures next weekend and the season starts September 11.
In preparation for the season, I will be spending tomorrow, most of the day, at church helping construct the new indoor soccer walls for the upcoming season. I'm excited because I may be able to use my screw gun, which doesn't get a whole lot of use, and I really enjoy using it when I do. Plus it will be good to know that I have helped get the church gym ready for the season. (Traci will be at an all-day meeting for Women's Leadership for our church, so the grandparents will enjoy some quality time with the girls.)
Sunday will be made up of church,and Sunday School BBQ/game day and then a birthday party (out in Corona). it should be a pretty fun day and I'm looking forward to all of it, but I know I'll be pretty tired at the end of the say, not to mention probably sore from Saturday's work day.
Let me back in time slightly. Last night turned out to be quite the interesting night. Since Traci was hosting a MOPS leadership meeting at our house, I needed to take the girls somewhere for a while and Disneyland was the first place we all thought of, but we didn't have enough gas in either car and we didn't have enough money to put gas in either car until I got paid today so, Disneyland was out. So off to my parents' house we went. The girls always have a good time over there and last night was no exception. Things got interesting very quickly towards the2 teeth had been knocked out: the two top front teeth. The right one was already hanging on by a thread so it didn't bleed as much as the other which was loose, but not nearly as loose as the other one. I'm assuming that was the one she was holding in her hand since there was so much blood on it. My mom and I had her sit on the couch to put pressure on her gums, with a paper towel, where the teeth had fallen out. Within about a minute, the paper towel was half red with all the blood has absorbed. Fortunately, it began clotting pretty quickly after that and after 5-10 minutes, the bleeding was done. We started looking for the other tooth but couldn't find it. (Fortunately, my parents found it as soon as we left and brought it over.) So now Courtney has a big gap in the front of her mouth since the two top teeth are no longer there and one on the bottom (immediately to her left of the middle teeth) recently also fell out. Now there is another tooth hanging on by a thread on the bottom on the other side of the middle teeth. That one could easily fall out anytime as it can already be pushed pretty far forward and back. So she has lost 5 teeth by the time she is 6 1/2 (today) with a sixth ready to go. School pictures should be classic this year!
Now that it's just past midnight and I need to get to bed, I'll sign off. Until next time!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Frustration, Anxiety and Patience, Oh My!
Work is as interesting as it has ever been right now. As you may or may not know, Chevron is downsizing. Well, the Global Downstream part of Chevron is downsizing. There are 8 stages to it. They refer to it as ROM (Resource Optimization Management). You know, one of those big fancy corporate terms that sounds better than downsizing.
This week is the beginning of ROM7, or the seventh round of ROM, and it happens to be the round I am in. Here's how it works. At the beginning of the week, they post all of the positions worldwide that are included in this round. In this case, that number is 1,431, of which 273 were in the US, about 20-25 in Southern California, and about 8 in El Segundo (all our department...lucky me). We each choose 5 positions we would like to apply for and then meet with our manager to discuss which four he would like to nominate us for and then one choice we nominate ourselves for.
On Monday, I reviewed the positions available and put in for three procurement positions (within my department) and two in Brea that I think I could do well. Next week, nothing happens. The week after that, all managers who oversee the position affected in this round meet in HQ in San Ramon and discuss/debate who should be placed in what position. The following week, we are told what position we have or that we have been "left standing" as they put it. So at this point in time, I basically have to wait for at least two weeks to find out my fate.
However, in wanting to head this off and not go through this whole process, I have applied for five other positions with Chevron, but in the Global Upstream part of the business (and not in Procurement). Four of the five positions have closed (no longer accepting applicants) and one closes on Monday. At this point, the four that are closed are in the process of determining who they want to interview and who they want to issue the "Thank you, but no thank you" e-mails to. I haven't received any e-mails yet, so that's a good thing, but I haven't received an invitation for an interview yet either. Being in holding position as I am now with these five, as well as the other five, is not very comfortable.
Here's how I see it. I am at a 3-way fork in the road. One direction keeps me going straight ahead with a very similar position to what I have now, one represents the unknown, and one represents BIG changes. The worst part of being at this 3-way fork is that I don't have much control over it. I'll be happy as long as I am not sent down the unknown road. That road is like the road that fades off into the fog: you know it's there, but you have no idea where it will take you.
So, that's where I'm at...very on-edge about work. I guess for now all I can do is keep doing the job I have, and pray. After all, I know God has a plan for me. I just wish I knew what it was.
This week is the beginning of ROM7, or the seventh round of ROM, and it happens to be the round I am in. Here's how it works. At the beginning of the week, they post all of the positions worldwide that are included in this round. In this case, that number is 1,431, of which 273 were in the US, about 20-25 in Southern California, and about 8 in El Segundo (all our department...lucky me). We each choose 5 positions we would like to apply for and then meet with our manager to discuss which four he would like to nominate us for and then one choice we nominate ourselves for.
On Monday, I reviewed the positions available and put in for three procurement positions (within my department) and two in Brea that I think I could do well. Next week, nothing happens. The week after that, all managers who oversee the position affected in this round meet in HQ in San Ramon and discuss/debate who should be placed in what position. The following week, we are told what position we have or that we have been "left standing" as they put it. So at this point in time, I basically have to wait for at least two weeks to find out my fate.
However, in wanting to head this off and not go through this whole process, I have applied for five other positions with Chevron, but in the Global Upstream part of the business (and not in Procurement). Four of the five positions have closed (no longer accepting applicants) and one closes on Monday. At this point, the four that are closed are in the process of determining who they want to interview and who they want to issue the "Thank you, but no thank you" e-mails to. I haven't received any e-mails yet, so that's a good thing, but I haven't received an invitation for an interview yet either. Being in holding position as I am now with these five, as well as the other five, is not very comfortable.
Here's how I see it. I am at a 3-way fork in the road. One direction keeps me going straight ahead with a very similar position to what I have now, one represents the unknown, and one represents BIG changes. The worst part of being at this 3-way fork is that I don't have much control over it. I'll be happy as long as I am not sent down the unknown road. That road is like the road that fades off into the fog: you know it's there, but you have no idea where it will take you.
So, that's where I'm at...very on-edge about work. I guess for now all I can do is keep doing the job I have, and pray. After all, I know God has a plan for me. I just wish I knew what it was.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Vacation!
I have taken this week off from work for vacation. We don't have any travel plans, but we're just doing fun stuff around here. It's always nice to take trips when I have time off from work, but it's also nice to not feel like we have to go anywhere either. So here's a little snapshot of what's been going on and what's lined up.
Last Friday, I won the battle of the smog test with my car. It failed the first time and wasn't ready yet the second time we took it in to have it re-tested. Finally, when we took it in Thursday, it passed and now I await the sticker for my car. It was due Friday, so I barely got it done on time. If only we had money for a new car...
Saturday was fun. It started off with a half-birthday party since the baby's birthday is Christmas and throwing a party around Christmas is, well let's say, nightmarish. I like the concept of a half-birthday party if you're not going to throw a traditional birthday party. The girls had some fun waterplay with a some of their friends at the party.
After that we rested for a while and then went to my buddy's house for his housemate's birthday. I don't get over to his place in Long Beach very often, so it was nice to get down there and visit with him and his fiance. I'm really looking forward to their wedding, whenever they set the date, and assuming I'm invited.
Sunday was a lot of fun too. Church in the morning where the girls actually sat through the service, although half of it was in the foyer. Then after a little rest at home, we were off to out 4th of July party at my brother-in-law's mother-in-law's house. I actually spend a couple of hours in the pool which was fun. It was fun when Courtney and my niece and nephew decided it was time to climb on me. Normally, I'm not big on that kind of play, but they were being fun and not too rough, so it was good. We got a really cute picture of it too! Finally, after the pool time and very yummy BBQ, it was time for fireworks...in a city where they are actually still legal (stupid Whittier). The kids always love them, and even though Skyler was scared at first, she was loving them by the end.
Yesterday, we implemented a new reward system for the girls and they are eating it up! It the whole marbles in a pail thing where for certain actions, they earn marbles to put in their pail and for certain actions, they have some marbles taken out. The seem to really enjoy this and we had to remove the first marbles from Courtney's pail today (not a big surprise). She was extremely upset when this happened, and I may have made it a little harder, when I had her remove the marbles from her own pail. She was in tears. However, we encouraged her to earn them back by doing some of the things on the list, and sure enough she did.
