Yesterday was officially my final day of unemployment, so Vicki and I thought we'd do something fun to celebrate. We started off the day going to The Breakfast Klub, which is a hole-in-the-wall restaurant on Travis near downtown. As the name suggests, breakfast is their specialty. I've blogged about "The Klub" before (we previously visited there last summer). It's a little pricey - $9.95 for French toast, eggs and bacon - but the food is really good and the atmosphere is friendly. As I mentioned last summer, be prepared for a healthy dose of Obama worship if you go.
After breakfast we headed down to the Houston Auto Show at Reliant Arena. We'd never been to an auto show before and didn't quite know what to expect, although we assumed - correctly as it turned out - that we'd probably walk around and look at a lot of cars. That might sound a little boring to some people, but we agreed that adults looking at hundreds of shiny brand new cars is a lot like a kid going to Toys-R-Us. The new car smell was everywhere, and it was exciting to sit in them and inhale. Vicki is now very excited about the Buick Enclave, which is a "crossover" (crossovers are really big this year). I think this is what Tiger Woods was driving when his wife chased him out of the house with a two iron. One of the highlights of the show was the "Toyota Girls" singing a song - microphones and everything - about the Toyota Prius. We also saw a $180,000 Corvette, which the host - who is also a salesman at Davis Chevrolet - told me he could probably sell me for around $160,000 after discounts. He also has a new 2009 that I could have for around $89,000. I guess he heard I have a new job.
We were perplexed at first when we noted that many of the cars were missing the knobs on their radios, their cup holders, and the knobs on their gear shifts. It was a little surprising to hear that these items had been removed to prevent them from being stolen! What loser would steal the knob off a radio? We also learned that the hosts and hostesses (there were lots more hostesses that hosts) who work for each car company travel around the country with the auto show. We heard from them that Detroit and New York were the worst places to work, especially in New York during "Gang Night" which is the night of the show when all the gangs get together and show up at the same time. We heard tales of people stuffing paper into the cars' tailpipes, slashed seats, and - our favorite - hiding raw meat in various places in the cars. Raw meat?
Last night I watched the Republican candidates for Texas governor debate on Channel 11. I don't usually watch debates, but this one was actually very entertaining, and I think it provided some pretty good insight into the personalities of the candidates. It was also amusing to watch all of the candidates skillfully side step giving direct answers to very specific questions, even "yes" and "no" questions. Rick Perry was pretty good at this, but Kay Bailey Hutchinson was masterful. There were a few memorable moments, including -
1) When Rick Perry was asked whether, if re-elected, he would serve out his full term, his answer was "Lord willing". When the commentator asked him to elaborate if that meant yes or no, Perry replied "If I don't die in office, then yes."
2) Kay Bailey Hutchinson's answer to the question "Who was the first governor of Texas." After a moment of panic, Mrs. Hutchinson's stammering reply was "Burleson". The correct answer - as of course we all know - is J. Pinckney Henderson. Rufus C. Burleson was never governor of Texas. He was, however, the first president of Baylor University and a noted Baptist preacher in Houston in the mid-1800's. He is most famous for baptizing Sam Houston.
Today I plan to straighten up the garage. Not as exciting as an auto show or a Kay Baily history lesson, but I'm looking forward to it nonetheless.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
A Paycheck is Great, But . . .
NOTICE: Before you get started reading this post, if you haven't already done so you need to check out Jason and Lindsey's blog (in the list to the left) for information and pictures on the new addition to their family - Ava Reese Campbell. The new Ms. Campbell is reputed to be the fattest and cutest baby ever born.
Okay, now that you're back I'll start on my thoughts for today. I start my new job on Monday, February 1st. After being off work for over nine months I'm really ready to get back into the every day grind. But, there are definitely some things I'll miss about the freedom of not having to go to a job every day. The following is a list of some of these things -
Week Day Matinee Movies - It's great being able to watch a movie in an almost-empty theater. If you know me you know that I have pretty much sworn off going to movies on Friday or Saturday nights because of the extreme likelihood that half of the people in the theater will be either 1) carrying on conversations as if they're the only ones around, 2) making calls on their cells phones, 3) taking calls on their cells phones, or 4) just plain being annoying. When you go to a movie at 2:00 on a Tuesday afternoon most of the fewer than ten people in attendance are so old they don't even know how to use a cell phone.
Watching Turner Classic Movies - Over the last nine months I have become almost addicted to watching old movies on TCM. I have developed a special fondness for movies from the 1930's and 1940's. No profanity, no sex, no nudity and no over-the-top special effects. The good guys almost always win, and there is no glorifying bad behavior. These old movies are all about the story and the characters. I'll miss staying up until 2:00 AM watching these things.
Traveling Whenever We Feel Like It - Since last April we've taken a 13-day swing through the southwestern U.S., spent a week in Colorado, been to Lubbock a couple of times, and been to Round Rock several times. Oh, and did I mention ten days in Costa Rica? I've also spent a week each at two Christian youth camps, in Abilene and Bandera (not exactly around the corner from Sugar Land).
Sleeping Late - Starting on Monday I'll be getting up at 5:00 every Monday through Thursday. This isn't really that big of a deal for me because that's been my wake-up time for most the the last 15 years (excluding of course the last nine months). But, I have gotten used to sleeping until 7:00 on most days, and later if I've been up really late taking in a TCM movie (see above). I have a feeling that I'll be taking lunch time naps for at least the first week of work.
Breakfast at Bob's Taco Station - We don't go every morning, but we do hit Bob's for breakfast on average twice a month or so. In the future Bob's will be a Friday or Saturday morning only event.
Keeping Up With Things Around the House - Since I've been off I've replaced two toilets, installed low-voltage exterior lighting, done some minor indoor electrical work, replaced 57 rotten fence pickets, reworked the stone around the flower bed in the front yard, planted some new shrubs, kept the old scrubs trimmed, taken on a few house cleaning chores, hung some curtains, and done some other stuff I can't remember. The only thing I somehow didn't manage to get to was the leaky drain in the kitchen. I'll now be getting home from work around 7:00, so it'll be back to saving chores up for the weekend.
