This afternoon I bade my final farewell to GlobalSantaFe (formerly Global Marine and currently Transocean). After having a networking lunch with a benefits broker friend I stopped by the old GSF building at 15375 Memorial Drive. The main goal of my visit was to say goodbye to Kyna, who has been the receptionist for the company for the past 30 years. That's right - she's been the receptionist for 30 years. In this day and age it's pretty unusual to find anyone who's managed to stay with one company for that long. To find someone who's been a receptionist for that long is unheard of. Now you might be thinking: Why would anyone stay in a receptionist position for 30 years? Doesn't she have any ambition? Did she never want to move up into a better paying job with more responsibility? Didn't she get bored? If you knew Kyna you wouldn't be asking any of these questions.
Kyna is a people person, and I do mean a people person. She likes nothing more than to interact with as many people as possible - all the time and every day. Kyna always has a smile on her face. She makes you feel like the most important person in the world every time she sees you. As far as she's concerned she's had the best job in the company for all these many years because she gets paid to do exactly what she wants to do - greet people, make them feel welcome, and make sure they get to exactly where they need to go. I don't know about you, but I've never worked any place where I thought I had the best job in the company. If you had enough time to find out what everyone you ever met thought about you I'll bet you'd come across at least a few people who didn't like you very much. Not so with Kyna -nobody doesn't like Kyna. What's not to like? How many 4'10" people do you know who light up every time they see you? How many people - of any height - do you know who decorate their reception area - and I do mean decorate - for not just Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving, but for Labor Day, Memorial Day, Halloween and the Rodeo? How many people do you know who spend time every day feeding the ducks in the lake in front of their building?
As we stood overlooking the now-empty atrium of our almost vacant building Kyna waxed eloquent about the good old days at Global Marine and then at GlobalSantaFe. She talked about the old feeling of family that existed, about how everybody knew everybody, and about how wonderfully approachable everyone was, from receptionist all the way up to the CEO. She talked about how much fun it was to come to work. She talked about how disappointed she was to watch such a great place fade into oblivion as it was lost in the world of Transocean. I told her that I had made my peace with what we'd lost and was moving on to whatever comes next. She told me that she hasn't done any such thing - that maybe some day she'll get to that place, but not yet.
We shared one last hug and then she was gone, back through the glass doors to her final assignment packing boxes, and putting things in order for the final exit of those lucky enough to still be there. Within the next few weeks everyone will be gone and the building will be closed. And the final vestige of a great place to work will be gone for good.
Good luck Kyna. We'll never forget you.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Alligators and Way Off Broadway
We finally made it to the BIG weekend! All of the fam came to town and we made the most of it. I'll start with the main event, the one that about 50 of us have been working toward for the last ten weeks - the Joseph and the Amazing Techinicolor Dreamcoat show. I'll admit that there were times during rehearsals when I had some doubts about whether or not we'd actually pull this off, but our performances this weekend exceeded my expectations. We had a sell out crowd on Saturday night and another great crowd on Sunday night, and once we got over our opening night jitters we all had a blast! The comments we received from the fans after the show and on Sunday morning were very encouraging, and it was obvious that our efforts were not in vain - everyone seemed to have had a really fun time. There's something about performing in front of several hundred people that really gets your blood pumping. We have two more shows next weekend (good seats still available), and I can't wait to get back up on the stage again and act like I know what I'm doing. And, the best part is that there are no rehearsals this week! Hopefully we won't all forget everything over the next six days.
If you run into me this week be forewarned that I dyed my beard in accordance with Director Pam's instructions that she didn't want us to look like a bunch of old men on stage. I am not - I repeat am NOT - trying to fool anyone into thinking that I'm younger than I am. That said, I've been checking myself out in the mirror and the Just for Men five-minute formula does make me look at least 18 months younger.
The Brothers in action on Saturday night during the "Calypso Scene"
In addition to the show we also spent some family time together on Saturday. After Vicki made all of us a big waffle breakfast we headed out to Brazos Bend State Park for an afternoon of gator hunting and a picnic lunch. For some reason we had allowed the two days of cool weather that we had last week to fool us into thinking that summer was over. I don't know which season you are experiencing wherever you are, but at Brazos Bend it was still summer, in all of its humidity infested glory. But like good picnickers everywhere, we fought through adversity and had a good time in spite of the heat and a few pesky mosquitoes. We managed to spot a few alligators and also saw some gigantic birds who were wading around looking for fish in the drought-depleted lakes. There's nothing like watching a bird eat a fish!
Eight-foot gator swimming through the slime 
The Freede girls leaning on a sign
(NOTE: No alligators were fed or approached during the taking of this picture)
If you run into me this week be forewarned that I dyed my beard in accordance with Director Pam's instructions that she didn't want us to look like a bunch of old men on stage. I am not - I repeat am NOT - trying to fool anyone into thinking that I'm younger than I am. That said, I've been checking myself out in the mirror and the Just for Men five-minute formula does make me look at least 18 months younger.
The Brothers in action on Saturday night during the "Calypso Scene" (I'm on the far right in the burgundy shirt)
In addition to the show we also spent some family time together on Saturday. After Vicki made all of us a big waffle breakfast we headed out to Brazos Bend State Park for an afternoon of gator hunting and a picnic lunch. For some reason we had allowed the two days of cool weather that we had last week to fool us into thinking that summer was over. I don't know which season you are experiencing wherever you are, but at Brazos Bend it was still summer, in all of its humidity infested glory. But like good picnickers everywhere, we fought through adversity and had a good time in spite of the heat and a few pesky mosquitoes. We managed to spot a few alligators and also saw some gigantic birds who were wading around looking for fish in the drought-depleted lakes. There's nothing like watching a bird eat a fish!
Eight-foot gator swimming through the slime
The Freede girls leaning on a sign(NOTE: No alligators were fed or approached during the taking of this picture)
Sunday morning we all headed out to church at FCCC. With both daughters and both sons-in-law in attendance we took up our own row. Lance and Cody went to the Texans game on Sunday afternoon. I'm not sure what Vicki and the girls did. I took a three-hour nap (we theater people need lots of beauty rest) and then headed out for last night's performance. While I was gone we morphed back into an empty-nest family. Kayla and Lance flew back to Lubbock, and Bethany and Cody drove back to Round Rock. It was a short visit, but we'll see everyone again in two weeks at a wedding in Dallas.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Summer of 2009 - Greatest Hits
Well, summer officially ended this week. It was a season of lawn devastating heat, no rain, home projects, not going to work, theater rehearsals, travel, and lots of other things I have probably forgotten. All in all it was a really fun time, and I thought it would be fun to summarize some of the highlights. So, in no particular order, here they are.
The Grand Canyon - There's a reason why they call this place "Grand." If you've never been there you have to make time to see it before you die. It's the consummate definition of awesome. It should be mandatory that all professed atheists visit the Grand Canyon before they make their final decision that there is no God.
Hoover Dam - This is a truly amazing structure, especially when you consider that it was put together over 70 years ago. The size and the setting are awe-inspiring, and the history of the entire effort to contruct this massive dam are compelling, including the fact that almost 100 men lost their lives before it was completed.
Sheridan's (Lubbock) - This is the Grand Canyon of ice cream/frozen yogurt establishments. Sort of like Marble Slab on steroids. Where most places will give you yogurt or ice cream that includes crushed pieces of your favorite candy bar, this place will crush up cakes, pies, candy, fruit, and just about anything else that's sweet.
Camp Bandina (Bandera) and Camp Kadesh (Abilene) - The opportunity to be a group leader at both of these Christian youth camps was a wonderful experience. Both restored my faith in the future of humanity by reminding me that not all people under the age of 18 are empty-headed slackers (there are exceptions). Kadesh was fun because I got to stay in one of the dorms at ACU. Bandina was special because Vicki and I got to spend some really quality time working together with our group.
Sedona, Arizona - A place that must be seen to really be appreciated. The red sandstone cliffs that surround the town are something that you won't see anywhere else. From now on whenever I watch an old western movie - multitudes of which were filmed in and around Sedona - I'll be checking out the scenery for familiar geological landmarks.
The Star Motel, Sedona - This place is a throw-back to the days of my youth and reminded me of the good old days when my family would hit the road every year for our annual vacation. Its cinder block walls and sixteen square foot bathroom aren't fancy, but it is super clean and right in the middle of town. The lady who has owned the place for over thirty years always had a smile on her face and seemed genuinely happy to see us when we showed up. Its fourteen rooms were a far cry from the massive hotels we'd just left in Las Vegas, but this place was like a happy time warp.
The Breakfast Klub, Houston - Visit this little restaurant on Travis Street if you want to eat some mass quantities of serious comfort food. The food is good and the people who run the place are very friendly and attentive. However, be prepared for the mural-sized picture of Barak Obama on the wall, which will either enhance, reduce, or possibly eliminate your appetite.