Also yesterday, even though I'm on vacation, the girls started VBS. However, since our church is not doing it this year due to extremely tight finances and major construction underway, our friend told us of a church (Green Hills Baptist Church) near them in La Mirada that is doing it this week for free. So far, they love it. Also, I have to admit I am very impressed with how this church has run it so far from what little I've seen. It is nice having a little time together with Traci though.
Tomorrow we all go see Toy Story 3! I think all four of us are excited to see it. We'll go after VBS and lunch. It should be good. And in the evening I'll be hanging out with the guys since one of my friends is in town for a few days. It's always good to see him.
Thursday will be very exciting for me as I start my All Star Week Volunteer duties, which will have me on the field at Angels Stadium! I'm not sure what my exact duties are, but I'll find out when I show up. I know I work a few hours Thursday and Friday afternoons and I get two tickets to All Star Fan Fest as a result. It's very exciting since there were 5,000 applications for 2,000 volunteer positions, and not only did I get chosen, but I will be a big league field for the first time ever! Did I say I'm excited?
Finally on Sunday, Traci will be running the All Star Charity 5K (and Fun Run) at Angels Stadium. I'll take the girls to document it. It would be awesome if I could get a picture of Traci with Jillian Michaels since she will be there. We'll see how that goes.
Then it's back to work on Monday. However, it won't quite be work as normal. Last week at work, I applied for three internal jobs at work (in a part of the company that is not affected by the downsizing!) and the postings all close next week at various times. So I could hear next week about whether or not I get to interview for any of those positions. I'm hoping I can at least interview for the positions, but I don't want to set the expectations that I will, which I'm afraid I already have. So if I don't get contacted, I will probably be disappointed, but I will also know it is part of God's plan. And then it's back to the anxiety of reapplying for positions the first week of August
Last Friday, I won the battle of the smog test with my car. It failed the first time and wasn't ready yet the second time we took it in to have it re-tested. Finally, when we took it in Thursday, it passed and now I await the sticker for my car. It was due Friday, so I barely got it done on time. If only we had money for a new car...
Saturday was fun. It started off with a half-birthday party since the baby's birthday is Christmas and throwing a party around Christmas is, well let's say, nightmarish. I like the concept of a half-birthday party if you're not going to throw a traditional birthday party. The girls had some fun waterplay with a some of their friends at the party.
After that we rested for a while and then went to my buddy's house for his housemate's birthday. I don't get over to his place in Long Beach very often, so it was nice to get down there and visit with him and his fiance. I'm really looking forward to their wedding, whenever they set the date, and assuming I'm invited.
Sunday was a lot of fun too. Church in the morning where the girls actually sat through the service, although half of it was in the foyer. Then after a little rest at home, we were off to out 4th of July party at my brother-in-law's mother-in-law's house. I actually spend a couple of hours in the pool which was fun. It was fun when Courtney and my niece and nephew decided it was time to climb on me. Normally, I'm not big on that kind of play, but they were being fun and not too rough, so it was good. We got a really cute picture of it too! Finally, after the pool time and very yummy BBQ, it was time for fireworks...in a city where they are actually still legal (stupid Whittier). The kids always love them, and even though Skyler was scared at first, she was loving them by the end.
Yesterday, we implemented a new reward system for the girls and they are eating it up! It the whole marbles in a pail thing where for certain actions, they earn marbles to put in their pail and for certain actions, they have some marbles taken out. The seem to really enjoy this and we had to remove the first marbles from Courtney's pail today (not a big surprise). She was extremely upset when this happened, and I may have made it a little harder, when I had her remove the marbles from her own pail. She was in tears. However, we encouraged her to earn them back by doing some of the things on the list, and sure enough she did.
Also yesterday, even though I'm on vacation, the girls started VBS. However, since our church is not doing it this year due to extremely tight finances and major construction underway, our friend told us of a church (Green Hills Baptist Church) near them in La Mirada that is doing it this week for free. So far, they love it. Also, I have to admit I am very impressed with how this church has run it so far from what little I've seen. It is nice having a little time together with Traci though.
Tomorrow we all go see Toy Story 3! I think all four of us are excited to see it. We'll go after VBS and lunch. It should be good. And in the evening I'll be hanging out with the guys since one of my friends is in town for a few days. It's always good to see him.
Thursday will be very exciting for me as I start my All Star Week Volunteer duties, which will have me on the field at Angels Stadium! I'm not sure what my exact duties are, but I'll find out when I show up. I know I work a few hours Thursday and Friday afternoons and I get two tickets to All Star Fan Fest as a result. It's very exciting since there were 5,000 applications for 2,000 volunteer positions, and not only did I get chosen, but I will be a big league field for the first time ever! Did I say I'm excited?
Finally on Sunday, Traci will be running the All Star Charity 5K (and Fun Run) at Angels Stadium. I'll take the girls to document it. It would be awesome if I could get a picture of Traci with Jillian Michaels since she will be there. We'll see how that goes.
Then it's back to work on Monday. However, it won't quite be work as normal. Last week at work, I applied for three internal jobs at work (in a part of the company that is not affected by the downsizing!) and the postings all close next week at various times. So I could hear next week about whether or not I get to interview for any of those positions. I'm hoping I can at least interview for the positions, but I don't want to set the expectations that I will, which I'm afraid I already have. So if I don't get contacted, I will probably be disappointed, but I will also know it is part of God's plan. And then it's back to the anxiety of reapplying for positions the first week of August
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Summer is Off to a Fast Start
Hey, I have an idea! Let's go into the Summer running and not catch our breath! At least that's what it feels like right now. While I sit here, I have brownies in the oven, which will be a part of the Team WACC potluck at the Relay for Life at Cal High. Traci is there right now probably walking or running her legs off.
In a little while, we'll headed over to the house of one of our pastor's at church who just graduated with his Master's Degree from Bethel Seminary. He's probably the pastor I know best at church, so it should be fun to go celebrate with him.
Tomorrow is Fathers Day, so we're hosting our annual Fathers Day BBQ. The yard is ready to go since I mowed and edged yesterday. Boy, did it need it! It's always fun having the BBQ here on Fathers Day. This year will be a little more fun that it has been the past couple of years because Traci's brother and his family have moved back down here from Colorado. SO instead of my kids being the only ones, they will have their 3 cousins, which they love hanging out with, here to play with.
If I may (yes I can...it's my blog!) I'm going to go off on a little tangent. Yes tomorrow is Fathers Day, but I don't expect special treatment, which is where I have a problem with some people. To me, Fathers Day is another day. To some people, they expect to be treated special on a "special" day like this. I don't take that approach because if I do and things don't go exactly the way I would want them to go, I would be really upset and Fathers Day wouldn't be any good, which means I would rarely enjoy Fathers Day and then have nothing to look forward to when it comes around each year. With two kids (girls), there will inevitably be some drama at some point in the day. Get my drift? There are some people that expect to be the center of attention on a special day and that kind of annoys me. And then there are the people that expect to be the center of attention EVERY day. I don't want to even go there, so I'll leave it at that.
Friday's have pretty much become Frugos Friday since we discovered it about a month ago or so. The girls always like it, and so do Traci and I. It's just fun and is really good. Also, they sell bottled water for $1! That's an awesome price, especially since it's .7 liters.
It's been an eventful month so far besides everything coming up, including me and Traci's 11th anniversary a week from today. Oh the joys of being poor...we'll do something local without kids and make the most of it. It worked out pretty well last year and we had a lot of fun. Skyler finished her first year of preschool last week which means she has one more year of preschool before she hits kindergarten and we save $350 each month! Courtney just finished kindergarten yesterday and she is very excited to be a first grader now. She did amazingly well this year. We are very proud of her.
Well, the brownies are almost done, which means I need to get ready to go. TTFN
In a little while, we'll headed over to the house of one of our pastor's at church who just graduated with his Master's Degree from Bethel Seminary. He's probably the pastor I know best at church, so it should be fun to go celebrate with him.
Tomorrow is Fathers Day, so we're hosting our annual Fathers Day BBQ. The yard is ready to go since I mowed and edged yesterday. Boy, did it need it! It's always fun having the BBQ here on Fathers Day. This year will be a little more fun that it has been the past couple of years because Traci's brother and his family have moved back down here from Colorado. SO instead of my kids being the only ones, they will have their 3 cousins, which they love hanging out with, here to play with.