Volunteering - The most difficult thing about volunteering is finding time to do it. When you're jobless that isn't really a big problem. I have really enjoyed working at Second Mile Mission every Thursday and seeing just how dedicated the staff there is to serving the less fortunate people of southwest Houston. I've also had time to take on several short-term projects for people in need, do some random work at FCCC, and work on the set design for the Joseph show, the FCCC Girls Conference, and Winter's Eve. I've learned some new things and made some new friends.
Blogging on a Regular Basis - Since starting our blog back on May 23, 2009 we have posted 98 blogs, which works out to a new post every three or four days. We've been able to do that for two reasons - 1) we've been able to to some relatively interesting things, and 2) I've had time to blog. Once I go back to work both 1) and 2) above will go away. I don't see me blogging about what I do at work every day. For the most part experience one of my average work days will be boring enough. Writing about it would be excruciating for all of us. That being said, I'll bet I come up with a few good stories about my new place and my new colleagues during the first few weeks. I'm sure there will be a personality or two worth writing about.
Okay, that should about do it for now. Wish me luck. I hope my alarm clock goes off at 5:00 on Monday morning. It too will need to get back into the swing of things.
Okay, now that you're back I'll start on my thoughts for today. I start my new job on Monday, February 1st. After being off work for over nine months I'm really ready to get back into the every day grind. But, there are definitely some things I'll miss about the freedom of not having to go to a job every day. The following is a list of some of these things -
Week Day Matinee Movies - It's great being able to watch a movie in an almost-empty theater. If you know me you know that I have pretty much sworn off going to movies on Friday or Saturday nights because of the extreme likelihood that half of the people in the theater will be either 1) carrying on conversations as if they're the only ones around, 2) making calls on their cells phones, 3) taking calls on their cells phones, or 4) just plain being annoying. When you go to a movie at 2:00 on a Tuesday afternoon most of the fewer than ten people in attendance are so old they don't even know how to use a cell phone.
Watching Turner Classic Movies - Over the last nine months I have become almost addicted to watching old movies on TCM. I have developed a special fondness for movies from the 1930's and 1940's. No profanity, no sex, no nudity and no over-the-top special effects. The good guys almost always win, and there is no glorifying bad behavior. These old movies are all about the story and the characters. I'll miss staying up until 2:00 AM watching these things.
Traveling Whenever We Feel Like It - Since last April we've taken a 13-day swing through the southwestern U.S., spent a week in Colorado, been to Lubbock a couple of times, and been to Round Rock several times. Oh, and did I mention ten days in Costa Rica? I've also spent a week each at two Christian youth camps, in Abilene and Bandera (not exactly around the corner from Sugar Land).
Sleeping Late - Starting on Monday I'll be getting up at 5:00 every Monday through Thursday. This isn't really that big of a deal for me because that's been my wake-up time for most the the last 15 years (excluding of course the last nine months). But, I have gotten used to sleeping until 7:00 on most days, and later if I've been up really late taking in a TCM movie (see above). I have a feeling that I'll be taking lunch time naps for at least the first week of work.
Breakfast at Bob's Taco Station - We don't go every morning, but we do hit Bob's for breakfast on average twice a month or so. In the future Bob's will be a Friday or Saturday morning only event.
Keeping Up With Things Around the House - Since I've been off I've replaced two toilets, installed low-voltage exterior lighting, done some minor indoor electrical work, replaced 57 rotten fence pickets, reworked the stone around the flower bed in the front yard, planted some new shrubs, kept the old scrubs trimmed, taken on a few house cleaning chores, hung some curtains, and done some other stuff I can't remember. The only thing I somehow didn't manage to get to was the leaky drain in the kitchen. I'll now be getting home from work around 7:00, so it'll be back to saving chores up for the weekend.
Volunteering - The most difficult thing about volunteering is finding time to do it. When you're jobless that isn't really a big problem. I have really enjoyed working at Second Mile Mission every Thursday and seeing just how dedicated the staff there is to serving the less fortunate people of southwest Houston. I've also had time to take on several short-term projects for people in need, do some random work at FCCC, and work on the set design for the Joseph show, the FCCC Girls Conference, and Winter's Eve. I've learned some new things and made some new friends.
Blogging on a Regular Basis - Since starting our blog back on May 23, 2009 we have posted 98 blogs, which works out to a new post every three or four days. We've been able to do that for two reasons - 1) we've been able to to some relatively interesting things, and 2) I've had time to blog. Once I go back to work both 1) and 2) above will go away. I don't see me blogging about what I do at work every day. For the most part experience one of my average work days will be boring enough. Writing about it would be excruciating for all of us. That being said, I'll bet I come up with a few good stories about my new place and my new colleagues during the first few weeks. I'm sure there will be a personality or two worth writing about.
Okay, that should about do it for now. Wish me luck. I hope my alarm clock goes off at 5:00 on Monday morning. It too will need to get back into the swing of things.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
After Nine Months and Four Days . . .
After being unemployed since April 17, 2009 I have today - finally - found another job! I've accepted the position of Manager of Compensation and Benefits at the South Texas Project, which is a nuclear power plant located just south of Bay City, Texas. I spent all day last Wednesday interviewing with them, meeting with the CEO, and being introduced to my potential staff. I received an offer on Monday morning and, after some negotiating over the salary, I accepted it this afternoon.
For those of you who know this part of Texas, you know that Bay City is a little more than an hour's drive from Sugar Land. I figure my commute will be about 80 minutes, but STP works a ten-hour, four day work schedule, so I'll be off every Friday. I expect to join a car pool or van pool, which means that when quittin' time rolls around it will really be quittin' time. No more staying until 8:00 or 9:00 every night like I did when I was serving my sentence with Transocean.