The Holocaust Museum, Houston - Not exactly Disneyland on the happiest place on earth scale, but an extremely interesting, moving and thought-provoking place. This is a great museum for people who don't like museums because you can easily make it through the entire place in about two hours. It should definitely be on the must see list for Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who continues to maintain that the Holocaust never happened. If that's the case he will be very impressed by all of the staged photos and video footage of emaciated concentration camp prisoners and piles of rotting corpses, all probably put together by the same guys who faked the moon landing.
The Bob Bullock Texas State Museum, Austin - Unlike the Holocaust Museum, only hard-core, full-contact history freaks should attempt this museum. Be there when the doors open and bring enough money to visit the snack bar (briefly) for lunch and dinner. When you leave here you'll have been exposed to everything there is to know about Texas.
80 MPH Speed Limits - During our travels through Arizona, New Mexico and west Texas we were able to participate in the exhilarating experience of legally driving 80 mph, which of course meant that we really drove 85 mph, because everybody knows that the law enforcement authorities give you 5 mph over the speed limit before they stop you.
The Vastness of the American Southwest - This experience was both very boring and slightly terrifying at the same time. Driving across the vast - and I do mean vast - deserts of southern Arizona and New Mexico allows you to realize just how big this country is. At times you realize that you could probably fall asleep at the wheel and it wouldn't matter much because that road ahead of you stretches in an arrow-straight line for as far as you can see. You also wonder what would happen if you were to run out of gas when the next town is 200 miles away.
Seeing the Round Rock (Round Rock) - I always wondered why the city of Round Rock was called Round Rock. Now I know.
The Amish Bakery (Westcliffe, Colorado) - Colorado is a great place to visit - especially during the Houston summer - but it's cache has been exponentially enhanced in my mind now that I know the Amish Bakery exists. The perfect complement to hiking in the mountains, without even trying this place can easily replace all of the calories (and more) you expend in the great outdoors.
Second Mile Mission Center, Stafford - Having the opportunity to volunteer at Second Mile every Thursday has been an eye-opening experience from two perspectives - first that are so many people who need help just to fulfill their basic needs every day, and second that there are good people who are willing to spend their lives helping others. NOTE: I don't consider volunteering one day a week as spending my life helping others.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - This has been a love/hate project. I have loved the opportunity to work with so many of my friends and fellow Christians at FCCC. However, after spending countless hours together we are all starting to get on each other's nerves and we are sick to death of rehearsing and just want to get on with it and actually get to the performances. NOTE: I'm not implying that we couldn't use more time rehearsing.
There was more good stuff from this summer, but I think the preceding 5,000 words are enough excitement for one day.
Today is Thursday, so I'll be heading down to Second Mile shortly. They have a new project for me. Because I am an unemployed "human resources professional" they want to me to help them put together a policies and procedures manual for their employees. Should be fascinating. I promise to keep you posted on all of the details.
Tomorrow night is our final (!) rehearsal for the Joseph show. Saturday is the big night we've all been working toward for the last ten weeks. We're expecting a big crowd. It will be fun.
The Grand Canyon - There's a reason why they call this place "Grand." If you've never been there you have to make time to see it before you die. It's the consummate definition of awesome. It should be mandatory that all professed atheists visit the Grand Canyon before they make their final decision that there is no God.
Hoover Dam - This is a truly amazing structure, especially when you consider that it was put together over 70 years ago. The size and the setting are awe-inspiring, and the history of the entire effort to contruct this massive dam are compelling, including the fact that almost 100 men lost their lives before it was completed.
Sheridan's (Lubbock) - This is the Grand Canyon of ice cream/frozen yogurt establishments. Sort of like Marble Slab on steroids. Where most places will give you yogurt or ice cream that includes crushed pieces of your favorite candy bar, this place will crush up cakes, pies, candy, fruit, and just about anything else that's sweet.
Camp Bandina (Bandera) and Camp Kadesh (Abilene) - The opportunity to be a group leader at both of these Christian youth camps was a wonderful experience. Both restored my faith in the future of humanity by reminding me that not all people under the age of 18 are empty-headed slackers (there are exceptions). Kadesh was fun because I got to stay in one of the dorms at ACU. Bandina was special because Vicki and I got to spend some really quality time working together with our group.
Sedona, Arizona - A place that must be seen to really be appreciated. The red sandstone cliffs that surround the town are something that you won't see anywhere else. From now on whenever I watch an old western movie - multitudes of which were filmed in and around Sedona - I'll be checking out the scenery for familiar geological landmarks.
The Star Motel, Sedona - This place is a throw-back to the days of my youth and reminded me of the good old days when my family would hit the road every year for our annual vacation. Its cinder block walls and sixteen square foot bathroom aren't fancy, but it is super clean and right in the middle of town. The lady who has owned the place for over thirty years always had a smile on her face and seemed genuinely happy to see us when we showed up. Its fourteen rooms were a far cry from the massive hotels we'd just left in Las Vegas, but this place was like a happy time warp.
The Breakfast Klub, Houston - Visit this little restaurant on Travis Street if you want to eat some mass quantities of serious comfort food. The food is good and the people who run the place are very friendly and attentive. However, be prepared for the mural-sized picture of Barak Obama on the wall, which will either enhance, reduce, or possibly eliminate your appetite.
The Holocaust Museum, Houston - Not exactly Disneyland on the happiest place on earth scale, but an extremely interesting, moving and thought-provoking place. This is a great museum for people who don't like museums because you can easily make it through the entire place in about two hours. It should definitely be on the must see list for Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who continues to maintain that the Holocaust never happened. If that's the case he will be very impressed by all of the staged photos and video footage of emaciated concentration camp prisoners and piles of rotting corpses, all probably put together by the same guys who faked the moon landing.
The Bob Bullock Texas State Museum, Austin - Unlike the Holocaust Museum, only hard-core, full-contact history freaks should attempt this museum. Be there when the doors open and bring enough money to visit the snack bar (briefly) for lunch and dinner. When you leave here you'll have been exposed to everything there is to know about Texas.
80 MPH Speed Limits - During our travels through Arizona, New Mexico and west Texas we were able to participate in the exhilarating experience of legally driving 80 mph, which of course meant that we really drove 85 mph, because everybody knows that the law enforcement authorities give you 5 mph over the speed limit before they stop you.
The Vastness of the American Southwest - This experience was both very boring and slightly terrifying at the same time. Driving across the vast - and I do mean vast - deserts of southern Arizona and New Mexico allows you to realize just how big this country is. At times you realize that you could probably fall asleep at the wheel and it wouldn't matter much because that road ahead of you stretches in an arrow-straight line for as far as you can see. You also wonder what would happen if you were to run out of gas when the next town is 200 miles away.
Seeing the Round Rock (Round Rock) - I always wondered why the city of Round Rock was called Round Rock. Now I know.
The Amish Bakery (Westcliffe, Colorado) - Colorado is a great place to visit - especially during the Houston summer - but it's cache has been exponentially enhanced in my mind now that I know the Amish Bakery exists. The perfect complement to hiking in the mountains, without even trying this place can easily replace all of the calories (and more) you expend in the great outdoors.
Second Mile Mission Center, Stafford - Having the opportunity to volunteer at Second Mile every Thursday has been an eye-opening experience from two perspectives - first that are so many people who need help just to fulfill their basic needs every day, and second that there are good people who are willing to spend their lives helping others. NOTE: I don't consider volunteering one day a week as spending my life helping others.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - This has been a love/hate project. I have loved the opportunity to work with so many of my friends and fellow Christians at FCCC. However, after spending countless hours together we are all starting to get on each other's nerves and we are sick to death of rehearsing and just want to get on with it and actually get to the performances. NOTE: I'm not implying that we couldn't use more time rehearsing.
There was more good stuff from this summer, but I think the preceding 5,000 words are enough excitement for one day.
Today is Thursday, so I'll be heading down to Second Mile shortly. They have a new project for me. Because I am an unemployed "human resources professional" they want to me to help them put together a policies and procedures manual for their employees. Should be fascinating. I promise to keep you posted on all of the details.
Tomorrow night is our final (!) rehearsal for the Joseph show. Saturday is the big night we've all been working toward for the last ten weeks. We're expecting a big crowd. It will be fun.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Networking, Rehearsing and Manual Labor
I haven't blogged for awhile because I haven't been doing much of anything worth talking about. But, as has been my practice over the last several months, the fact that my life has become rather boring won't stop me from continuing to write about it, at least occasionally.
This past weekend was a big one for Joseph rehearsals. We practiced for almost four hours on Friday night, and Sunday afternoon/evening we had a modified "dress rehearsal" during which we ran through the whole show in costume for the first time, stopping during every scene for pictures. One thing that became clear when we put on our costumes was that they are hot! I don't mean that they made us look hot - as in sexy, good looking, etc - but hot as in 120 degrees, sweating like a pig hot. Between the pants, shirt, tunic and headgear I was pretty much soaked fifteen minutes into the show. I'm not too clear on exactly why all the pictures were taken or where they'll be used. During the rehearsal Vicki was recruited by the director to scribe notes on what needed to be corrected. She took five pages of notes, so it's obvious that we still have some polishing to do before show time this Saturday.