If I may (yes I can...it's my blog!) I'm going to go off on a little tangent. Yes tomorrow is Fathers Day, but I don't expect special treatment, which is where I have a problem with some people. To me, Fathers Day is another day. To some people, they expect to be treated special on a "special" day like this. I don't take that approach because if I do and things don't go exactly the way I would want them to go, I would be really upset and Fathers Day wouldn't be any good, which means I would rarely enjoy Fathers Day and then have nothing to look forward to when it comes around each year. With two kids (girls), there will inevitably be some drama at some point in the day. Get my drift? There are some people that expect to be the center of attention on a special day and that kind of annoys me. And then there are the people that expect to be the center of attention EVERY day. I don't want to even go there, so I'll leave it at that.
Friday's have pretty much become Frugos Friday since we discovered it about a month ago or so. The girls always like it, and so do Traci and I. It's just fun and is really good. Also, they sell bottled water for $1! That's an awesome price, especially since it's .7 liters.
It's been an eventful month so far besides everything coming up, including me and Traci's 11th anniversary a week from today. Oh the joys of being poor...we'll do something local without kids and make the most of it. It worked out pretty well last year and we had a lot of fun. Skyler finished her first year of preschool last week which means she has one more year of preschool before she hits kindergarten and we save $350 each month! Courtney just finished kindergarten yesterday and she is very excited to be a first grader now. She did amazingly well this year. We are very proud of her.
Well, the brownies are almost done, which means I need to get ready to go. TTFN
Friday, June 4, 2010
Get Over It!
Since the bad umpire call that blew the perfect game for Tigers' pitcher Armando Galarraga, there have been a lot of people throwing out ideas of instant replay, reversing the umpire's call to award the pitcher a perfect game and other crazy ideas (such as firing the umpire), I thought I would weigh in with my opinion of the whole situation. I though Bill Plaschke's article on this whole event (in the LA Times) was a great article. While I don't agree with him an all points, he supports his case very well. That's probably why he's writing for the LA Times. (Check out the article here.)
In my eyes, the two big questions that have come out of this whole situation are these: 1) Should the call (at first base) be reversed and therefore give the pitcher credit for a perfect, which would be only the 21st ever in baseball history? and 2) Should instant replay be used on a broader basis? Well, here are my thoughts and opinions.
Question 1: Should the call be reversed?
This one is simple in my mind...NO!!!! If baseball was to reverse this call, there would be a bigger than life can of worms opened up which would be more annoying than anything. Besides, as soon as the game was over, the umpire in question, Jim Joyce, asked to take a look at the play, apparently without any prompting. As soon as he reviewed the play, he admitted that he missed the call and that when he made the call he honestly thought the runner was safe. (If you have seen a replay of the play, you will also see that the runner was clearly out.) Put simply: Joyce did his job. Umpires are as human as the rest of us. We have all made mistakes and that will never change. Some of the mistakes may have bigger impacts than others, but that's the way it is.
Also, if this call is reversed, how many other calls will people want to see reversed? Missed calls have been a part of the game as long as it has existed. As a matter of fact, some of those missed calls are a big part of history, as this one will now be. What's done is done. Let's accept it for what it is, no matter how wrong it may seem, and move on. Joyce and Galarraga have done that, why shouldn't we? They both realize what happened, and how unfortunate it was, but they hold no grudges, have hugged and shook hands and are moving on. Joyce has been in tears on multiple occasions already. He feels bad for the mistake. He manned up and took responsibility for the botched call. That's more than a lot of us do.
Another issue with reversing the call is that the umpires lose the power of the game. Allowing someone who is not an umpire to reverse the call, such as Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, would undermine the umpires' authority. If the umpires lose their authority, the potential for players and coaches and managers to always question the umpires could get out of control. I'm not saying this would happen, but it seems like a possibility. And while we're headed down this road, how many players, coaches, etc. would then appeal to the Commissioner to overturn other calls when they happen?
Question 2: Should instant replay be used on a broader basis?
This one is not as simple in my mind and it will take some explanation, but I think the answer should be YES!!! Currently, instant replay is only used when a home run is in question. Was it fair or foul? Did a fan interfere with it? Did it really clear the fence? I think instant replay has been well-used so far. I have seen a number of home runs upheld and I have seen some overturned. Every instance when I have seen it used, it appears the ultimate call has been the correct one.
While I think the use of instant replay should be expanded, I think there are also limitations that would need to put into place. I think it should be available for use on all plays, except for calling balls and strikes. Since there is no way to get a head-on shot of the strike zone, it would not make sense to use it there. The view from the traditional center field camera is above and off to the side of the alignment of the pitcher and batter. Even the projected strike zones used on Fox ESPN and the like are not the most accurate. Besides, they only show the strike zone going up to the belt, which in and of itself is inaccurate.
People have said that the expansion of instant replay use would slow down the game, and this is true. However, if you put the right restrictions in place, it wouldn't have that much effect on the length of the game. I would propose allowing each manager/team two requests/challenges (to use the term from football) for review per game, regardless of the number of innings played. I think by restricting to two reviews per team per game, that will force the manager to decide if the play is really worth challenging. Once the game is over, there are no more challenges, unless there is an immediate challenge on the last play.
You may think I'm contradicting myself based on my statements from the first question and answer (about us all being imperfect), but I figure that if we are given the opportunity to correct our mistakes, why not do it? And I think you have to limit the number of challenges since unlimited would truly make some games a lot longer. (Don't get me started on why the Yankees and Red Sox seem to be incapable of playing a game in less than three and a half hours!)
So in summary, no the call should not be overturned and yes I think the use of instant replay should be expanded. All the media attention being given to this has been somewhat blown out of proportion. The two individuals who were involved have made up and moved on with life. Let those who run baseball make the ultimate decision. Everybody else just needs to get over it.
In my eyes, the two big questions that have come out of this whole situation are these: 1) Should the call (at first base) be reversed and therefore give the pitcher credit for a perfect, which would be only the 21st ever in baseball history? and 2) Should instant replay be used on a broader basis? Well, here are my thoughts and opinions.
Question 1: Should the call be reversed?
This one is simple in my mind...NO!!!! If baseball was to reverse this call, there would be a bigger than life can of worms opened up which would be more annoying than anything. Besides, as soon as the game was over, the umpire in question, Jim Joyce, asked to take a look at the play, apparently without any prompting. As soon as he reviewed the play, he admitted that he missed the call and that when he made the call he honestly thought the runner was safe. (If you have seen a replay of the play, you will also see that the runner was clearly out.) Put simply: Joyce did his job. Umpires are as human as the rest of us. We have all made mistakes and that will never change. Some of the mistakes may have bigger impacts than others, but that's the way it is.
Also, if this call is reversed, how many other calls will people want to see reversed? Missed calls have been a part of the game as long as it has existed. As a matter of fact, some of those missed calls are a big part of history, as this one will now be. What's done is done. Let's accept it for what it is, no matter how wrong it may seem, and move on. Joyce and Galarraga have done that, why shouldn't we? They both realize what happened, and how unfortunate it was, but they hold no grudges, have hugged and shook hands and are moving on. Joyce has been in tears on multiple occasions already. He feels bad for the mistake. He manned up and took responsibility for the botched call. That's more than a lot of us do.
Another issue with reversing the call is that the umpires lose the power of the game. Allowing someone who is not an umpire to reverse the call, such as Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, would undermine the umpires' authority. If the umpires lose their authority, the potential for players and coaches and managers to always question the umpires could get out of control. I'm not saying this would happen, but it seems like a possibility. And while we're headed down this road, how many players, coaches, etc. would then appeal to the Commissioner to overturn other calls when they happen?
Question 2: Should instant replay be used on a broader basis?
This one is not as simple in my mind and it will take some explanation, but I think the answer should be YES!!! Currently, instant replay is only used when a home run is in question. Was it fair or foul? Did a fan interfere with it? Did it really clear the fence? I think instant replay has been well-used so far. I have seen a number of home runs upheld and I have seen some overturned. Every instance when I have seen it used, it appears the ultimate call has been the correct one.