I really liked everyone I met during the recruiting process, and I'm excited to be moving into an new industry that will hopefully be a little more stable than the offshore drilling business. After two mergers since 2001 I'm looking forward to a more orderly, less stressful, less politically charged work environment.
Looking back on the last nine months and four days it actually went by pretty quickly. I enjoyed all the traveling that Vicki and I were able to do, and I got just about all of my household projects taken care of while I was off - with the exception of the leaky drain under the kitchen sink (I hate plumbing). I also really enjoyed the Thursdays that I spent down at Second Mile.
Speaking of Second Mile, I was there today doing my usual Thursday shift. Today my task was to repair worn out places in the carpet. The primary fix-it spot was just outside the food pantry, which is of course the most heavily travelled spot in the whole place. I got to meet a lot of clients as they wheeled their groceries around me. I gave my boss, Tom, my one week notice. Next Thursday is ceiling tile replacement day.
For those of you who know this part of Texas, you know that Bay City is a little more than an hour's drive from Sugar Land. I figure my commute will be about 80 minutes, but STP works a ten-hour, four day work schedule, so I'll be off every Friday. I expect to join a car pool or van pool, which means that when quittin' time rolls around it will really be quittin' time. No more staying until 8:00 or 9:00 every night like I did when I was serving my sentence with Transocean.
I really liked everyone I met during the recruiting process, and I'm excited to be moving into an new industry that will hopefully be a little more stable than the offshore drilling business. After two mergers since 2001 I'm looking forward to a more orderly, less stressful, less politically charged work environment.
Looking back on the last nine months and four days it actually went by pretty quickly. I enjoyed all the traveling that Vicki and I were able to do, and I got just about all of my household projects taken care of while I was off - with the exception of the leaky drain under the kitchen sink (I hate plumbing). I also really enjoyed the Thursdays that I spent down at Second Mile.
Speaking of Second Mile, I was there today doing my usual Thursday shift. Today my task was to repair worn out places in the carpet. The primary fix-it spot was just outside the food pantry, which is of course the most heavily travelled spot in the whole place. I got to meet a lot of clients as they wheeled their groceries around me. I gave my boss, Tom, my one week notice. Next Thursday is ceiling tile replacement day.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Why Having a Job is a Good Thing
WARNING: This post is both boring and depressing. Other than that it's fine.
Yesterday I hit my nine-month anniversary of being without a job. At first I enjoyed having all of my time to myself. For the first four or five months I actually had a great time - traveling, volunteering at youth camps, catching up on my around-the-house projects, going to movies in empty theaters, etc. However, I have now officially reached the point where I am ready to go back to work. Maybe it's the time of the year. All of the holiday festivities are now behind us and we're into the winter doldrums.
Today I spent the morning finishing off my project to replace rotted fence pickets. With that behind me I then spent a few hours going through all of the files in our computer room/office. I went through just about every file and purged them of outdated, unneeded, and otherwise useless records. The highlight was shedding the old bank and credit card statements. I filled up two large trash cans! The hum of the shredder reminded me of the good old days at work. After getting over the excitement of all this it really hit me - I am starting to get really bored! I realize that I have fallen into a routine where I start to watch television with the five o'clock news and continue until going to bed, whenever that may be. Last night I watched a 1941 movie until past midnight. So, today I came up with a list of what's good about having a job. Here goes, in no particular order:
1. Getting up every morning with a definite purpose. Not that I haven't had some decent definite purposes over the last few months, but getting excited about shredding old documents and watching TV for six hours a day . . . ugh!
2. Having to think ahead and plan in order to accomplish everything you want to accomplish. My time management skills have not exactly been tested by cramming occasional two-hour projects into my sixteen waking hours.
3. Not having time to watch so much TV. When Vicki suggested this evening that we join the Wheel-of-Fortune "Wheel Watcher's Club" I realized that I'm becoming my grandmother.
4. Looking forward to a well earned vacation. It will take me at least another five years of work before any vacation will be termed "well earned."
5. Utilizing my vast experience and wisdom to solve semi-difficult problems. My biggest challenge today was not falling asleep during CSI Miami.
6. Not spending so much time on the Internet. Today I almost checked out an article on which celebrities wore the best and worst dresses to the Golden Globes. I resisted, but just the fact that the thought crossed my mind was horrifying.
7. Getting paid. True, I'm still collecting severance, but that will end before I know it. A long-term paycheck is the only way to go.
On a slightly less serious note, Bob's Taco Station in beautiful downtown Rosenberg, Texas was on Drive-Ins, Diners and Dives tonight. It was fun seeing on television the actual tables were we sit and the actual waiters who bring us our tacos.
Tomorrow I have a telephone interview with a Houston company that does benefits administration for companies that outsource their benefit programs. This job would probably allow me to utilize my vast experience and wisdom to solve semi-difficult problems. I noticed on their website that they offer a 30-day sabbatical to their employees every five years. I think I could handle a 30-day break every five years.
Yesterday I hit my nine-month anniversary of being without a job. At first I enjoyed having all of my time to myself. For the first four or five months I actually had a great time - traveling, volunteering at youth camps, catching up on my around-the-house projects, going to movies in empty theaters, etc. However, I have now officially reached the point where I am ready to go back to work. Maybe it's the time of the year. All of the holiday festivities are now behind us and we're into the winter doldrums.
Today I spent the morning finishing off my project to replace rotted fence pickets. With that behind me I then spent a few hours going through all of the files in our computer room/office. I went through just about every file and purged them of outdated, unneeded, and otherwise useless records. The highlight was shedding the old bank and credit card statements. I filled up two large trash cans! The hum of the shredder reminded me of the good old days at work. After getting over the excitement of all this it really hit me - I am starting to get really bored! I realize that I have fallen into a routine where I start to watch television with the five o'clock news and continue until going to bed, whenever that may be. Last night I watched a 1941 movie until past midnight. So, today I came up with a list of what's good about having a job. Here goes, in no particular order:
1. Getting up every morning with a definite purpose. Not that I haven't had some decent definite purposes over the last few months, but getting excited about shredding old documents and watching TV for six hours a day . . . ugh!