I bought my bottle of Just for Men Beard and Mustache Color at Target on Saturday. I may have mentioned that our director encouraged all of us "brothers" to grow beards for the show, but at the same time told us that she doesn't want us to look like a bunch of old men. News flash Pam - the majority of us are old men. At any rate, those of us with grey in our beards (me included) will be required to dye them dark for the show. I was checking out the Just for Men instructions and was surprised to find that they recommend a "48 hour pre-application allergy test" to determine if it's safe to use the stuff. The test involves putting a dab of the gel on the inside of your elbow - which turns your skin black - and then watching for any type of negative reaction. There is a list of possible side effects and other bad stuff to be aware of, all of which seemed a little extreme just to dye a beard. So far it looks like I'm safe.
Yesterday I spent the morning at a church friend's house helping her get ready for a big estate sale. She sold her house and is moving into a smaller one next month. My task was to move everything from the garage attic down into the garage. I was amazed at how much Christmas stuff this lady has! She could set up one of those deals where you pay $7 and drive your car through the winter wonderland scenes. But, it was no winter wonderland yesterday. It was hot and humid, especially in a garage attic. Continuing with the sweating theme I introduced above, I was soaked through and through by the time I finished.
Today I have a "networking lunch" appointment with one (possibly two) accounts reps from Aetna with whom I worked - when I used to work. Lunch is at the Grotto, which is a fairly upscale Italian restaurant in the Galleria area. Today's lunch will officially kick off my networking campaign. I have another lunch date on Friday and then another next Tuesday. I must admit that I have now reached the cusp of becoming at least a little concerned about finding another job. I've now passed the five-month mark of unemployment and I'm no closer to a job today than I was on April 17th. On the other hand, I've really only been seriously looking for about three weeks, so I'm not planning any bank robberies or liquor store heists just yet.
Vicki and I are looking forward to this weekend because Kayla and Lance and Bethany and Cody are all coming into town on Friday afternoon and evening for the big show on Saturday night. Kayla and Lance are flying in from Lubbock and Bethany and Cody are driving down from Round Rock after work. Cody and Lance would like to try to go to the Texans game of Sunday. If you know of anyone trying to get rid of some tickets let me know. They would prefer to be in one of the luxury boxes, but will settle for whatever's available.
This past weekend was a big one for Joseph rehearsals. We practiced for almost four hours on Friday night, and Sunday afternoon/evening we had a modified "dress rehearsal" during which we ran through the whole show in costume for the first time, stopping during every scene for pictures. One thing that became clear when we put on our costumes was that they are hot! I don't mean that they made us look hot - as in sexy, good looking, etc - but hot as in 120 degrees, sweating like a pig hot. Between the pants, shirt, tunic and headgear I was pretty much soaked fifteen minutes into the show. I'm not too clear on exactly why all the pictures were taken or where they'll be used. During the rehearsal Vicki was recruited by the director to scribe notes on what needed to be corrected. She took five pages of notes, so it's obvious that we still have some polishing to do before show time this Saturday.
I bought my bottle of Just for Men Beard and Mustache Color at Target on Saturday. I may have mentioned that our director encouraged all of us "brothers" to grow beards for the show, but at the same time told us that she doesn't want us to look like a bunch of old men. News flash Pam - the majority of us are old men. At any rate, those of us with grey in our beards (me included) will be required to dye them dark for the show. I was checking out the Just for Men instructions and was surprised to find that they recommend a "48 hour pre-application allergy test" to determine if it's safe to use the stuff. The test involves putting a dab of the gel on the inside of your elbow - which turns your skin black - and then watching for any type of negative reaction. There is a list of possible side effects and other bad stuff to be aware of, all of which seemed a little extreme just to dye a beard. So far it looks like I'm safe.
Yesterday I spent the morning at a church friend's house helping her get ready for a big estate sale. She sold her house and is moving into a smaller one next month. My task was to move everything from the garage attic down into the garage. I was amazed at how much Christmas stuff this lady has! She could set up one of those deals where you pay $7 and drive your car through the winter wonderland scenes. But, it was no winter wonderland yesterday. It was hot and humid, especially in a garage attic. Continuing with the sweating theme I introduced above, I was soaked through and through by the time I finished.
Today I have a "networking lunch" appointment with one (possibly two) accounts reps from Aetna with whom I worked - when I used to work. Lunch is at the Grotto, which is a fairly upscale Italian restaurant in the Galleria area. Today's lunch will officially kick off my networking campaign. I have another lunch date on Friday and then another next Tuesday. I must admit that I have now reached the cusp of becoming at least a little concerned about finding another job. I've now passed the five-month mark of unemployment and I'm no closer to a job today than I was on April 17th. On the other hand, I've really only been seriously looking for about three weeks, so I'm not planning any bank robberies or liquor store heists just yet.
Vicki and I are looking forward to this weekend because Kayla and Lance and Bethany and Cody are all coming into town on Friday afternoon and evening for the big show on Saturday night. Kayla and Lance are flying in from Lubbock and Bethany and Cody are driving down from Round Rock after work. Cody and Lance would like to try to go to the Texans game of Sunday. If you know of anyone trying to get rid of some tickets let me know. They would prefer to be in one of the luxury boxes, but will settle for whatever's available.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
I Started a Fire - But My Letter DID Show Up On Time
In a rarely occurring event, I am actually making two blog posts today. My first one was at about 6:30 this morning and because so many important things have happened in the last twelve hours I felt the need to update everyone on my exciting day!
First of all, Kayla called me at 12:04 to let me know that she received her next day delivery letter. She was actually expecting it because she had read my blog and knew it was supposed to be coming. All is well in the world of the U.S. Postal Service and those people at the Shell convenience store.
As today is Thursday, I spent most of the day at Second Mile Mission. It was a slow day for clients, but an exciting day for me. First of all I set up seven tables and 42 chairs in the big room they call the "worship center" for some type of function that will be happening on Saturday. If that wasn't exciting enough, I was then called on to cut the lock off of one of the lady's lockers. It seems that she had lost her key somewhere during the 58 foot walk from the locker area to her desk and needed to leave for an important appointment, which would of course be impossible without her car keys. My boss, Tom, suggested that I use the Mission's reciprocating saw, also known to us construction savvy types as a "saws all". For those of you not familiar with a saws all, it ranks number two behind only the chain saw as a weapon of mass destruction. While Tom held the padlock with a pair of pliers, I sawed away. I didn't tell him until we had finished that there would have been no way I would have held the lock for him. His trust in me was astonishing and a true indication that he really doesn't know me very well.
After we had successfully removed the lock I was left to put away the tools, which included an extension cord. As I was winding the cord around my arm it began to smoke and then actually burst into flames. It seems that the cord had previously been damaged (probably by someone with a saws all) and then "repaired" with duct tape. There was obviously a short which caused the blaze. A video of me jumping around trying to get the flaming cord off my arm before it consumed me would have been a sure fire (pardon the pun) hit on You Tube, but alas nobody was there to either witness of video the event. Anyway, I got the cord off my arm before it burned me, jerked it out of the wall socket, and then stomped on it to put out the fire. Other than a black mark on the linoleum there was not major damage. After the incident I mentioned to Tom that he might want to consider checking the effectiveness of his smoke detectors. I knocked off at about 2:30 and went home for a well-deserved nap.
Tomorrow is going to be a big day. The lady who is doing the final painting on the chariot (you do remember the chariot?) emailed me this afternoon that it is finished and ready for action. I'm picking it up tomorrow. I'll post pictures. It should be awesome.
First of all, Kayla called me at 12:04 to let me know that she received her next day delivery letter. She was actually expecting it because she had read my blog and knew it was supposed to be coming. All is well in the world of the U.S. Postal Service and those people at the Shell convenience store.
As today is Thursday, I spent most of the day at Second Mile Mission. It was a slow day for clients, but an exciting day for me. First of all I set up seven tables and 42 chairs in the big room they call the "worship center" for some type of function that will be happening on Saturday. If that wasn't exciting enough, I was then called on to cut the lock off of one of the lady's lockers. It seems that she had lost her key somewhere during the 58 foot walk from the locker area to her desk and needed to leave for an important appointment, which would of course be impossible without her car keys. My boss, Tom, suggested that I use the Mission's reciprocating saw, also known to us construction savvy types as a "saws all". For those of you not familiar with a saws all, it ranks number two behind only the chain saw as a weapon of mass destruction. While Tom held the padlock with a pair of pliers, I sawed away. I didn't tell him until we had finished that there would have been no way I would have held the lock for him. His trust in me was astonishing and a true indication that he really doesn't know me very well.
After we had successfully removed the lock I was left to put away the tools, which included an extension cord. As I was winding the cord around my arm it began to smoke and then actually burst into flames. It seems that the cord had previously been damaged (probably by someone with a saws all) and then "repaired" with duct tape. There was obviously a short which caused the blaze. A video of me jumping around trying to get the flaming cord off my arm before it consumed me would have been a sure fire (pardon the pun) hit on You Tube, but alas nobody was there to either witness of video the event. Anyway, I got the cord off my arm before it burned me, jerked it out of the wall socket, and then stomped on it to put out the fire. Other than a black mark on the linoleum there was not major damage. After the incident I mentioned to Tom that he might want to consider checking the effectiveness of his smoke detectors. I knocked off at about 2:30 and went home for a well-deserved nap.