While I think the use of instant replay should be expanded, I think there are also limitations that would need to put into place. I think it should be available for use on all plays, except for calling balls and strikes. Since there is no way to get a head-on shot of the strike zone, it would not make sense to use it there. The view from the traditional center field camera is above and off to the side of the alignment of the pitcher and batter. Even the projected strike zones used on Fox ESPN and the like are not the most accurate. Besides, they only show the strike zone going up to the belt, which in and of itself is inaccurate.
People have said that the expansion of instant replay use would slow down the game, and this is true. However, if you put the right restrictions in place, it wouldn't have that much effect on the length of the game. I would propose allowing each manager/team two requests/challenges (to use the term from football) for review per game, regardless of the number of innings played. I think by restricting to two reviews per team per game, that will force the manager to decide if the play is really worth challenging. Once the game is over, there are no more challenges, unless there is an immediate challenge on the last play.
You may think I'm contradicting myself based on my statements from the first question and answer (about us all being imperfect), but I figure that if we are given the opportunity to correct our mistakes, why not do it? And I think you have to limit the number of challenges since unlimited would truly make some games a lot longer. (Don't get me started on why the Yankees and Red Sox seem to be incapable of playing a game in less than three and a half hours!)
So in summary, no the call should not be overturned and yes I think the use of instant replay should be expanded. All the media attention being given to this has been somewhat blown out of proportion. The two individuals who were involved have made up and moved on with life. Let those who run baseball make the ultimate decision. Everybody else just needs to get over it.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Final Basbeall Thoughts...Finally!
Oops, I guess I kind of screwed up with this series since I never really finished it. Since I'm not finding the desire to get on the computer at home as much anymore, I figure I should zip through the last several years of my baseball experiences. So here we go....
After the Whittier Little League AAA A's, there was a big dispute within Whittier Little League, which is when Whittier Pony league formed; 1987. For the first two years of Pony, I was again on the team lead by Traci's uncle. This obviously allowed me more time to see Traci, even though nothing was happening with us at the time.
Anyway, on the Padres, I typically had a really strong first half of the year and then tailed off towards the end. No top 3 trophies either of those years, but i really enjoyed playing and had a lot of fun. One of the memories I have from those years is when I was playing 3rd base and really had to go to the bathroom. I think our pitcher walked a batter or two while I danced around at third base trying to keep it in. Eventually, we got the third out and everybody was yelling for me to run to the port-a-potty. Somehow I made it, but man was it torture standing around being frustrated pitch after pitch waiting for the chance to go.
Another memory I have from the Whittier Pony, Pony Division Padres is when we were being no-hit by the opposing pitcher and I broke it up with a triple down the right field line at Joe Miller field.
My finest pitching performance ever was mercy rule shortened game where I pitched a 2-hit complete game shutout. I didn't pitch very often because although I was accurate, I was not very fast. Regardless, that was a great memory.
After playing for Traci's uncle for three years, it was time to move on to the Bronco Division, where I was on the Reds for two years. I didn't do great either year, although my highlight from those two years was a home run I drilled at York Field where there were no fences. It was a shot into the left-center gap and I had time to circle the bases before the left and center fielders could chase down the ball an get it back to the infield. Considering i only hit 3 home runs in my whole time playing baseball, it was a pretty special moment for me. (Notice that both home runs i have hit to this point have involved not going over a fence.)
After the Reds came La Serna High School. I started at La Serna High School in the Fall of 1990, which is just a few months after the school's baseball team had won a CIF Championship, very exciting. I made the Freshman team my freshman year and was excited to play at the high school level. I started the year sharing playing time with the other, bigger first baseman. Eventually, I earned a majority of the playing time. Although I had one of my worst offensive years that year (I think I hit .225), I still loved playing and was looking forward to advancing up the high school ranks.
My sophomore year I made JV. I saw limited action the first half, but when I was given a chance to start a game about half way through the year against Pioneer High School, I took advantage of the opportunity, hitting a ground-rule double (bouncing over the fence), showing I deserved playing time. I managed to start every game the rest of the year, whether paying first base or DH (Designated Hitter). I finished the year with pretty good numbers although I don't remember the stats.
My junior year I had hopes of making the Varsity team since there were typically very few juniors on the JV team. The JV coach said he thought I would make the varsity team and so I was excited. However, a couple week s later when JV and Varsity team rosters were posted, I found myself on the JV for a second year. Needless to say, I was disappointed. however, that couldn't make me quit; I was too determined. Again, as a junior this time, I rode the bench most of the first half of the year. Again, I was given a chance to start a game about half way through the year, this time at Whittier High School and I played the game of my life! I went 2 for 3 with 3 RBI (runs batted in)! And my hits weren't little singles. The first hit was my first, and only ever, home run that cleared the fence. It is a moment I will never forget! The pitch was down and in. I know I had two strikes on me because first I fouled a pitch down the third base line and almost got my coach near third base. The following pitch I fouled off into my team's first base dugout. The next pitch I nailed and it soared over the left field fence, bouncing on the tennis courts! I remember my parents screaming with excitement. I was totally pumped when I saw it bounce off the concrete past the fence. I didn't think I had hit it that well. I wanted to keep it cool circling the bases and was able to until I saw all my teammates gathered at home plate to congratulate me. Then I couldn't hold back the smile. Later in the game, I drove another one to the left-center field wall, which turned out to be a double. I tried to advance to third on the throw that got away from the catcher trying to tag out the runner, but I was thrown out at third. Oh well. As a result of this game of my career, I again played in every game the rest of the rest of the year. I finished with my best offensive year ever, batting over .400 (.429, I think) and earning Most Improved Player of the Year Award for the team. It is still the award I am most proud of that I ever received.
The following year as a senior, I made the Varsity team finally. However, it was an extremely frustrating year. I saw a total of 10 at bats the entire year, although I did have 3 hits for a .300 batting average. Those three hits were productive though. One was a bases loaded, bases-clearing (3 RBI) double against and at Loyola High School in L.A. during a Spring Break tournament. Another hit was during the last regular game of the season, when we were at home playing against Santa Fe High School. We had given up 5 runs in the top of the 1st inning. i was batting ninth in the lineup and actually got to bat in the 1st inning. The score was 5-4 in favor of Santa Fe and there were 2 runners on base. The first pitch I saw I drove to the wall in right-center field, knocking in both runners and giving us a 6-5 lead, which wound up being the final score. Also in that game, I grounded out and walked. The best part of this was that the coaching staff from Whittier College was in attendance since I had already received a partial academic scholarship from there. Coach Brock told me that they were very impressed with what they saw. Although I didn't wind up laying in college because I decided to focus on keeping my scholarship, it was great to know that they saw what I could do. The funny thing about my third hit that year on Varsity, it was a single that made it onto the school's video annual that year, along with a play from that same game where I did the splits at first base. So the stats for the year were a .300 batting average with 5 RBI. We made the CIF playoffs that year as the League Champions. We made it to the semi-finals before being eliminated. I don't remember seeing any action in the playoffs, but it was fun to watch and be there.
Since then I have played a softball team a church one time and have played a few years in MABL (Men's Adult Baseball League) in Orange County. Watching Courtney play softball for the first time this year has given me the itch to try to get back into baseball, but I need to get into shape (and save money) if I ever want to play again.
Baseball has always been a part of my life and always will be. There's just something in my DNA that prevents me from being who I am without baseball. In addition, it is because of baseball that I am married to the person I am married to today. What more could I ask for?
After the Whittier Little League AAA A's, there was a big dispute within Whittier Little League, which is when Whittier Pony league formed; 1987. For the first two years of Pony, I was again on the team lead by Traci's uncle. This obviously allowed me more time to see Traci, even though nothing was happening with us at the time.
Anyway, on the Padres, I typically had a really strong first half of the year and then tailed off towards the end. No top 3 trophies either of those years, but i really enjoyed playing and had a lot of fun. One of the memories I have from those years is when I was playing 3rd base and really had to go to the bathroom. I think our pitcher walked a batter or two while I danced around at third base trying to keep it in. Eventually, we got the third out and everybody was yelling for me to run to the port-a-potty. Somehow I made it, but man was it torture standing around being frustrated pitch after pitch waiting for the chance to go.
Another memory I have from the Whittier Pony, Pony Division Padres is when we were being no-hit by the opposing pitcher and I broke it up with a triple down the right field line at Joe Miller field.