2. Having to think ahead and plan in order to accomplish everything you want to accomplish. My time management skills have not exactly been tested by cramming occasional two-hour projects into my sixteen waking hours.
3. Not having time to watch so much TV. When Vicki suggested this evening that we join the Wheel-of-Fortune "Wheel Watcher's Club" I realized that I'm becoming my grandmother.
4. Looking forward to a well earned vacation. It will take me at least another five years of work before any vacation will be termed "well earned."
5. Utilizing my vast experience and wisdom to solve semi-difficult problems. My biggest challenge today was not falling asleep during CSI Miami.
6. Not spending so much time on the Internet. Today I almost checked out an article on which celebrities wore the best and worst dresses to the Golden Globes. I resisted, but just the fact that the thought crossed my mind was horrifying.
7. Getting paid. True, I'm still collecting severance, but that will end before I know it. A long-term paycheck is the only way to go.
On a slightly less serious note, Bob's Taco Station in beautiful downtown Rosenberg, Texas was on Drive-Ins, Diners and Dives tonight. It was fun seeing on television the actual tables were we sit and the actual waiters who bring us our tacos.
Tomorrow I have a telephone interview with a Houston company that does benefits administration for companies that outsource their benefit programs. This job would probably allow me to utilize my vast experience and wisdom to solve semi-difficult problems. I noticed on their website that they offer a 30-day sabbatical to their employees every five years. I think I could handle a 30-day break every five years.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Routine News from The Hood
It's a rainy day in Sugar Land, but at least it's warm. We actually had four consecutive days where the temperature was below the freezing mark. This is the equivalent of 150 below zero in places like Minnesota. I covered some of the plants, but unfortunately there were casualties among our green friends. I also noticed that the freezing weather popped some of the bark off the big elm tree in the back yard. I'm not sure what that's about, but I assume that popping elm bark is probably not a good thing. Time will tell.
Yesterday I had my second interview at the South Texas Project (STP), which is a nuclear power plant south of Bay City. First there was a panel interview with three people, then a short meeting with the CEO, and then a two-hour conversation with the company psychologist (which was quite entertaining). Things went great, I liked the people, and the job seems like a good fit for me at this stage of my so-called career. Now all I need is an offer for some decent money. I'm still not completely sold on the 80-mile commute (about 90 minutes), but the four-day work week sounds really nice, and they have some van pools. I have a telephone interview next Tuesday morning with a Houston company that does HR outsourcing. Everybody said they expected things to pick up after the first of the year and so far it looks like they're right.
We met our new (since November) neighbors this past Tuesday. I was out working on replacing the 57 rotten pickets in our fence and new guy Rodney came over and introduced himself. He seems like a really nice guy. He works from home when he's not on the road. His wife's name is Heather, and they have three kids, ages 13 years, 4 years, and 18 months. I have no recollection of the kids' names.
I did my shift at Second Mile this morning. Today's task was taking an inventory of all the burned out lights, the missing and damaged ceiling tiles, and areas of the carpet that are in need of repair. After I finished the inventory I started on replacing the lights. It was so exciting to be on a ladder again, even if everyone who walked by felt compelled to come up with some type of lame falling off the ladder comment. I'm taking a wild guess that next Thursday I'll be replacing ceiling tiles. Oh boy - more ladder time!
Yesterday I had my second interview at the South Texas Project (STP), which is a nuclear power plant south of Bay City. First there was a panel interview with three people, then a short meeting with the CEO, and then a two-hour conversation with the company psychologist (which was quite entertaining). Things went great, I liked the people, and the job seems like a good fit for me at this stage of my so-called career. Now all I need is an offer for some decent money. I'm still not completely sold on the 80-mile commute (about 90 minutes), but the four-day work week sounds really nice, and they have some van pools. I have a telephone interview next Tuesday morning with a Houston company that does HR outsourcing. Everybody said they expected things to pick up after the first of the year and so far it looks like they're right.
We met our new (since November) neighbors this past Tuesday. I was out working on replacing the 57 rotten pickets in our fence and new guy Rodney came over and introduced himself. He seems like a really nice guy. He works from home when he's not on the road. His wife's name is Heather, and they have three kids, ages 13 years, 4 years, and 18 months. I have no recollection of the kids' names.
I did my shift at Second Mile this morning. Today's task was taking an inventory of all the burned out lights, the missing and damaged ceiling tiles, and areas of the carpet that are in need of repair. After I finished the inventory I started on replacing the lights. It was so exciting to be on a ladder again, even if everyone who walked by felt compelled to come up with some type of lame falling off the ladder comment. I'm taking a wild guess that next Thursday I'll be replacing ceiling tiles. Oh boy - more ladder time!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
One Year Anniversary and Two Movie Reviews!
Now that I'm finished with the vacation documentary I can get on to some other stuff.
First of all, today is a big day for Bethany and H. Cody Girod. One year of wedded bliss! Yoo-hoo! They are a great couple and we wish them at least sixty more years together. It's hard to believe that it was a whole year ago that the Wedding of the Century - Part II took place down at the Magnolia Hotel. Actually, we just got the wedding video about three weeks ago, so I guess it does seem like a year. Anyway, congratulations Bethany and Cody. Keep up the good work.
I also have not one, but two of my spot-on movie reviews. I'll start with Did You Hear About the Morgans? with Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant. If you haven't yet seen this movie then take my advice and don't waste your money. It might be worth renting on a slow night, but it's definitely not worth $9.00. To me this was 93 minutes of trying to be clever and funny and not really succeeding on either front. Hugh Grant should consider retiring.