Tomorrow is going to be a big day. The lady who is doing the final painting on the chariot (you do remember the chariot?) emailed me this afternoon that it is finished and ready for action. I'm picking it up tomorrow. I'll post pictures. It should be awesome.
The U.S. Postal Service - The World's Finest
Today I had an amusing experience with the Post Office. While it was occurring I was thinking "I can't wait to blog about this." Now, I don't want to trash the Post Office, because I think they do a great job. I mean, think about it - for 44 cents (or whatever a first class stamp costs now) you can walk out your front door, put a letter in a box, someone comes to the box, picks up your letter, and it gets delivered anywhere in the United States. The Post Office is really great. However, at times, their customer service does leave a little to be desired.
Yesterday Kayla called and said she needed a copy of her marriage license in order to get a new passport in her married name. She asked if I'd go to the Fort Bend County courthouse and get a certified copy. Being the wonderful father that I am (and having lots of spare time on my hands) I of course agreed to help her out. By the way, did you know that marriage licenses are public documents and you can get a copy of anyone's license if you know the last name of the bride and the groom? You don't even have to know the exact date of the wedding or their first names. Also, did you know that the Fort Bend County courthouse is open until 5:00 on Monday but only until 4:00 on other days? I didn't know that either. I walked into the lobby at 3:59 and asked the receptionist if she could direct me to the County Clerk's office. She said it was down the hall, through the double doors, but that I'd better hurry because they closed in less than a minute. I ran down the hall and was pleasantly surprised to find that although nobody seemed glad to see me 15 seconds before quitting time everyone was very helpful and I had Kayla's marriage license in less than five minutes.
As I was driving home with the license I thought that it would be nice if Kayla received it as soon as possible, so I decided that next day delivery would be a good idea. As luck would have it I was just about to drive by a satellite Post Office substation that is located in a Shell convenience store near Greatwood. I whipped into the parking lot, hoping they didn't close at 4:00. I made my way to the back of the store, where there is a counter that says "United States Postal Service" with the Post Office logo and everything. A very nice man - with an accent I will never figure out - helped me. I told him I wanted next day delivery and asked him how much it would cost. He told me it would depend on the weight, which I figured couldn't be much because I was mailing one piece of legal size paper. But, he said, it had to be mailed in one of the specially designed Post Office next day delivery envelopes, which is an 8.5 x 11 cardboard thing. He put my document into the mailer, weighed it, and announced "Two ounces . . . that will be $17.50" which seemed a little steep but I said okay. As I started to fill out the address form he told me he would be in the back and to give him a shout when I was finished. After he disappeared into the back I took an empty next day mailer and weighed it on the scale on the counter. It weight 1.7 ounces, which means that the majority of the $17.50 I was paying for next day delivery was going to cover the cost of the Post Office mandated mailer. If I would have sent an empty mailer it would have cost almost the same amount. Regardless, I finished filling out the paperwork and called for the nice man to come back. He took my completed information and said "This looks good. It will be delivered before 2:00 p.m. on Friday." I quickly did some mental math and determined that Friday is two days after Wednesday and that one day after Wednesday would be really be Thursday. I asked the nice man why paying $17.50 for next day delivery wouldn't actually get by parcel delivered the next day? His answer was that this was a satellite substation and the run to the main Post Office had already been made. As a result, my parcel wouldn't go to the main Post Office until tomorrow, and from there it would be "guaranteed" for next day delivery. When I asked why he didn't mention this before he took my $17.50 he just sort of stared at me. But, he then offered a very helpful suggestion. If I wanted to take the parcel myself to the main Post Office in Richmond and drop it off then it would be delivered the next day. Because I had nothing else to do I decided that would be a good way to salvage my $17.50. So, I jumped back in by car and headed back to Richmond.
As I walked into the main Post Office I noticed a line of four or five people waiting in line at the counter. I also noticed a slightly rotund man with a postal service name tag who was standing at the end of the line, eyeing me suspiciously. As I made my first step toward the line he came running toward me, waving his arms and saying in a slightly aggitated manner "Counter service is closed . . . counter service is closed!" I asked him what time they closed and he said 5:00. I looked at my watch, which said 4:53, and then commented that it wasn't 5:00. His response - slightly louder this time was - "Well, we close at 5:00!" My response was "But it's not 5:00." His response was to stare at me. It was obvious that he didn't realize who he was dealing with - an unemployed guy with nothing better to do than to just stand there with a bemused smile, that was probably mistaken by him to indicate that I had some type of mild psychological disorder. Finally he decided to take charge of the situation and said "What do you want?" The following conversation ensued -
ME: [handing him the next day delivery parcel] I just need to drop this off.
HIM: [holding it by the corners and looking at it as if it were some type of toxic waste] What's this?
ME: It's a next day delivery envelope.
HIM: I know what it is, but why are you giving it to me?
ME: Because I want you guys to deliver it.
HIM: Where did this come from?
ME: I got it from your substation in Greatwood at the Shell convenience store, but they said I missed the last pick up of the day and that I needed to personally deliver it here in order to guarantee the next day delivery for which I paid $17.50.
HIM: We have nothing to do with those people?
ME: What?
HIM: We have nothing to do with those people. We just contract with them to so some of our work and make things more convenient for our customers so that they won't have to come to here for everything.
ME: But you have nothing to do with them?
HIM: No.
ME: So what are you tellling me, that they're selling countefeit postage down at the Shell station?
HIM: No, I'm telling you that we can't guarantee next day delivery based on their work.
ME: But sir, I have hand delivered my parcel to you - seven minutes before the closing time you have posted on your door - so why can't you guarantee next day delivery?
HIM: Because we have nothing to do with those people. I'll take your letter and see what I can do, but we can't guarantee those people's work.
ME: [still smiling in an annoying manner] Thank you very much.
I walked out of the Post Office thinking three things -
1) My next day letter is probably about to be sent to Point Barrow, Alaska instead of Lubbock, Texas;
2) I'm going to call the Postmaster General of the United States and tell him that to save on labor costs he can stop paying his people (at least the ones in Richmond, Texas) for the last seven minutes of each day; and
3) Until now this was a slow day. Now I have something to blog about!
I can't wait to track my letter later today to see if it was delivered on time. If it's not I'm looking forward to what I'm sure will be a smooth process of getting my money back from those people.
One more item of business. President Obama has finally done something that I agree with. He called Kanye West a "jackass".
Yesterday Kayla called and said she needed a copy of her marriage license in order to get a new passport in her married name. She asked if I'd go to the Fort Bend County courthouse and get a certified copy. Being the wonderful father that I am (and having lots of spare time on my hands) I of course agreed to help her out. By the way, did you know that marriage licenses are public documents and you can get a copy of anyone's license if you know the last name of the bride and the groom? You don't even have to know the exact date of the wedding or their first names. Also, did you know that the Fort Bend County courthouse is open until 5:00 on Monday but only until 4:00 on other days? I didn't know that either. I walked into the lobby at 3:59 and asked the receptionist if she could direct me to the County Clerk's office. She said it was down the hall, through the double doors, but that I'd better hurry because they closed in less than a minute. I ran down the hall and was pleasantly surprised to find that although nobody seemed glad to see me 15 seconds before quitting time everyone was very helpful and I had Kayla's marriage license in less than five minutes.
As I was driving home with the license I thought that it would be nice if Kayla received it as soon as possible, so I decided that next day delivery would be a good idea. As luck would have it I was just about to drive by a satellite Post Office substation that is located in a Shell convenience store near Greatwood. I whipped into the parking lot, hoping they didn't close at 4:00. I made my way to the back of the store, where there is a counter that says "United States Postal Service" with the Post Office logo and everything. A very nice man - with an accent I will never figure out - helped me. I told him I wanted next day delivery and asked him how much it would cost. He told me it would depend on the weight, which I figured couldn't be much because I was mailing one piece of legal size paper. But, he said, it had to be mailed in one of the specially designed Post Office next day delivery envelopes, which is an 8.5 x 11 cardboard thing. He put my document into the mailer, weighed it, and announced "Two ounces . . . that will be $17.50" which seemed a little steep but I said okay. As I started to fill out the address form he told me he would be in the back and to give him a shout when I was finished. After he disappeared into the back I took an empty next day mailer and weighed it on the scale on the counter. It weight 1.7 ounces, which means that the majority of the $17.50 I was paying for next day delivery was going to cover the cost of the Post Office mandated mailer. If I would have sent an empty mailer it would have cost almost the same amount. Regardless, I finished filling out the paperwork and called for the nice man to come back. He took my completed information and said "This looks good. It will be delivered before 2:00 p.m. on Friday." I quickly did some mental math and determined that Friday is two days after Wednesday and that one day after Wednesday would be really be Thursday. I asked the nice man why paying $17.50 for next day delivery wouldn't actually get by parcel delivered the next day? His answer was that this was a satellite substation and the run to the main Post Office had already been made. As a result, my parcel wouldn't go to the main Post Office until tomorrow, and from there it would be "guaranteed" for next day delivery. When I asked why he didn't mention this before he took my $17.50 he just sort of stared at me. But, he then offered a very helpful suggestion. If I wanted to take the parcel myself to the main Post Office in Richmond and drop it off then it would be delivered the next day. Because I had nothing else to do I decided that would be a good way to salvage my $17.50. So, I jumped back in by car and headed back to Richmond.