My finest pitching performance ever was mercy rule shortened game where I pitched a 2-hit complete game shutout. I didn't pitch very often because although I was accurate, I was not very fast. Regardless, that was a great memory.
After playing for Traci's uncle for three years, it was time to move on to the Bronco Division, where I was on the Reds for two years. I didn't do great either year, although my highlight from those two years was a home run I drilled at York Field where there were no fences. It was a shot into the left-center gap and I had time to circle the bases before the left and center fielders could chase down the ball an get it back to the infield. Considering i only hit 3 home runs in my whole time playing baseball, it was a pretty special moment for me. (Notice that both home runs i have hit to this point have involved not going over a fence.)
After the Reds came La Serna High School. I started at La Serna High School in the Fall of 1990, which is just a few months after the school's baseball team had won a CIF Championship, very exciting. I made the Freshman team my freshman year and was excited to play at the high school level. I started the year sharing playing time with the other, bigger first baseman. Eventually, I earned a majority of the playing time. Although I had one of my worst offensive years that year (I think I hit .225), I still loved playing and was looking forward to advancing up the high school ranks.
My sophomore year I made JV. I saw limited action the first half, but when I was given a chance to start a game about half way through the year against Pioneer High School, I took advantage of the opportunity, hitting a ground-rule double (bouncing over the fence), showing I deserved playing time. I managed to start every game the rest of the year, whether paying first base or DH (Designated Hitter). I finished the year with pretty good numbers although I don't remember the stats.
My junior year I had hopes of making the Varsity team since there were typically very few juniors on the JV team. The JV coach said he thought I would make the varsity team and so I was excited. However, a couple week s later when JV and Varsity team rosters were posted, I found myself on the JV for a second year. Needless to say, I was disappointed. however, that couldn't make me quit; I was too determined. Again, as a junior this time, I rode the bench most of the first half of the year. Again, I was given a chance to start a game about half way through the year, this time at Whittier High School and I played the game of my life! I went 2 for 3 with 3 RBI (runs batted in)! And my hits weren't little singles. The first hit was my first, and only ever, home run that cleared the fence. It is a moment I will never forget! The pitch was down and in. I know I had two strikes on me because first I fouled a pitch down the third base line and almost got my coach near third base. The following pitch I fouled off into my team's first base dugout. The next pitch I nailed and it soared over the left field fence, bouncing on the tennis courts! I remember my parents screaming with excitement. I was totally pumped when I saw it bounce off the concrete past the fence. I didn't think I had hit it that well. I wanted to keep it cool circling the bases and was able to until I saw all my teammates gathered at home plate to congratulate me. Then I couldn't hold back the smile. Later in the game, I drove another one to the left-center field wall, which turned out to be a double. I tried to advance to third on the throw that got away from the catcher trying to tag out the runner, but I was thrown out at third. Oh well. As a result of this game of my career, I again played in every game the rest of the rest of the year. I finished with my best offensive year ever, batting over .400 (.429, I think) and earning Most Improved Player of the Year Award for the team. It is still the award I am most proud of that I ever received.
The following year as a senior, I made the Varsity team finally. However, it was an extremely frustrating year. I saw a total of 10 at bats the entire year, although I did have 3 hits for a .300 batting average. Those three hits were productive though. One was a bases loaded, bases-clearing (3 RBI) double against and at Loyola High School in L.A. during a Spring Break tournament. Another hit was during the last regular game of the season, when we were at home playing against Santa Fe High School. We had given up 5 runs in the top of the 1st inning. i was batting ninth in the lineup and actually got to bat in the 1st inning. The score was 5-4 in favor of Santa Fe and there were 2 runners on base. The first pitch I saw I drove to the wall in right-center field, knocking in both runners and giving us a 6-5 lead, which wound up being the final score. Also in that game, I grounded out and walked. The best part of this was that the coaching staff from Whittier College was in attendance since I had already received a partial academic scholarship from there. Coach Brock told me that they were very impressed with what they saw. Although I didn't wind up laying in college because I decided to focus on keeping my scholarship, it was great to know that they saw what I could do. The funny thing about my third hit that year on Varsity, it was a single that made it onto the school's video annual that year, along with a play from that same game where I did the splits at first base. So the stats for the year were a .300 batting average with 5 RBI. We made the CIF playoffs that year as the League Champions. We made it to the semi-finals before being eliminated. I don't remember seeing any action in the playoffs, but it was fun to watch and be there.
Since then I have played a softball team a church one time and have played a few years in MABL (Men's Adult Baseball League) in Orange County. Watching Courtney play softball for the first time this year has given me the itch to try to get back into baseball, but I need to get into shape (and save money) if I ever want to play again.
Baseball has always been a part of my life and always will be. There's just something in my DNA that prevents me from being who I am without baseball. In addition, it is because of baseball that I am married to the person I am married to today. What more could I ask for?
Saturday, March 6, 2010
1986 - Whittier Little League AAA A's: A Year That Would Change My Life
Above is my picture from my second year in baseball: 1986. I was on the AAA A's and was looking forward to another season of baseball. Now that the rookie year was over and I had more of an idea what I was doing, I figured it would be even better. And how could it go worse than 0-20 the previous year? Well things certainly went better this year and I had no idea how it would change my life.There are definitely a few highlights from this season. The first one that comes to mind is my first and only walkoff hit ever! Unfortunately, I didn't even realize it at the time. I didn't know that if you're the home team and you take the lead in the bottom of the last inning that the game ended instantly. I know I hit a single although that's all I remember. When I got to first I remember my team being really excited and yelling for me to come in the dugout. Of course there was lots of celebrating when I got there. I actually appreciate it more know that I realize what had happened. It turns out this was the only walkoff hit I ever hit playing baseball.
The second thing I can recall from this season was my first homerun! If I remember correctly, I tended to swing late at pitches and therefore would frequently hit to the right field side of the field. Well, in this at bat, I did just that, hitting right over first base and down the line all the way to the fence against another field. I just ran and ran and before I knew it, I was scoring. In some ways I feel like there should be an asterisk next to this HR however. The other team only had 8 players. They decided to go ahead and play anyway though. They only had 2 outfielders and they were both towards center field, so it took them a long time to get to my hit. Nonetheless, in the record books, it is a homerun! Therefore, I claim it!
The last memory I have from this season is another pretty exciting one. I think we finished 12-8 this year, which was good enough to put is into a tie for 3rd at the end of the season. In these days, only the top 3 teams in the division got trophies and if two teams tied, there was a playoff. So, I participated in my first playoff game, and man was it exciting. I had a much better understanding of the game by this point and knew how cool and nerve-wracking it would be. When it was all said and done, I remember running in from center field when the last pitch was made and we had won! We were getting our trophies and the other team (the Mariners, I think) did not. While I felt a little bad for them (I remember some crying), I also realized that there had to be a winner and a loser. That was quite a memory.
It turns out that this season was life-changing; not because of what happened on the field, but that I was on the team I was. It turns out it was a family run operation. The manager was a brother and son of the other two coaches, and they had two kids on the team. It also just so happens that the sister of one of those teammates of mine was a girl named Traci. That's right, the same Traci that I have now been married to for over 10 1/2 years! There were no sparks at all during the season. After all, I was in 4th grade and she was in 2nd, but you just can't question God plans, especially when don't know what they are. It was a good thing I got to know the coaches and their kids. I had no idea how important that would be, and that my parents and sister got to know them too.
So in summary, I had my first walkoff hit, first homerun, first playoff game (and postseason victory) and first trophy. And then I met the girl/woman of my dreams! Now you know one of the reasons why baseball is such a big part of my life. And now that our oldest daughter is in her rookie year of softball, I get to experience it all in a different way. (I just don't like thinking that she could meet the boy she is going to marry in two years. Seriously?!?!?!?!?!?!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The Rookie Year - 1985 Whittier Little League AAA Royals
This is the year my passion for baseball hit a new level: 1985. When the season began, I was 8 years old. My parents had asked me the previous year or two if I wanted to play and I had always said no, mainly because I was shy and wasn't sure about the whole thing. Finally they really urged me to try it, and good thing I did!
I think this year was also a blessing in a couple of ways. First of all, I had never played in a league before and had no idea what to expect. Secondly, while most of my friends were at the AA level, I started off at AAA, which is the next level above AA. Finally, it was a blessing in disguise, but I'll get to that in a minute.