On a brighter and much more exciting note, you've got to see Avatar. I remember seeing the trailers for this movie a few months ago and thinking who would want to see this? But this is one of the most engaging action flicks I've ever seen. I'm not sure that the special effects were quite worth $400 million, but they were awesome. Lots of action, but no guts and gore. A few words of minor profanity, but nothing too offensive. You'll walk out of this movie asking yourself "How did they do that?" I recommend that you spring for the extra three bucks and see it in 3-D. If nothing else it's worth watching everyone walking out of the theater with the clunky 3-D glasses on. It looked like a nerd convention.
I have some big plans this week. In addition to what I hope will be a very productive job interview I also plan to replace a section of my wood fence. I'll take some before and after pictures. You for sure won't want to miss them.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Costa Rica - Part III (the third and final installment)
Well, here it is, the final installment of our gigantic 2009 Christmas vacation trip. I'm actually a little sad as I write this. After almost a year of planning and looking forward to our trip, it's over. It was great fun and we enjoyed getting to spend so much time together (at least I think we did), but it flew by so fast.
After we left Tamarindo beach we drove east, back to San Jose. It was about a 150 mile drive, but it took us the better part of five hours to complete it. All of the stories you may have heard about driving in Costa Rica are pretty much true. Although the actual condition of the roads has improved a lot since we were last there in 2005, the number of roads has not. There are basically two main roads in the entire country. One goes north/south and the other east/west. They aren't divided multiple lane highways like we have in the United States, but rather two lane roads - and ofter very narrow two lanes roads. They handle all of the cross country traffic in the entire country, including a million or so trucks, which are all but impossible to pass. Because a good part of Costa Rica is very mountainous these trucks have a difficult and very slow time navigating the often steep roads. And I do mean slow. We spent almost two hours on the steepest stretch going not more than 20 miles per hour (and often much slower). Did I mention that our Land Cruiser was a standard transmission? The only thing on the entire trip that bothered my knee was shifting gears every thirty seconds for hours at a time.
Once in San Jose we spent the night at a great hotel - the Hotel Grano de Oro. The rafting people picked us up at 6:00 the following morning for three hour ride to where we got on the Pacuare River, which is a World Heritage Site and one of the most beautiful and unspoiled rivers in the world. We rafted for about two hours into the Pacuare Lodge, where we spent two nights in the rain forest. While at the lodge we zip-lined in the canopy of massive trees, did some "canyoneering", and even did some bird watching. Vicki can now die a happy person, having seen three species of toucans, including the big one that's on the front of the Fruit Loops box. On day three we rafted out of the jungle for about six hours, through a good assortment of class III and class IV rapids. Then it was back to San Jose for the night, and back to Houston the next day. So, it's over - it's really over. We're thinking our next big trip will be to Machu Pichu (the "Lost City of the Incas") in Peru. Of course I'll need to find another job first and work a few years to save up some vacation - and some money. I'm thinking of targeting this trip for my 60th birthday. Let us know if you want to come along.
Below are a few pictures, in no particular order:
After we left Tamarindo beach we drove east, back to San Jose. It was about a 150 mile drive, but it took us the better part of five hours to complete it. All of the stories you may have heard about driving in Costa Rica are pretty much true. Although the actual condition of the roads has improved a lot since we were last there in 2005, the number of roads has not. There are basically two main roads in the entire country. One goes north/south and the other east/west. They aren't divided multiple lane highways like we have in the United States, but rather two lane roads - and ofter very narrow two lanes roads. They handle all of the cross country traffic in the entire country, including a million or so trucks, which are all but impossible to pass. Because a good part of Costa Rica is very mountainous these trucks have a difficult and very slow time navigating the often steep roads. And I do mean slow. We spent almost two hours on the steepest stretch going not more than 20 miles per hour (and often much slower). Did I mention that our Land Cruiser was a standard transmission? The only thing on the entire trip that bothered my knee was shifting gears every thirty seconds for hours at a time.
Once in San Jose we spent the night at a great hotel - the Hotel Grano de Oro. The rafting people picked us up at 6:00 the following morning for three hour ride to where we got on the Pacuare River, which is a World Heritage Site and one of the most beautiful and unspoiled rivers in the world. We rafted for about two hours into the Pacuare Lodge, where we spent two nights in the rain forest. While at the lodge we zip-lined in the canopy of massive trees, did some "canyoneering", and even did some bird watching. Vicki can now die a happy person, having seen three species of toucans, including the big one that's on the front of the Fruit Loops box. On day three we rafted out of the jungle for about six hours, through a good assortment of class III and class IV rapids. Then it was back to San Jose for the night, and back to Houston the next day. So, it's over - it's really over. We're thinking our next big trip will be to Machu Pichu (the "Lost City of the Incas") in Peru. Of course I'll need to find another job first and work a few years to save up some vacation - and some money. I'm thinking of targeting this trip for my 60th birthday. Let us know if you want to come along.
Below are a few pictures, in no particular order:
Waterfall on the river.
Loading up for the trip back to civilization.
Taking a break from rafting to get our picture taken on a large rock.
High hilarity after pulling Kayla and Vicki back into the raft.
(See next picture)
Kayla taking leave of the raft, with Vicki in hot pursuit.
Kayla and I on the bird watching tour, which started at 6:00 AM! Vicki was also on the tour, but she missed the picture while scaling a tree for a better look at Toucan Sam.
One of the "bungalows" which had no electricity, but which were still very comfortable (although just a little dark by candle light).
Bethany (or is it Kayla?) coming in for a landing on the zip line.
The interior of our bungalow.
Kayla after shooting the rapids on the "duckie", the feat which ultimately enabled her to wrest the coveted title of "Adventure Twin" from Bethany.
Vicki "canyoneering" down the creek bed of a jungle ravine. Of all that we did during our trip, Vicki said that she absolutely enjoyed this the most. As her about it.
Me chilling with the drunken Canadians. There was a group of fourteen from Toronto who were very friendly but also very prone to continuous drinking. I never passed the vicinity of the bar at any time of the day or night when it wasn't surrounded by drunken Canadians.