As I walked into the main Post Office I noticed a line of four or five people waiting in line at the counter. I also noticed a slightly rotund man with a postal service name tag who was standing at the end of the line, eyeing me suspiciously. As I made my first step toward the line he came running toward me, waving his arms and saying in a slightly aggitated manner "Counter service is closed . . . counter service is closed!" I asked him what time they closed and he said 5:00. I looked at my watch, which said 4:53, and then commented that it wasn't 5:00. His response - slightly louder this time was - "Well, we close at 5:00!" My response was "But it's not 5:00." His response was to stare at me. It was obvious that he didn't realize who he was dealing with - an unemployed guy with nothing better to do than to just stand there with a bemused smile, that was probably mistaken by him to indicate that I had some type of mild psychological disorder. Finally he decided to take charge of the situation and said "What do you want?" The following conversation ensued -
ME: [handing him the next day delivery parcel] I just need to drop this off.
HIM: [holding it by the corners and looking at it as if it were some type of toxic waste] What's this?
ME: It's a next day delivery envelope.
HIM: I know what it is, but why are you giving it to me?
ME: Because I want you guys to deliver it.
HIM: Where did this come from?
ME: I got it from your substation in Greatwood at the Shell convenience store, but they said I missed the last pick up of the day and that I needed to personally deliver it here in order to guarantee the next day delivery for which I paid $17.50.
HIM: We have nothing to do with those people?
ME: What?
HIM: We have nothing to do with those people. We just contract with them to so some of our work and make things more convenient for our customers so that they won't have to come to here for everything.
ME: But you have nothing to do with them?
HIM: No.
ME: So what are you tellling me, that they're selling countefeit postage down at the Shell station?
HIM: No, I'm telling you that we can't guarantee next day delivery based on their work.
ME: But sir, I have hand delivered my parcel to you - seven minutes before the closing time you have posted on your door - so why can't you guarantee next day delivery?
HIM: Because we have nothing to do with those people. I'll take your letter and see what I can do, but we can't guarantee those people's work.
ME: [still smiling in an annoying manner] Thank you very much.
I walked out of the Post Office thinking three things -
1) My next day letter is probably about to be sent to Point Barrow, Alaska instead of Lubbock, Texas;
2) I'm going to call the Postmaster General of the United States and tell him that to save on labor costs he can stop paying his people (at least the ones in Richmond, Texas) for the last seven minutes of each day; and
3) Until now this was a slow day. Now I have something to blog about!
I can't wait to track my letter later today to see if it was delivered on time. If it's not I'm looking forward to what I'm sure will be a smooth process of getting my money back from those people.
One more item of business. President Obama has finally done something that I agree with. He called Kanye West a "jackass".
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Danger - School Zone
When I started my premature retirement last April I set a goal to exercise every day. My exercise routine was to include walking at least 3.6 miles each day and doing at least 50 push-ups. FYI, 3.6 miles isn't a random number - it's twice around the perimeter of the Woodhaven section of Greatwood. Anyway, I was doing pretty well until the last month or so. First, we had the week at Camp Bandina, where I managed to walk three out of the five days, but no push-ups. From there we spent a week at my brother's Colorado house, where I managed to neither walk nor push-up for the entire time. When we returned to Sugar Land play practice and set building took over most of my time. NOTE: Isn't it amazing how easy it is to abandon an exercise program based on lame excuses? So, I've really only walked about five or six times in the last few weeks. This week I decided it was time to get back on track. However, I made a big mistake yesterday - I walked through an elementary school zone when school was letting out. No, I didn't put any of the kids in danger by walking faster than 20 mph, and no, I wasn't violating recently-enacted state law by talking on my cell phone as I walked through the zone. The danger wasn't to them, it was to me. Have you ever shared a sidewalk with hundreds of kids on bicycles, scooters, and skateboards, all of them going in the opposite direction as yourself? If you haven't, I suggest that you avoid this experience at all costs. Remember, this was an elementary school, meaning some of these kids had limited cycling experience, especially when riding under the weight of a backpack, lunch box, and band instument. In addition, more than a few of them were - and I'm not kidding - talking on their cell phones! As they approached me they generally executed one of three manuveurs - they rode off the sidewalk into the grass, they stayed on the sidewalk but swerved all over the place and I jumped into the grass, or they went straight down the middle of the sidewalk and I jumped into the grass. Notice that two-thirds of these situations involved me jumping into the grass. In the future I will be aware of the clock when I walk and never make this mistake again.
Last night was our first Joseph rehearsal using our newly contructed set. Before rehearsal we received an award from the American Lumber Association for single-handedly keeping the lumber industry in business during the recent economic downturn. To say that this set is over built is the understatement of the century. If a class five hurricane comes through Sugar Land and completely destroys the entire First Colony Church of Christ campus, this set will still be standing. The next time there's a tornado warning, I'm leaving my house and taking refuge under the southwest corner of this set. The Egyptians built the pyramids, the Chinese built the Great Wall, we built this.
That's about all for now. I think I'll go out early and walk - before the kids head for school!
Last night was our first Joseph rehearsal using our newly contructed set. Before rehearsal we received an award from the American Lumber Association for single-handedly keeping the lumber industry in business during the recent economic downturn. To say that this set is over built is the understatement of the century. If a class five hurricane comes through Sugar Land and completely destroys the entire First Colony Church of Christ campus, this set will still be standing. The next time there's a tornado warning, I'm leaving my house and taking refuge under the southwest corner of this set. The Egyptians built the pyramids, the Chinese built the Great Wall, we built this.
That's about all for now. I think I'll go out early and walk - before the kids head for school!Monday, September 14, 2009
The Weekend is Over - Now I Can Get Some Rest
It's Monday morning and I'm looking forward to a semi-relaxing day. This past weekend just about wore me out completely. I must be getting even older than I thought. It was non-stop starting on Friday. I spent all day on Friday working on the set for the Joseph show, which as you know is coming up the last weekend of this month and the first weekend of October (buy your tickets now before the scalpers snap them all up). We came back on Saturday morning for about four hours and just about finished it. You might think that putting together a set for a play is not such a big deal, but the set for this show is actually quite a construction project. A lot of work and a lot of lumber (heavy lumber) went into putting this thing together. We built it in five sections, which we'll move onto the main auditorium stage tonight. Once eveything in onstage we'll bolt it all together, do a little touch up painting, and we'll be ready.
The center platform of the set actually rises a few inches over ten feet above the stage. Yes, there will be hand rails, they just weren't installed yet in this picture. My character never makes it to the top of the platform. The highest I'll get is about step number ten.
The center platform of the set actually rises a few inches over ten feet above the stage. Yes, there will be hand rails, they just weren't installed yet in this picture. My character never makes it to the top of the platform. The highest I'll get is about step number ten.After working on the set until almost 6:00 on Friday evening we had to be back for rehearsal at 7:00, which went until 10:30. Then, as I mentioned, we were back on Saturday morning to finish up on the set. Finally, on Saturday night at 7:00 it was time to have fun. We went over to Greg and Debbie's house for some ribs, college football, and dominoes. The ribs and the dominoes were great. The football game - Ohio State vs. USC - was another story. Being from Ohio and all, I was rooting for Ohio State, hoping they would reverse their recent history and actually win a big game. If you watched the game you know that they'll have to wait until the next big game to win a big game. Of lesser importance on the national sports scene, we also lost the domino game. However, I felt that I acquitted myself fairly well, given that I have only played dominoes twice in my life, most recently when George Bush Senior was president.
Yesterday was my first session teaching the Chapel Class at church. The Chapel Class is where most of the older people attend. It's where I probably should be every Sunday. This is a great class, but I was amazed at how long it took to get through prayer requests! By the time I made it to the podium to start my lesson I was thinking about opening with the question "Is there anybody in here who doesn't have a medical problem?" I also decided against asking "Who would like to discuss the Weather Channel?"
After a nice two-hour nap during the Texans game it was back to the church building for Sunday afternoon rehearsal, which went until about 8:30. I have to say that the show is really, really starting to come together. Some of us are still a little fuzzy on a couple of the dance routines, but I'm confident we'll all be moon walking by show time.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Keep Your Trash
Today being Thursday, I spent some time down at the Second Mile Mission Center. My task today was to help out getting the warehouse straightened out. As I was working a thought entered my mind involving people such as myself who desire an orderly world. Some call us neat-freaks, others say we are obsessive, but I like to say we just like things to be orderly. Is that too much to ask? Anyway, it occurred to me that for someone who desires order, working in the Second Mile warehouse is either heaven or hell. It's hell in that it is in a continual state of disarray. On the other hand, it's heaven because there is always the opportunity to make the world a better place by organizing things (even though you know they won't stay organized for long). Being a "glass half full" kind of person, I was in heaven today.