I don't remember a whole lot about this season. After all, it was 25 years ago. (Man, that's a long time ago...am I really that old?!) And now, into the memories...
There is one game I remember. I played second base that year and I loved it. I had no problems playing the infield. I have no idea how I got chosen to play there, but that's irrelevant. In one game, I remember ball after ball getting hit to me in the game. I know there were at least 10, and keep in mind we only played 6 innings. Each one I fielded cleanly, threw to first and got the runner out. It was a great game and I remember my parents being proud of me after that game.
Another memory was the the game our own catcher shoved our pitcher at home plate when he was trying to tag out the runner coming home. Needless to say, we threw our own catcher out of the game. The catcher's name was Thomas Ebbitt, or something like that. It's just one of those things I randomly remember.
The next thing, I don't remember, but my parents have reminded me of frequently, was that our coach quit part way through the season. I think that's a sign that the season was less than ideal for a rookie Little Leaguer.
Another memory was our opening day game. Believe it or not, that first game is still the worst defeat of any team I have ever been on (part of the blessing in disguise). We lost that first game 32-2! That's right, 32-2!!! We were blown out many times during our 20 games that year, which brings me to the main reason this season was a blessing in disguise. Of the 20 games we played, we LOST ALL 20! This was a blessing in couple of ways. First, if I still liked the game after a horrible season like that, you know it was part of me, possibly in my DNA, to love baseball. Secondly, no matter how long I played baseball, I could never be on a team that did worse. I had nowhere to go but up. And that is certainly the way things went.
Below I have posted some pictures from that season and a little caption explaining each one. Enjoy!
Here is the team picture from that year.
This is me. For what it's worth, I wore #5.
Here I am swinging at a pitch, and you can actually see the ball coming. Looks like it was going to be a strike.
Getting down and dirty...sliding into 3rd base. I love the action shot! Not bad form for a rookie.
I scored!
I think this year was also a blessing in a couple of ways. First of all, I had never played in a league before and had no idea what to expect. Secondly, while most of my friends were at the AA level, I started off at AAA, which is the next level above AA. Finally, it was a blessing in disguise, but I'll get to that in a minute.
I don't remember a whole lot about this season. After all, it was 25 years ago. (Man, that's a long time ago...am I really that old?!) And now, into the memories...
There is one game I remember. I played second base that year and I loved it. I had no problems playing the infield. I have no idea how I got chosen to play there, but that's irrelevant. In one game, I remember ball after ball getting hit to me in the game. I know there were at least 10, and keep in mind we only played 6 innings. Each one I fielded cleanly, threw to first and got the runner out. It was a great game and I remember my parents being proud of me after that game.
Another memory was the the game our own catcher shoved our pitcher at home plate when he was trying to tag out the runner coming home. Needless to say, we threw our own catcher out of the game. The catcher's name was Thomas Ebbitt, or something like that. It's just one of those things I randomly remember.
The next thing, I don't remember, but my parents have reminded me of frequently, was that our coach quit part way through the season. I think that's a sign that the season was less than ideal for a rookie Little Leaguer.
Another memory was our opening day game. Believe it or not, that first game is still the worst defeat of any team I have ever been on (part of the blessing in disguise). We lost that first game 32-2! That's right, 32-2!!! We were blown out many times during our 20 games that year, which brings me to the main reason this season was a blessing in disguise. Of the 20 games we played, we LOST ALL 20! This was a blessing in couple of ways. First, if I still liked the game after a horrible season like that, you know it was part of me, possibly in my DNA, to love baseball. Secondly, no matter how long I played baseball, I could never be on a team that did worse. I had nowhere to go but up. And that is certainly the way things went.
Below I have posted some pictures from that season and a little caption explaining each one. Enjoy!
Here is my first baseball picture!
Here is our team waiting to get our team picture taken.
Here is the team picture from that year.
This is me. For what it's worth, I wore #5.
Here I am swinging at a pitch, and you can actually see the ball coming. Looks like it was going to be a strike.
Getting down and dirty...sliding into 3rd base. I love the action shot! Not bad form for a rookie.
I scored!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Back in the Day...A New Series
I was just taking a shower when a thought occurred to me about what I could talk about on here! Since Courtney has started her first year in softball, I thought it might be fun to talk about some of the memories I have from playing baseball. I started in 1985 with Whittier Little League and played all the way through high school (1994) and even in a few adult leagues since. However, I haven't played since before we had kids. In other words I haven't played in over 6 years. I would love to play again, but it's expensive and would take up most of my Sundays.
This year is the 4th year that La Serna is having their alumni vs. varsity game. The only problem is that it has fallen on the weekend of Courtney's birthday every year, and this year it's on her birthday, which is when her party is. Maybe eventually I'll get to play; it sounds like a lot of fun. I am out of shape, but I wouldn't mind working into a little better shape for that. It would be so much fun.
So in starting this new mini-series on my blog, I'm hoping to post pictures of me and/or my teams from as many years as possible. I have memories from most of the years I played from my first home run to teammates mooning cars behind us as we rode home from a JV game in high school without the coach on board. If this sounds interesting, keep coming back. I'm not sure how often I'll post, but I'm hoping to post fairly often. We'll see if time permits that.
This year is the 4th year that La Serna is having their alumni vs. varsity game. The only problem is that it has fallen on the weekend of Courtney's birthday every year, and this year it's on her birthday, which is when her party is. Maybe eventually I'll get to play; it sounds like a lot of fun. I am out of shape, but I wouldn't mind working into a little better shape for that. It would be so much fun.
So in starting this new mini-series on my blog, I'm hoping to post pictures of me and/or my teams from as many years as possible. I have memories from most of the years I played from my first home run to teammates mooning cars behind us as we rode home from a JV game in high school without the coach on board. If this sounds interesting, keep coming back. I'm not sure how often I'll post, but I'm hoping to post fairly often. We'll see if time permits that.
Friday, February 5, 2010
February? Already?
Man is time flying! I can't believe it is February and we are already halfway through the Steinman birthdays. Skyler's was Jan 13 and Traci's was Wednesday. Next up is Courtney's in a couple of weeks. However, first comes Valentine's Day in just over a week. It'll be kind of weird because it falls on a Sunday this year. Oh well.
In the midst of all the normal February birthday festivities, Courtney is starting her rookie season in softball with Whittier Girls Softball. I'm looking forward to seeing her play. Unfortunately I can't make it to any of the practices as they start at 5:00 on Mondays and Wednesdays. I'll get home about the time they end. At least when they have weekend games, I can make it to those. I'm so excited to see her play. I've had fun teaching her and Skyler how to play. I knew I would have fun teaching them, but I don't think I realized how much I would enjoy it. I wish I could do that everyday, but I don't get home until it's dark during the week. We just need to take advantage of the weekends when we can. It'll rain most of this weekend, but we might be able to practice a little on Sunday before the Super Bowl. Monday represents her first practice and I really wish I could be there. I'm sure she will have fun and make even more friends.
I'm really excited about how well Traci is doing with her weight loss. She has now dropped 45 pounds overall. She has passed what I lost with Weight Watchers a while back (40 pounds...although it's all come back). It's exciting to see her do so well and remain so motivated. I don't think I've seen her this determined with something before. It's pretty cool!
Something I'm proud of is that since I made my return to work on December 8, I have not missed a day! I keep thinking that it would be cool if I actually had perfect attendance this year since I've never had perfect attendance with anything before. Then again, I have two kids who are both in school and a wife who seems close to becoming a sub at the preschool. My chances are slim to none. Guess I better enjoy it while I can.
Also, today was my first meeting with members of the RLT (Refinery Leadership Team), aka the big wigs. Ok, so actually only one was there as well as a few of my colleagues and bosses. it went really well though. I'm glad to get that first one over with.; especially since I get to do it again next month.
I'm getting excited about this time of the year. Although our finances remain extremely tight and we somehow manage to make it paycheck to paycheck, it is just about time for us to get our breathing room. I'll be receiving my bonus in exactly one month, which as of right now is 11% of my salary. There is one more element to be calculated in and I have a feeling it will bring it down slightly. I'm not worried about that since I get a bonus at all in these time. It's also tax time which we'll get around to doing later this month. I'm not sure how much to expect back, but it will be nice no matter how much.