The entire fam chilling at breakfast in the lodge.
Yes Virginia - There Really Are Job Interviews
To the disappointment of some I'm interrupting my Costa Rica travelogue to provide an equally fascinating update on my job search, which is actually starting to show some signs of life. This past Wednesday I had a long telephone interview with a large nuclear power generating company. The interview went well enough that they have invited me in for a formal face-to-face interview next Wednesday. The commute to this job would be quite long, and it would be a total change from my accustomed experience in the offshore drilling industry, but it sounds like an interesting opportunity in a fascinating business. Hot on the heels of this, I have another interview this morning with a small drilling company whose offices are in Greenway Plaza, actually in the building next door to my old place or incarceration at Transocean. The job they are looking to fill looks to be an almost exact match to my background and experience.
Thanks to those of you who has been praying for me over the last eight or nine months regarding my job search. I'd ask that as things unfold over the next week or so that you continue to pray that God will make clear to me what is the best direction for me to take in any decisions that may present themselves. I'll keep you posted.
Thanks to those of you who has been praying for me over the last eight or nine months regarding my job search. I'd ask that as things unfold over the next week or so that you continue to pray that God will make clear to me what is the best direction for me to take in any decisions that may present themselves. I'll keep you posted.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Costa Rica - Part II
After leaving the exciting environs of the Arenal Volcano we headed west for a four-hour drive to Playa Tamarindo. Other than the fact that we were packed into our vehicle like sardines it wasn't a bad drive. The roads were about like driving on a rural farm road in Texas, but at least they were paved. When we took this same route back in 2005 a good portion of the drive was on gravel roads with pot holes the size of a Volkswagen.
When we arrived at Tamarindo we found a great beach next to a typical beach town. The main drag in Tamarindo is composed of surf shops, some restaurants, the town's upscale hotel, and your usual gaggle of souvenir places - and a lot of cars, most of them driving a little more aggressively than you'd prefer. Our hotel - the Hotel Pasatiempo - was on one of the side streets, about a quarter of a mile from the beach. In Tamarindo only the main street next to the beach is paved. Everything else is dirt - not gravel, dirt. Things were a little dusty, which was a little annoying at certain times of the day. I was wondering what it was like when it rained.
On our second day in Tamarindo we had arranged a half-day fishing charter. We found out that getting breakfast in a Costa Rican beach town before 7:00 AM is not the easiest thing to do. We had noticed the night before that there was a little cafe a few doors down from our hotel that advertised breakfast, starting at 6:00. Needless to say, "breakfast at 6:00" here is very similar to "reserving" a car. In theory, it might happen, occasionally . . . maybe. When we showed up at 6:45 the proprietor was in her pajamas and looked like she had gotten out of bed within the last five minutes. Two of our party ordered granola and yogurt (don't ask me why), which seemed innocent enough until we noticed a guy behind the counter making a grocery list, which we came to find out included granola. Rather than waste precious - and expensive - fishing time, we left before shopping boy had returned with the granola. Luckily there was bakery on the way to the beach for the granola people.
Our fishing trip was a great success. For starters we all caught a skip-jack, which is a small fish that was fun to catch but not good for eating. Then, following a lull of about an hour when we didn't catch anything, the mahi-mahi showed up. Bethany, Kayla, Lance and Cody all caught a mahi-mahi, each one a little bigger than the previous one, with Bethany's being the largest. I didn't get a mahi-mahi, but I did get to reel in a sail fish, which we released after a few pictures.
Unlike skip-jack, mahi-mahi are delicious. One of the deck hands cleaned each of the fish as they were caught. We ended up with what I'd estimate to be about fifty pounds of fish. We kept enough for dinner for the six of us and gave the three crew members the rest. At the beach side restaurant where we'd had dinner the night before we found out that if you brought in your own fish they would cook it for you. When we made it back to shore we dropped off our catch and then returned that evening for a feast of very fresh fish.
After our fishing expedition we rented some boogie boards and headed for the beach. We had some great fun playing in the waves, although dodging the amateur surfers was challenging and a little dangerous at times. There's really nothing like being in the path of an out of control twelve year older surfer who's yelling "get out of the way" at the top his lungs as he speeds over or past you.
Tomorrow: We head back to San Jose in anticipation of our whitewater raft trip through the mysterious depths of the rain forest. Don't miss it!
Tamarindo Beach through the palm trees.
Sushi being served about fifteen minutes after it was caught.
Me and two surfer chicks I picked up on the beach.
Me and the only sailfish we caught. I was told by the captain of our boat that this is actually a small fish, although it was the biggest thing I've ever caught!
Kayla with her mahi-mahi (also called a "dorado" in some places).
Vicki and the surfer chicks.
Bethany, Cody and Lance with their catches of the day.
When we arrived at Tamarindo we found a great beach next to a typical beach town. The main drag in Tamarindo is composed of surf shops, some restaurants, the town's upscale hotel, and your usual gaggle of souvenir places - and a lot of cars, most of them driving a little more aggressively than you'd prefer. Our hotel - the Hotel Pasatiempo - was on one of the side streets, about a quarter of a mile from the beach. In Tamarindo only the main street next to the beach is paved. Everything else is dirt - not gravel, dirt. Things were a little dusty, which was a little annoying at certain times of the day. I was wondering what it was like when it rained.
On our second day in Tamarindo we had arranged a half-day fishing charter. We found out that getting breakfast in a Costa Rican beach town before 7:00 AM is not the easiest thing to do. We had noticed the night before that there was a little cafe a few doors down from our hotel that advertised breakfast, starting at 6:00. Needless to say, "breakfast at 6:00" here is very similar to "reserving" a car. In theory, it might happen, occasionally . . . maybe. When we showed up at 6:45 the proprietor was in her pajamas and looked like she had gotten out of bed within the last five minutes. Two of our party ordered granola and yogurt (don't ask me why), which seemed innocent enough until we noticed a guy behind the counter making a grocery list, which we came to find out included granola. Rather than waste precious - and expensive - fishing time, we left before shopping boy had returned with the granola. Luckily there was bakery on the way to the beach for the granola people.