Today the warehouse was as bad as I've ever seen it. There was furniture stacked up by the loading dock, bicycles everywhere, all of the trash cans were overflowing, and the area around the dumpster was a mess. As I walked in I noticed the two permanent warehouse guys were struggling to raise a pallet onto one of the racks, because there was furniture in the way. Rather than move the furniture they were attempting to work around it, with the forklift going head to head with a desk and then a sofa. The forklift was the clear winner. These guys work hard, but they don't always work smart. Once things calmed down I set to work getting all of the furniture in the furniture spot, all of the bikes hung on the hooks on the rafters, took out the trash, swept the floor, etc. Then I immediately left so that I wouldn't have to watch my work destroyed.
Speaking of destroyed, I noticed a few donated couches that should have been destroyed rather than donated. WARNING: I am about to get on my soap box. I'm sure none of you are guilty of this, but I wish that people would realize that "donating" worthless junk to any charitable organization is just an easy way to make someone else get rid of it for you. I noticed today that there were several boxes of totally worthless stuff laying around. Things like gardening books, analog TV's, clothes that I wouldn't use as shop rags, ceramic kittens, etc. Donating this junk to a place like Second Mile - where the clientele comes for food, decent furniture and wearable clothing - only makes it difficult on the paid staff and volunteers who have to sort through it and then throw it away. My favorite donated item this week was the couch pictured below. A good rule of thumb regarding donating any item is that if it has been on your back porch or in your garage for more than twenty years and has been at the bottom of a pile of garbage or most of that time DON'T donate it. Take it to the trash dump yourself or set it on fire.
Imagine how happy some needy family would have been to receive this magnificent piece of furniture!
Today the warehouse was as bad as I've ever seen it. There was furniture stacked up by the loading dock, bicycles everywhere, all of the trash cans were overflowing, and the area around the dumpster was a mess. As I walked in I noticed the two permanent warehouse guys were struggling to raise a pallet onto one of the racks, because there was furniture in the way. Rather than move the furniture they were attempting to work around it, with the forklift going head to head with a desk and then a sofa. The forklift was the clear winner. These guys work hard, but they don't always work smart. Once things calmed down I set to work getting all of the furniture in the furniture spot, all of the bikes hung on the hooks on the rafters, took out the trash, swept the floor, etc. Then I immediately left so that I wouldn't have to watch my work destroyed.
Speaking of destroyed, I noticed a few donated couches that should have been destroyed rather than donated. WARNING: I am about to get on my soap box. I'm sure none of you are guilty of this, but I wish that people would realize that "donating" worthless junk to any charitable organization is just an easy way to make someone else get rid of it for you. I noticed today that there were several boxes of totally worthless stuff laying around. Things like gardening books, analog TV's, clothes that I wouldn't use as shop rags, ceramic kittens, etc. Donating this junk to a place like Second Mile - where the clientele comes for food, decent furniture and wearable clothing - only makes it difficult on the paid staff and volunteers who have to sort through it and then throw it away. My favorite donated item this week was the couch pictured below. A good rule of thumb regarding donating any item is that if it has been on your back porch or in your garage for more than twenty years and has been at the bottom of a pile of garbage or most of that time DON'T donate it. Take it to the trash dump yourself or set it on fire.
Imagine how happy some needy family would have been to receive this magnificent piece of furniture! On the job search front, I called the pipeline company guy today. As I expected, I got his voice mail, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Rather than stumble around trying to introduce myself and name drop my reference I was able to take a minute or so to leave a nice detailed message regarding who I am and what I want - a high paying job with great benefits and lots of vacation. I called him at 8:30 this morning. I'm still waiting for a call back.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Desk Day, Car Batteries and Rain!
An amazing thing happened this morning - it RAINED! I'm not talking about the stray afternoon shower that lasts for ten minutes and then the sun is out again. No, I'm talking about a rain that starts at 8:30 in the morning and lasts until almost noon. This is the first real rain we've had at our house since the end of April. I'm sure that what's left of the grass in the front yard will finally be happy. Each blade must feel like a concentration camp survivor by now.
Star Furniture is supposed to deliver our new desk this afternoon between 1:00 and 4:00. Because of the damage fest described in my last blog they will be delivering it for free instead of charging us the standard $100 delivery fee (a huge rip off under any circumstances). I'll make sure that I check the desk carefully to ensure that they are delivering a new, undamaged, unrepaired desk. I'm hoping for the best, but I won't be too surprised if things go south.
Yesterday I got a new battery for Vicki's car. It had been starting hard and we'd had to jump it the last few times it tried to leave the garage, so we thought it was time for a new one. Day before yesterday I took it to Auto Zone in Rosenberg to have it checked. It's an Auto Zone battery (their Dura Last Gold model!) with a three-year full replacement warranty, and since I bought it in the summer of 2007 I could get another one for free. Free batteries for the unemployed is a great concept. I heard Obama was taking credit for it. Anyway, because of the difficulty in starting the car I left it running when I went into the store. Within a minute or two a very friendly Auto Zone guy came out with his battery tester. I told him I'd turn off the car and he said it was okay to leave it running. This didn't sound right to me, and I told him I thought the car had to be turned off to properly check the battery. He assured me that leaving the car running was perfectly fine. He then checked the battery and told me it was fine, but that there might be a problem with the alternator, something about 13.8 volts instead of 15 volts? The car started fine and I left, intending to have the car checked by our mechanic.
Yesterday when we got in the car to leave it wouldn't start. As a matter of fact, it sounded like it wasn't even thinking about starting. So, we jumped it again and went on our way, making sure not to turn off the car at any time during our journey. On the way home I remembered that we were in the vicinity of the Auto Zone in our old Quail Valley neighborhood. I thought I'd stop by there for another opinion. I followed the same pattern, leaving the car running. This time the Auto Zone guy - a slightly more seasoned (older) guy - told me that you can't check a battery if the engine is running. Hmmm. This time around the tester said that the battery was bad, so I got a new battery. The moral of the story is that old guys usually know what they're talking about. There are, of course, exceptions.
This afternoon I have it on my calendar to call the VP of Human Resources at a pipeline company that has recently relocated their corporate office to Houston from Pennsylvania. This is probably my first actual good job lead. Hopefully the guy will be in his office and he'll take my call. I hope he doesn't still have one of those old school secretaries who considers it her mission in life to keep anyone from bothering her boss. Those types are great when they're on your side, but a real pain when they're not. Sort of like Pete Rose and Terrell Owens.
We're swinging into the stretch drive of rehearsals for the Joseph show. Last night those of us with solos (yes, I have a solo) were actually hooked up with wireless mics, the house lights were down, and the stage lights were up. It gave rehearsal a whole new feeling - sort of like a performance. I've never been hooked up to a wireless mic before. It was kind of fun but also kind of scary thinking about actually singing in front of several hundred people - especially people who paid good money to be there. Plus, I tend to cry easily in the face of anger and flying vegetables.
My request that those who read my blog contact me netted a total of five responses. I think that's way low. I'll bet there are at least seven or eight people who are addicted to reading everything I write. I can just feel the vibe every time I write something, especially when the topic is furniture, car batteries and rain.
Star Furniture is supposed to deliver our new desk this afternoon between 1:00 and 4:00. Because of the damage fest described in my last blog they will be delivering it for free instead of charging us the standard $100 delivery fee (a huge rip off under any circumstances). I'll make sure that I check the desk carefully to ensure that they are delivering a new, undamaged, unrepaired desk. I'm hoping for the best, but I won't be too surprised if things go south.
Yesterday I got a new battery for Vicki's car. It had been starting hard and we'd had to jump it the last few times it tried to leave the garage, so we thought it was time for a new one. Day before yesterday I took it to Auto Zone in Rosenberg to have it checked. It's an Auto Zone battery (their Dura Last Gold model!) with a three-year full replacement warranty, and since I bought it in the summer of 2007 I could get another one for free. Free batteries for the unemployed is a great concept. I heard Obama was taking credit for it. Anyway, because of the difficulty in starting the car I left it running when I went into the store. Within a minute or two a very friendly Auto Zone guy came out with his battery tester. I told him I'd turn off the car and he said it was okay to leave it running. This didn't sound right to me, and I told him I thought the car had to be turned off to properly check the battery. He assured me that leaving the car running was perfectly fine. He then checked the battery and told me it was fine, but that there might be a problem with the alternator, something about 13.8 volts instead of 15 volts? The car started fine and I left, intending to have the car checked by our mechanic.