Our family is now down to 2 Disneyland passes since mine expired in November and Skyler's expired on her birthday. Courtney's comes due next month so we'll be covering those three with my bonus/taxes or at least that's the plan right now. We made a list of things we need and would like with our extra money upcoming. Property taxes top the list since that's a necessity. The passes are on there as I mentioned, and we also are planning to get a camera since we haven't had one since Christmas morning. I think we'll be upgrading slightly from what we had, but not spending a ton.
I guess I should head to bed since it's almost 2:00AM. After all, we need to get up at 6:30 to get the girls ready for school. Naptime!
In the midst of all the normal February birthday festivities, Courtney is starting her rookie season in softball with Whittier Girls Softball. I'm looking forward to seeing her play. Unfortunately I can't make it to any of the practices as they start at 5:00 on Mondays and Wednesdays. I'll get home about the time they end. At least when they have weekend games, I can make it to those. I'm so excited to see her play. I've had fun teaching her and Skyler how to play. I knew I would have fun teaching them, but I don't think I realized how much I would enjoy it. I wish I could do that everyday, but I don't get home until it's dark during the week. We just need to take advantage of the weekends when we can. It'll rain most of this weekend, but we might be able to practice a little on Sunday before the Super Bowl. Monday represents her first practice and I really wish I could be there. I'm sure she will have fun and make even more friends.
I'm really excited about how well Traci is doing with her weight loss. She has now dropped 45 pounds overall. She has passed what I lost with Weight Watchers a while back (40 pounds...although it's all come back). It's exciting to see her do so well and remain so motivated. I don't think I've seen her this determined with something before. It's pretty cool!
Something I'm proud of is that since I made my return to work on December 8, I have not missed a day! I keep thinking that it would be cool if I actually had perfect attendance this year since I've never had perfect attendance with anything before. Then again, I have two kids who are both in school and a wife who seems close to becoming a sub at the preschool. My chances are slim to none. Guess I better enjoy it while I can.
Also, today was my first meeting with members of the RLT (Refinery Leadership Team), aka the big wigs. Ok, so actually only one was there as well as a few of my colleagues and bosses. it went really well though. I'm glad to get that first one over with.; especially since I get to do it again next month.
I'm getting excited about this time of the year. Although our finances remain extremely tight and we somehow manage to make it paycheck to paycheck, it is just about time for us to get our breathing room. I'll be receiving my bonus in exactly one month, which as of right now is 11% of my salary. There is one more element to be calculated in and I have a feeling it will bring it down slightly. I'm not worried about that since I get a bonus at all in these time. It's also tax time which we'll get around to doing later this month. I'm not sure how much to expect back, but it will be nice no matter how much.
Our family is now down to 2 Disneyland passes since mine expired in November and Skyler's expired on her birthday. Courtney's comes due next month so we'll be covering those three with my bonus/taxes or at least that's the plan right now. We made a list of things we need and would like with our extra money upcoming. Property taxes top the list since that's a necessity. The passes are on there as I mentioned, and we also are planning to get a camera since we haven't had one since Christmas morning. I think we'll be upgrading slightly from what we had, but not spending a ton.
I guess I should head to bed since it's almost 2:00AM. After all, we need to get up at 6:30 to get the girls ready for school. Naptime!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
2009 In Review...Finally
Dear Family and Friends,
Welcome to the 2009 Steinman family letter. No you did not receive a Christmas card. Yes, this is the letter that would have accompanied that card. Things are tight so we eliminated cards and Christmas mailings this year altogether. However, the tradition of an annual family letter must continue! And so here I am on
JANUARY
We welcomed in 2009 in the way we usually do…birthday parties galore (four in the first four weekends to be exact). Of course one of those was Skyler’s third birthday party. She is at the point where she can really appreciate the party and the presents and the cake! It’s always fun to see having a good time surrounded by so many people that love her so much. Her third birthday also represented a new expense…Skyler’s first annual pass for
However, we also saw Traci’s brother and his family move from
FEBRUARY
February was as busy as usual with Traci’s birthday and Courtney’s fifth birthday. However, as if that isn’t enough in itself, along with a number of other family birthdays in the last week alone, our Sunday School class, which I was the facilitator for, decided to do an open house to let other young married couples in our church know about our class and come check it out. It went well as we probably had 30-40 people show up, compared to about 10 in class on a normal Sunday. It went pretty well and we had fun.
Two days before Courtney’s birthday, we welcomed a new (extended) family member! Our niece Bella was born on the 18th. It was exciting to find out since this was my sister’s first baby.
Another highlight of this month was that Courtney had two auditions in a three-day period at the end of the month. (Remember, last year she signed with LA Models to be her agency for print, model, TV and film.) With those being in the heart of LA, it’s a decent time commitment for Traci and Courtney to make it to those, especially while I’m at work. She didn’t get either gig, but they are always good practice for the next one!
MARCH
Our church’s annual Serve Weekend was held in March this year. Since this was the first year that I didn’t lead a project, Traci and I worked together on the same project. We were photographers. We got to travel to about a dozen of the 119 service projects throughout the community, taking pictures and documenting the activities of the various project teams. It was a blessing to be able to see so much of what was going on and how so many in our community could be blessed by God’s servants. It was truly an amazing experience. We are looking forward to serving again this Spring!
March also represented a change for me at work as I earned my first promotion at Chevron. I went from being a Global Analyst to a Local Analyst, but that also involves formulating and managing a number of contracts (somewhere around 60 I think), the largest of which averages about $15,000,000 per year. It’s a nice change and has involved a lot of learning but has been enjoyable. I love the people I work with and I have a great boss. In these times, I cannot complain at all about my job. Good pay and benefits and the fact that I have a job at all in these times is great, let alone one of the best I’ve ever had. God has blessed me, and my family, with this job.
APRIL
April had one of the biggest highlights of the year. No it wasn’t my 33rd birthday. No, it wasn’t the Dodger game we attended the following day. No it wasn’t attending an award ceremony for my mom’s union, at which she received a prestigious award (although that was pretty cool). It was Courtney’s first job! We were so excited when we got the call that she was on the short list/on call for a job. Then we were even more excited when we got the call that she was in! The excitement went to whole other level when we found out it was for O Magazine!! (That’s right, Oprah’s magazine!) The shoot took place on the beach in
Traci has continued to be involved in leadership for MOPS at our church and in April we hosted a MOPS fundraiser yard sale since we have a great front yard for it. Since Traci was in charge of fundraising, she organized the event and did a great job of it. However, since we were hosting it, that also meant our home was the drop-off, or Salvation Army/Goodwill/name your charity here, for the event. Therefore, we had stuff piled up for the yard sale everywhere. We had a path to the washing machine and dryer in the garage and a path to the kitchen from the living room. However, thanks to the great planning, the support of the MOPS group from our church, and the tons of donations from everyone, the yard sale made about $1,200! Way to go, Hon! I’m proud of you!
May was the first really rough month we had. However, there were some good events as well. We celebrated Mother’s Day at the park, as has become tradition in recent years. Both sides of our family get together and go potluck-style. The kids love to play, the adults love to talk; it’s great for everyone, especially with four generations involved!
However, the month quickly turned downhill after Mother’s Day. Our dear friend Monica, who was only three months younger than me, lost her 18-month battle with Cancer the day after Mother’s Day, leaving behind her husband, who we’re also good friends with, and their son who turned three the following month. She and her husband had been in our Sunday School class for quite a while so we had gotten to know them pretty well, especially Traci. I had the honor of speaking briefly at her service the next weekend, where it was estimated about 500 people attended, to give you an idea of what a great, Godly woman she was. While we mourned the loss, we can celebrate the fact that she is no longer suffering and is in Heaven. Her departure is only temporary for those of us who also have reservations in Heaven.
The day after the service, we had another highlight: watching Courtney’s church choir do their Spring musical. It is always fun to see Courtney perform and having fun while honoring The Lord. It really makes us proud.
JUNE
Ah, June…a month we have grown very fond of, but I’ll get to the reason in a minute in case you don’t remember why. June represented Courtney’s last day of preschool and her preschool “graduation” ceremony. It was very cute and although it was just for preschool, it really made me realize how quickly Courtney is growing up. How is it that she is ready for kindergarten already?!