Our fishing trip was a great success. For starters we all caught a skip-jack, which is a small fish that was fun to catch but not good for eating. Then, following a lull of about an hour when we didn't catch anything, the mahi-mahi showed up. Bethany, Kayla, Lance and Cody all caught a mahi-mahi, each one a little bigger than the previous one, with Bethany's being the largest. I didn't get a mahi-mahi, but I did get to reel in a sail fish, which we released after a few pictures.
Unlike skip-jack, mahi-mahi are delicious. One of the deck hands cleaned each of the fish as they were caught. We ended up with what I'd estimate to be about fifty pounds of fish. We kept enough for dinner for the six of us and gave the three crew members the rest. At the beach side restaurant where we'd had dinner the night before we found out that if you brought in your own fish they would cook it for you. When we made it back to shore we dropped off our catch and then returned that evening for a feast of very fresh fish.
After our fishing expedition we rented some boogie boards and headed for the beach. We had some great fun playing in the waves, although dodging the amateur surfers was challenging and a little dangerous at times. There's really nothing like being in the path of an out of control twelve year older surfer who's yelling "get out of the way" at the top his lungs as he speeds over or past you.
Tomorrow: We head back to San Jose in anticipation of our whitewater raft trip through the mysterious depths of the rain forest. Don't miss it!
Tamarindo Beach through the palm trees.
Sushi being served about fifteen minutes after it was caught.
Me and two surfer chicks I picked up on the beach.
Me and the only sailfish we caught. I was told by the captain of our boat that this is actually a small fish, although it was the biggest thing I've ever caught!
Kayla with her mahi-mahi (also called a "dorado" in some places).
Vicki and the surfer chicks. 
Bethany, Cody and Lance with their catches of the day.Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Costa Rica - Part I
As preveiously advertised, today I start my multi-part series on our family Christmas vacation. Now, if reading about someone else's vacation is not on your list of things to do before you die then I give you permission to take this week off from reading this blog. Check-in every few days to see when I get finished with this topic. I think it will take at least three or four installments.
Okay, here we go. We left early on Christmas morning for our 9:30 flight to San Jose (the capital of Costa Rica for you non-geography buffs). Our flight was comfortable and non-eventful, although it was full and they were offering $300 travel vouchers to anyone who would volunteer to get off the plane. Unfortunately, our tranquil travel was interrupted soon after our arrival in San Jose. Apparently in Costa Rica the concept of reserving a car is something more akin to a loose potential guideline than a formal commitment. After retrieving our luggage - six large suitcases and six backpacks - we got in line at the National Car Rental counter. I soon realized that the three people in front of me in the line all had something in common. Each of them was told that the vehicles they had reserved were not available, and that the only ones that were available were those of the compact and sub-compact variety. Needless to say, this wasn't making any of my fellow turismos very happy. I held my breath as I approached the counter, foolishly hoping against hope that the nine passenger van that I had reserved would somehow be available. Of course, it wasn't. Rather than bore you with all of the sordid details I'll just skip to the point three hours later where after much wailing and gnashing of teeth we finally ended up with a Toyota Land Cruiser, which at first doesn't sound all that bad. Unfortunately, this was the "Prado" version of the Land Cruiser, which is somewhat smaller than its cousin that is marketed in the United States. After much ingenious trial and error we were able to strategically stack the suitcases on and around the rear set in such a manner as to leave a small hole for one small person to occupy. Kayla was the lucky winner for this spot. I, of course was the driver, and Vicki was manning the co-pilot's seat. This left Bethany and our two 6' 3" son's-in-law (Cody and Lance) to share the middle seat. With everyone securely packed into our Prado we set out on the three hour drive through the mountains to the small town of La Fortuna, home of the Arenal Volcano and other scenic wonders. In spite of a driving rain during the last half of the trip and multitudes of pedestrians who fearlessly walked within three inches of the side of the road for a good portion of the journey, we arrived unscathed at the Arenal Volcano Observatory Lodge just in time for dinner. The Observatory Lodge earns its moniker by nature of the fact that it is the location of the seismic equipment that monitors the activity of Arenal, which is an active volcano that more or less erupts on a continuous basis. It's last really big eruption was in 1968, when after a 400 year period of dormancy it blew up and killed 187 people. For added excitement, the lodge is located only six-tenths of a mile from the eastern slope of the volcano. There are pictures everywhere of the volcano erupting, the most impressive ones of the night time eruptions that show glowing rocks and lava cascading down the southern slope. Unfortunately for us, all we saw was a thick layer of clouds that obscured the summit of the volcano for all but about fifteen seconds of our stay. However, we did hear the almost constant rumble of the volcano, which was both impressive and a little scary.
Undaunted by our minor disappointment over not seeing any flaming boulders, we set out the next day for our first "eco-experience" - rappelling in a waterfall infested canyon. After riding a few miles on paved roads in comfortable mini-buses we were transferred to four wheel drive jeeps for a three mile trip up a mountain on something that was probably a road at one time. We then donned our harnesses, received our ten-minute training lecture, and headed for our first rappel, which was, to our surprise, the highest of the six we would complete during our excursion - 185 feet. The first one was dry. Of the five that followed, all but one were made in or very close to waterfalls. Check the pictures. It was a lot of fun. At this point I must comment that Vicki and Kayla - both of whom I had disparaged in an earlier post - both acquitted themselves in an exceptional manner. My apologies to both of them for doubting their veracity. As a matter of fact, Kayla took her first step toward ultimately wresting the title of "Adventure Twin" from her sister during the rappelling segment of the trip.
That's probably about all you can take for now. Tomorrow - or whenever I get back to this - we'll move on to Playa Tamarindo, with a full description of our fishing and beach related activities.