Yesterday when we got in the car to leave it wouldn't start. As a matter of fact, it sounded like it wasn't even thinking about starting. So, we jumped it again and went on our way, making sure not to turn off the car at any time during our journey. On the way home I remembered that we were in the vicinity of the Auto Zone in our old Quail Valley neighborhood. I thought I'd stop by there for another opinion. I followed the same pattern, leaving the car running. This time the Auto Zone guy - a slightly more seasoned (older) guy - told me that you can't check a battery if the engine is running. Hmmm. This time around the tester said that the battery was bad, so I got a new battery. The moral of the story is that old guys usually know what they're talking about. There are, of course, exceptions.
This afternoon I have it on my calendar to call the VP of Human Resources at a pipeline company that has recently relocated their corporate office to Houston from Pennsylvania. This is probably my first actual good job lead. Hopefully the guy will be in his office and he'll take my call. I hope he doesn't still have one of those old school secretaries who considers it her mission in life to keep anyone from bothering her boss. Those types are great when they're on your side, but a real pain when they're not. Sort of like Pete Rose and Terrell Owens.
We're swinging into the stretch drive of rehearsals for the Joseph show. Last night those of us with solos (yes, I have a solo) were actually hooked up with wireless mics, the house lights were down, and the stage lights were up. It gave rehearsal a whole new feeling - sort of like a performance. I've never been hooked up to a wireless mic before. It was kind of fun but also kind of scary thinking about actually singing in front of several hundred people - especially people who paid good money to be there. Plus, I tend to cry easily in the face of anger and flying vegetables.
My request that those who read my blog contact me netted a total of five responses. I think that's way low. I'll bet there are at least seven or eight people who are addicted to reading everything I write. I can just feel the vibe every time I write something, especially when the topic is furniture, car batteries and rain.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Bonus Post!
Sometimes I wonder it anyone reads this blog other than Vicki and I.
I don't know if what I'm about to ask violates accepted blogging etiquette, but if it wouldn't be too much trouble would you mind sending me an email letting me know that you are a reader?
My email is dougfreede@yahoo.com.
Thanks.
I don't know if what I'm about to ask violates accepted blogging etiquette, but if it wouldn't be too much trouble would you mind sending me an email letting me know that you are a reader?
My email is dougfreede@yahoo.com.
Thanks.
The Joy of Furniture
This evening I'm going to continue my discussion of furniture and all the effort that goes into making your home look like a pleasant, inviting place. This is not an easy task. A few days ago I talked about the rigors of "rugging." Tonight I'm going to explore the concept of "desking."
As most of you know, I have been "between jobs" now for almost five months. Most of that time I have spent goofing off and enjoying myself, but recently I decided it was time to get serious about finding a new gig that will pay enough to allow us to continue to live in the style in which we have become accustomed over the last 30 years or so. Part of any good job search involves making appointments and keeping good records of the people you bother, so that you won't bother them any more often than is necessary. To keep good records one needs a good desk. At our house we have one good desk. This is the desk upon which the computer, printer, etc. reside. Between Vicki and me this single desk sometimes gets a little crowded. As a result of this situation we decided that another desk would be a good idea. So, we went desk shopping.
After several weeks of looking around we were able to find only one desk that met the space restrictions in our master bedroom. This desk was located at Star Furniture, and of course was wildly over-priced. However, based on the fact that it was our only option we were more of less forced to take it. Vicki found a $100 off coupon and we opted to pick up the desk ourselves rather than have it delivered, which saved us another $100. Can you believe that they charge $100 to deliver an item that they've already marked up about 500% (don't get me started)? We showed up bright and early on Friday morning at the Star Furniture warehouse/showroom at the Park Ten exit of the Katy Freeway. We checked in, and although they knew we were coming, we waited about a half-hour before they brought out the desk, which as we expected was in a box (some assembly required). I asked the warehouse guy if he'd open up the box so we could check for any damage. His reply was, "Just take it home and if you find anything wrong with it you can bring it back." I had two problems with his plan. Number one, we live about 30 miles from the warehouse, so a return trip to bring back damaged furniture would be a slight inconvenience. Number two, there was a big sign on the loading dock wall that said something like "All customers must inspect merchandise for damage before loading. Damaged items may not be returned." Based on these facts I requested the warehouse guy to open up the box. When he opened it we discovered that, lo and behold, the corner of the desk was broken. No problem, I said, because our salesperson back in the Greatwood Star store had mentioned that there were seven desks in stock. Just bring out another desk. Desk number two arrived at the dock, and guess what? It too had a broken corner. Desk number three was summoned, which unbelievably was also damaged. At his point I said something brilliant, like "Three down, four to go." To which the warehouse guy said "We don't have time to check all seven of these. We'll just have our 'furniture technician' fix the damage." To which I said "Hey, no problem. We don't mind overpaying for a new desk and then taking one that's damaged." Note: I was being facetious. We finally talked to the warehouse supervisor who promised us free delivery of a brand new, undamaged desk on Wednesday. Hopefully they won't try to pull a fast one on us with damaged goods that the furniture technician has fixed up.
My latest home project is converting the blue four-drawer dresser in the laundry room into a distressed black dresser for the living room. Along the way I'll strip and refinish the top of the dresser and convert it from a blond finish to a darker finish. I'm now on day two of this project, and it looks like it will end up being a little more difficult and more time-consuming than I anticipated (now there's a real surprise).
I spent most of the day of Thursday up at the church building working on the set for the Joseph show. You need to buy a ticket for the show just to see this thing. It's basically two sets of semi-spiral staircases connected by a catwalk that hangs ten feet above the stage. Because at times during the show there will be up to twelve people standing (and dancing) on it, it has been over-engineered like you wouldn't believe. There's enough wood in this thing to rebuild Surfside after Hurricane Ike. It weighs about a ton and will require most of the congregation to move it onto the stage.
This evening we went over to the Wattersons for food, fun and games. The games included a Seinfeld trivia game. If you ever play this game make sure to go with the "easy questions" instead of the "difficult questions", otherwise you'll be playing it the for the rest of your life. I noticed that the majority of the difficult questions asked for the name of one of Jerry's girlfriends, of which there were were about 150 over the show's nine year run. The easy questions are more typically about things that happened on the show, like "Why did Elaine throw Jerry's $20 bill out the window of his apartment?" and "Who invented Festivus?"
My last item for this evening is yet another movie review. Tonight's movie is All About Steve, starring Sandra Bullock and some guy I've never heard. This movie was mildly entertaining, with a few fairly funny spots. I can't comment on the entire movie because I had two complete zone-outs (that I'm aware of) where my mind was so totally divorced from my body that I totally missed at least twenty minutes of the show. As with a lot of movies I've seen lately, this would have made a good made for TV movie (do they still make made for TV movies?), but it was definitely not worth the price of admission, even if it was a matinee. Maybe it's just me, but it seems that ever since Sandra got her facial features rearranged to make her look like a guppy her movies have been going downhill. The next time you want to see a Sandra Bullock movie do yourself a favor and rent Hope Floats or Speed.
Tomorrow is Labor Day, which will be the third holiday that I've observed since my untimely demise from Transocean. As I've mentioned before, a three-day weekend loses most of its impact when every weekend is a three-day weekend. I'm hoping that by Thanksgiving holidays will again hold some allure.
As most of you know, I have been "between jobs" now for almost five months. Most of that time I have spent goofing off and enjoying myself, but recently I decided it was time to get serious about finding a new gig that will pay enough to allow us to continue to live in the style in which we have become accustomed over the last 30 years or so. Part of any good job search involves making appointments and keeping good records of the people you bother, so that you won't bother them any more often than is necessary. To keep good records one needs a good desk. At our house we have one good desk. This is the desk upon which the computer, printer, etc. reside. Between Vicki and me this single desk sometimes gets a little crowded. As a result of this situation we decided that another desk would be a good idea. So, we went desk shopping.
After several weeks of looking around we were able to find only one desk that met the space restrictions in our master bedroom. This desk was located at Star Furniture, and of course was wildly over-priced. However, based on the fact that it was our only option we were more of less forced to take it. Vicki found a $100 off coupon and we opted to pick up the desk ourselves rather than have it delivered, which saved us another $100. Can you believe that they charge $100 to deliver an item that they've already marked up about 500% (don't get me started)? We showed up bright and early on Friday morning at the Star Furniture warehouse/showroom at the Park Ten exit of the Katy Freeway. We checked in, and although they knew we were coming, we waited about a half-hour before they brought out the desk, which as we expected was in a box (some assembly required). I asked the warehouse guy if he'd open up the box so we could check for any damage. His reply was, "Just take it home and if you find anything wrong with it you can bring it back." I had two problems with his plan. Number one, we live about 30 miles from the warehouse, so a return trip to bring back damaged furniture would be a slight inconvenience. Number two, there was a big sign on the loading dock wall that said something like "All customers must inspect merchandise for damage before loading. Damaged items may not be returned." Based on these facts I requested the warehouse guy to open up the box. When he opened it we discovered that, lo and behold, the corner of the desk was broken. No problem, I said, because our salesperson back in the Greatwood Star store had mentioned that there were seven desks in stock. Just bring out another desk. Desk number two arrived at the dock, and guess what? It too had a broken corner. Desk number three was summoned, which unbelievably was also damaged. At his point I said something brilliant, like "Three down, four to go." To which the warehouse guy said "We don't have time to check all seven of these. We'll just have our 'furniture technician' fix the damage." To which I said "Hey, no problem. We don't mind overpaying for a new desk and then taking one that's damaged." Note: I was being facetious. We finally talked to the warehouse supervisor who promised us free delivery of a brand new, undamaged desk on Wednesday. Hopefully they won't try to pull a fast one on us with damaged goods that the furniture technician has fixed up.