The weekend after that was a great weekend at church as we held our ground breaking ceremony. Our church was breaking ground for construction on phase one (of two) of our campus expansion. Phase one represents nearly tripling our parking spaces in preparation for phase two, which will be construction of a new sanctuary. Some of the parking was completed in time for Christmas Eve services last week. It was a more emotional experience than I expected. I think it’s exciting that we have outgrown what we have now and need to expand so that we can bring more people to God on our campus. It was also emotional because at one point they had those that had become Christians at the church come fill a test tube with dirt from the ground breaking, and Courtney was one of those people. It literally brought tears to my eyes and the test tube is still on our kitchen counter just above the sink.
It was also around this time that Skyler began her swim lessons. She was in the Mommy and Me swim class with Traci. There was an obvious difference from last year in terms of her ability and enjoyment. It’s amazing to see how she grows over time and how she develops and her amazing athletic abilities. We’ll need to keep an eye on her!
The following weekend was Father’s Day, when we held our annual BBQ in our front yard. It was fun as always. However it was the following Friday that represented a pretty big milestone, at least in our eyes.
JULY
We started off the month on a great note, traveling to
However, I had no idea that my life would flip upside down beginning the following week. It was that following week that I began my battle with depression. I have never been through anything like it before and hope I never do again. Unfortunately, my battle had negative effects on the family, and so it was a very tough four months or so for everyone.
The end of July represented the first time the girls got to attend VBS at our church! They always seem to hold it the same time that we go to
July also represented the last time I would lead our Sunday School class as I let them know I could no longer lead the class. It was just too much for me on top of everything else going on in life in general as well as the latest issues that were going on (although they didn’t know that yet).
AUGUST
August was busier than normal, but in a good way. We left for the aforementioned
Just a couple of days after returning from
A couple of weeks later we headed to
The day after
Coming off of the high of that day, I was stunned when I was still struggling with depression the rest of the week. As a result, I started on three and a half weeks of disability that week. A disappointing option I was hoping to avoid.
However, the last day of August was a milestone. Skyler started preschool! She is attending the same preschool Courtney did: Whittier Christian, Maybrook Campus. She has enjoyed it so far and her teachers love her. We couldn’t be more pleased. She is always excited to show us what she has done, especially arts and crafts. We were worried she might be more hesitant to start school than Courtney because she is more reserved and shy, but she did great…no crying, no clinging, just a goodbye hug and kiss and she was good to go. She’s such a big girl!
SEPTEMBER
This month had a big milestone for Courtney. On the 2nd, she had her first day of Kindergarten! Man, is it weird to be going back to my elementary school, but this time as a parent! I’m proud of Courtney as she has done extremely well so far in kindergarten. On her first report card (December), she was at or above level in all areas. I almost teared up when she said her favorite subject is math. That’s my girl!
I was cleared to go back to work on the 21st of the month and so I did. It was a welcome change. However, it would not go quite as well as I had hoped. I made it through three days and could not work the fourth. (I work a 4/10 schedule and therefore have all Fridays off.) Turns out I wouldn’t work a full week for a while.
The last weekend of September, Traci was able to get away for the weekend to our church’s women’s retreat. It was a much needed break for her, especially after having to deal with me. It also allowed me to have some good time with the kids, which was also needed.
OCTOBER
With October comes the kickoff of the holiday season with Halloween and Harvest Festivals and the like. We made a trip to a big pumpkin patch with lots of slides, a petting zoo and a train, courtesy of Grandma and Papa (Traci’s parents). As always, the girls had a blast. We also had the joy of attending Harvest Festivals at each of the girls’ schools…on the same day! Fortunately, Courtney’s was in the morning and Skyler’s was at night. We were able to get a much needed break in between and therefore, were able to thoroughly enjoy both.
At the beginning of the month, the girls had their first sleepover at their friends’ house. They had a blast and we were grateful to our friends for being willing to put up with four girls between the ages of 2 and 5 for the night.
On the 25th, our church did something different as part of their building project. It was a commitment service where we held just one service (versus the four we had each weekend at the time and five now) in the
The last week of October brought on yet another personal challenge for me and my battle. On October 26, I began a 6-week stint on disability due to my depression. I could not make it to work more than a day or two at a time, which is not what I or my friends at work needed. So at home I was again. Not where I wanted to be, but where I needed to be. This did allow time to find the right “cocktail” (as the doctor put it) to help me.
Halloween was one of the busiest days of the month. Of course there was trick-or-treating, but before that, there were two birthday parties to attend! What a crazy day that was. Somehow we made it through and the girls managed to have a really good time that day. This year the costumes were…Courtney – Sleeping Beauty; Skyler – Butterfly. They were very cute, but would you expect anything less? (I know I wouldn’t!)
NOVEMBER
Personally, November started off rough and ended frustratingly. Now that I was home from work for the whole month, and generally feeling like crap, I just had to try to make the best of it. However, on the November 4, my Disneyland pass expired for the first time since I bought it after I first bought it in November of 1999 (a couple of months after I stopped working there). It was sad, but there was no way we could afford to renew it. Oh well, life goes on.
Fortunately, thanks to some family, we were given four free tickets to Legoland. None of us had been there before, so it was exciting for all four of us! We went with Traci’s cousin and his family, who have three kids and enjoy hanging out with ours (they are cousins, you know). By the end of the day we were all ready to head home and had a great time. I think it took Skyler about 30 seconds to fall asleep once we started driving.
I am so proud of Traci for what she accomplished in terms of weight loss this year. She participated in a challenge with some friends from church. This brought her total weight loss to 38 pounds. I am excited to see her succeed like this and get closer to reaching her goals. It makes me a proud husband!
Thanksgiving was extra special this year as Susie, Adam and Bella were flown down here for the weekend courtesy of my parents. It was great to see them and to be able to spend a lot of the weekend with them. Holidays are always better when you can spend them with family (especially if it’s family you love)!
The last day of November was very frustrating. It was the day I was supposed to return to work. So I did. A couple of hours after my arrival, I was told I needed to check in at the on-site medical clinic. At the clinic, I was told I had not been cleared to come back to work, and therefore needed to stay home until I was cleared. So home I went…again. This time feeling fine for once, though, while all the paperwork and miscommunication issues got worked out.
DECEMBER
Thank God for December!!!!!!!!!! Despite the carryover frustration from November, the month quickly turned around in a big way. On December 4th, Skyler accepted Christ into her heart! It was so exciting as Traci lead her in the prayer at prayer time before bed. Skyler started the conversation by asking Traci how we get to Heaven. Traci jumped at the opportunity while I was putting Courtney to bed. We could not be happier now that we know all four of us have reservations with our Heavenly Father! If I fail at everything else, I can know that at least in some minute way, I did something right to help our girls want to become Christians.
Despite that being the highlight of the month (easily), Courtney’s school’s Christmas program was earlier that night at the middle school Traci and I attended, in the same gym where Traci and I first danced exactly 20 years ago! (We also have been dating this time around for 15 years as of this month! What a year of milestones for our relationship, huh?) She did great and we enjoyed watching her.
The following day, she did the first of four weekend Christmas performances at church: one Saturday and three on Sunday. Then as if that wasn’t enough for the weekend, Skyler’s preschool Christmas program was later Sunday afternoon. That was an awesome program. And although Skyler was fighting a cold, she still sang her little heart out and knew all the choreography! We didn’t expect her to do so well. We sure could not have been any prouder than we were. What a trooper and what a talent!
Continuing the positive news, I finally returned to work on December 8th! Even better news…I have not missed a day since! I feel like the depression is gone, or at least well under control courtesy of three medications (and a fourth as needed). Praise God that I’m feeling fine, work is going well, the family is back to normal and life is good!!! Despite the many cutbacks that we’ve made this holiday season (no cards, mailings or gifts for anyone except our girls), we’ve been able to celebrate and have a great Christmas season. The Christmas Eve service at our church was amazing.
We were also privileged enough to participate in an amazing church-wide service project earlier this week (Dec. 30). It was our church’s project for this Christmas: meal preparation for the poor and starving in
So with that, I finally come to the end of the novel that is the 2009 year in review. I am very glad to have made it through 2009 and that my family made it through the tough times and enjoyed the good times. I have never been so happy to see a year end. I hope and pray that 2010 will bring our family many blessing and a much happier year than 2009. I also hope and pray that 2010 will bring you and yours many blessings and memories. Happy New Year!
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