My latest home project is converting the blue four-drawer dresser in the laundry room into a distressed black dresser for the living room. Along the way I'll strip and refinish the top of the dresser and convert it from a blond finish to a darker finish. I'm now on day two of this project, and it looks like it will end up being a little more difficult and more time-consuming than I anticipated (now there's a real surprise).
I spent most of the day of Thursday up at the church building working on the set for the Joseph show. You need to buy a ticket for the show just to see this thing. It's basically two sets of semi-spiral staircases connected by a catwalk that hangs ten feet above the stage. Because at times during the show there will be up to twelve people standing (and dancing) on it, it has been over-engineered like you wouldn't believe. There's enough wood in this thing to rebuild Surfside after Hurricane Ike. It weighs about a ton and will require most of the congregation to move it onto the stage.
This evening we went over to the Wattersons for food, fun and games. The games included a Seinfeld trivia game. If you ever play this game make sure to go with the "easy questions" instead of the "difficult questions", otherwise you'll be playing it the for the rest of your life. I noticed that the majority of the difficult questions asked for the name of one of Jerry's girlfriends, of which there were were about 150 over the show's nine year run. The easy questions are more typically about things that happened on the show, like "Why did Elaine throw Jerry's $20 bill out the window of his apartment?" and "Who invented Festivus?"
My last item for this evening is yet another movie review. Tonight's movie is All About Steve, starring Sandra Bullock and some guy I've never heard. This movie was mildly entertaining, with a few fairly funny spots. I can't comment on the entire movie because I had two complete zone-outs (that I'm aware of) where my mind was so totally divorced from my body that I totally missed at least twenty minutes of the show. As with a lot of movies I've seen lately, this would have made a good made for TV movie (do they still make made for TV movies?), but it was definitely not worth the price of admission, even if it was a matinee. Maybe it's just me, but it seems that ever since Sandra got her facial features rearranged to make her look like a guppy her movies have been going downhill. The next time you want to see a Sandra Bullock movie do yourself a favor and rent Hope Floats or Speed.
Tomorrow is Labor Day, which will be the third holiday that I've observed since my untimely demise from Transocean. As I've mentioned before, a three-day weekend loses most of its impact when every weekend is a three-day weekend. I'm hoping that by Thanksgiving holidays will again hold some allure.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Hunting for a Job and Some Nice Rugs
Yesterday was an interesting day, filled with a cornucopia of varied and fascinating experiences.
First, I helped Vicki in her ongoing search for the perfect rugs that will finalize and "tie together" the new decorating scheme that she has devised for our crib. If I've said this once, I've said it a hundred times, finding the right furniture is easy . . . finding the right rugs to go with that furniture is difficult. The thing about rugs is that the rug stores will let you take them home for a day or so to try them out and see if they match your furniture, which is really nice of them. The only problem with this set up is that these rugs are heavy! This isn't an issue at the store, because they load them into your vehicle. It's when you get them to the house that the problems manifest themselves. Have you ever tried to move a 10x14 Persian rug from the back of your SUV into your living room? Not an easy task, especially for two broken down old people like Vicki and me. We should have done this before Lance went back to Lubbock (silly us). And then, when the rug (or rugs) isn't (aren't) the right size or the right color and design you have to roll it (them) up and get it (them) back out to the garage and into the SUV. This return trip to the garage is made even more difficult by the fact that you haven't yet recovered from the injuries you sustained bringing the rug in. Which reminds me, there is a beautiful rug sitting on the floor a few feet from where I'm typing that needs to be relocated to the Toyota Highlander and returned to the rug place. The rug is perfect, except for being just a little too small for the room. We'll be ordering the identical rug in a larger size, which will be even heavier and more unwieldy to move. If you see us this week and we're a little hunched over it's because we've been "rugging."
After my rug experience I went off on my very first "networking" lunch. The last time I was unemployed (back in 1995-96) I did over 50 of these things. I discovered yesterday that I don't like them any more now than I did 14 years ago. The lady I met with is a consultant for one of the large national benefits consulting firms and we have been casual friends for several years, so our meeting was actually quite pleasant (at least for me it was). Ones like this aren't too bad, and I have several more people on my contact list who fall into this "casual friends" category. Once I have bothered all of them I'll be forced to move to the next category, which is "people I hardly know." Getting this group to even meet with you is difficult enough, but spending an hour with them over lunch can be quite painful - for them and me. After this I'll move to the "you don't even know me, but . . ." group. This will be excruciating, all around. I'm looking forward to all of this, really. I'll keep track of who picks up the check.
Closely akin to networking is outplacement. As part of my severance arrangement with Transocean (ugh!) I have access to outplacement services for 30 days, which start the day I first access the services. This morning at 10:00 I have my first meeting with my outplacement counselor. Once again, I did this during my last stint as an unemployed bum, so I think I know what to expect.
After my outplacement meeting I'm having lunch with a former Transocean (ugh!) colleague who called the other day. The (ugh!) applies to Transocean, not to the former colleague. She reminded me that when we parted company after working together for 14 years we agreed to keep in touch. Apparently her definition of keeping in touch actually meant keeping in touch. Go figure. Maybe she'll pick up the check.
Update on the Joseph show. Last night's rehearsal went quite well. We ironed out some major bugs and things are progressing very nicely, on course for a great show. I was dropped from the big dance number, which immediately improved it about ten-fold. With me out of that number we should probably increase ticket prices. Remember to get your tickets now, before they're sold out (don't forget my 100% satisfaction guarantee)
First, I helped Vicki in her ongoing search for the perfect rugs that will finalize and "tie together" the new decorating scheme that she has devised for our crib. If I've said this once, I've said it a hundred times, finding the right furniture is easy . . . finding the right rugs to go with that furniture is difficult. The thing about rugs is that the rug stores will let you take them home for a day or so to try them out and see if they match your furniture, which is really nice of them. The only problem with this set up is that these rugs are heavy! This isn't an issue at the store, because they load them into your vehicle. It's when you get them to the house that the problems manifest themselves. Have you ever tried to move a 10x14 Persian rug from the back of your SUV into your living room? Not an easy task, especially for two broken down old people like Vicki and me. We should have done this before Lance went back to Lubbock (silly us). And then, when the rug (or rugs) isn't (aren't) the right size or the right color and design you have to roll it (them) up and get it (them) back out to the garage and into the SUV. This return trip to the garage is made even more difficult by the fact that you haven't yet recovered from the injuries you sustained bringing the rug in. Which reminds me, there is a beautiful rug sitting on the floor a few feet from where I'm typing that needs to be relocated to the Toyota Highlander and returned to the rug place. The rug is perfect, except for being just a little too small for the room. We'll be ordering the identical rug in a larger size, which will be even heavier and more unwieldy to move. If you see us this week and we're a little hunched over it's because we've been "rugging."
After my rug experience I went off on my very first "networking" lunch. The last time I was unemployed (back in 1995-96) I did over 50 of these things. I discovered yesterday that I don't like them any more now than I did 14 years ago. The lady I met with is a consultant for one of the large national benefits consulting firms and we have been casual friends for several years, so our meeting was actually quite pleasant (at least for me it was). Ones like this aren't too bad, and I have several more people on my contact list who fall into this "casual friends" category. Once I have bothered all of them I'll be forced to move to the next category, which is "people I hardly know." Getting this group to even meet with you is difficult enough, but spending an hour with them over lunch can be quite painful - for them and me. After this I'll move to the "you don't even know me, but . . ." group. This will be excruciating, all around. I'm looking forward to all of this, really. I'll keep track of who picks up the check.
Closely akin to networking is outplacement. As part of my severance arrangement with Transocean (ugh!) I have access to outplacement services for 30 days, which start the day I first access the services. This morning at 10:00 I have my first meeting with my outplacement counselor. Once again, I did this during my last stint as an unemployed bum, so I think I know what to expect.
After my outplacement meeting I'm having lunch with a former Transocean (ugh!) colleague who called the other day. The (ugh!) applies to Transocean, not to the former colleague. She reminded me that when we parted company after working together for 14 years we agreed to keep in touch. Apparently her definition of keeping in touch actually meant keeping in touch. Go figure. Maybe she'll pick up the check.
Update on the Joseph show. Last night's rehearsal went quite well. We ironed out some major bugs and things are progressing very nicely, on course for a great show. I was dropped from the big dance number, which immediately improved it about ten-fold. With me out of that number we should probably increase ticket prices. Remember to get your tickets now, before they're sold out (don't forget my 100% satisfaction guarantee)
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