The official Freede Family Christmas picture for 2009. Aren't we a handsome group?
Monday, January 4, 2010
2009 Year in Review
We got back from our big Costa Rican vacation on January 2nd. We had an absolutely fantastic time, and I could write pages about our experiences. However, I think I'll do that in future installments, over several posts so as not to cause widespread sleeping sickness. Today I thought I'd take a look back at my personal highlights for the year 2009 (in chronological order).
1. Wedding of Bethany Freede and Harrison Cody Girod - This was the greatest event of the year, without question. It came in a few thousand dollars over budget, but it was worth it. Vicki did a fantastic job of putting the entire event together. River Oaks Baptist Church was transformed by all the flowers, and the Magnolia Hotel in downtown Houston was both a unique and fabulous venue. The newly-weds are rapidly approaching their one year anniversary later this week. I'm thinking of marketing Vicki as a wedding coordinator to the rich people in River Oaks. We have pictures.
2. My Release From Transocean - It's hard to believe, but it's now been almost nine months since I was cut loose by Transocean. A year of severance seemed like a long time back them, but it's now shrunk to three months. However, I can honestly say that leaving Transocean was the best think that ever happened to me. If I had been forced to stay there much longer there would most likely have been either a suicide or a murder, or - most likely - both.
3. Southwest U.S. Road Trip - Vicki and I hit the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Sedona, Carlsbad Caverns, Lubbock and Round Rock on a thirteen day excursion that we'll remember for a long time to come. One of my best memories was the Star Motel in Sedona. If you're ever in Sedona you need to stay there. Really retro. Nine units, concrete block walls, 12x14 rooms. What a place!
4. Life of Joseph Bible Class Curriculum - At the request of the FCCC education committee I put together a five-week study from the Book of Genesis on the life of Joseph. I spend the better part of a month during the summer working up a 55-page treatise that had so much information that it would have taken five months to properly present it instead of five weeks. But I really learned a lot about my boy Joseph and the rest of his family. My apologies to all of the FCCC Bible class teachers who did their best.
5. Summer Christian Youth Camps - I was fortunate to be able to participate in two of these. The first was Camp Kadish at Abilene Christian University. The second was Camp Bandina between Bandera and Medina (Vicki was also at this one). I/we got to work with some really outstanding high school seniors. It was both a fulfilling and interesting experience.
6. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat - This event occupied more blog space than any other topic during 2009, so I won't say much here, other than it was a blast to sing and dance in front of 2,400 people.
7. The Ladder Incident/Knee Surgery - Once again, let me say that I didn't fall off the ladder. The ladder fell out from under me. My knee is still sore when I exert myself (so I try not to exert myself), but it's just about better. My new past time is counting the unending stream of bills I've been receiving for the last several weeks for the surgery from multitudes of doctors, clinics, hospitals, rehab facilities, etc. My favorite so far is the $3,700 bill for an "assistant surgeon", which by the way was deemed by United Healthcare to be "unnecessary" and therefore not a covered expense. I might have to agree with UHC on this one. How many surgeons are require to make two quarter inch incisions in a knee? One for each cut? Of course I'll still appeal the "unnecessary" decision part - $3,700 isn't exactly small change.
8. The Blizzard of 2009 - On December 4th Houston received it's earliest snowfall in recorded history. Snowmen were in abundance. It was cool.
I probably forgot some really important stuff, but if I remember anything else I'll add it later.
Get ready. Tomorrow I start on Costa Rica. We have pictures (528 of them to be exact).
1. Wedding of Bethany Freede and Harrison Cody Girod - This was the greatest event of the year, without question. It came in a few thousand dollars over budget, but it was worth it. Vicki did a fantastic job of putting the entire event together. River Oaks Baptist Church was transformed by all the flowers, and the Magnolia Hotel in downtown Houston was both a unique and fabulous venue. The newly-weds are rapidly approaching their one year anniversary later this week. I'm thinking of marketing Vicki as a wedding coordinator to the rich people in River Oaks. We have pictures.
2. My Release From Transocean - It's hard to believe, but it's now been almost nine months since I was cut loose by Transocean. A year of severance seemed like a long time back them, but it's now shrunk to three months. However, I can honestly say that leaving Transocean was the best think that ever happened to me. If I had been forced to stay there much longer there would most likely have been either a suicide or a murder, or - most likely - both.
3. Southwest U.S. Road Trip - Vicki and I hit the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Sedona, Carlsbad Caverns, Lubbock and Round Rock on a thirteen day excursion that we'll remember for a long time to come. One of my best memories was the Star Motel in Sedona. If you're ever in Sedona you need to stay there. Really retro. Nine units, concrete block walls, 12x14 rooms. What a place!
4. Life of Joseph Bible Class Curriculum - At the request of the FCCC education committee I put together a five-week study from the Book of Genesis on the life of Joseph. I spend the better part of a month during the summer working up a 55-page treatise that had so much information that it would have taken five months to properly present it instead of five weeks. But I really learned a lot about my boy Joseph and the rest of his family. My apologies to all of the FCCC Bible class teachers who did their best.
5. Summer Christian Youth Camps - I was fortunate to be able to participate in two of these. The first was Camp Kadish at Abilene Christian University. The second was Camp Bandina between Bandera and Medina (Vicki was also at this one). I/we got to work with some really outstanding high school seniors. It was both a fulfilling and interesting experience.
6. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat - This event occupied more blog space than any other topic during 2009, so I won't say much here, other than it was a blast to sing and dance in front of 2,400 people.
7. The Ladder Incident/Knee Surgery - Once again, let me say that I didn't fall off the ladder. The ladder fell out from under me. My knee is still sore when I exert myself (so I try not to exert myself), but it's just about better. My new past time is counting the unending stream of bills I've been receiving for the last several weeks for the surgery from multitudes of doctors, clinics, hospitals, rehab facilities, etc. My favorite so far is the $3,700 bill for an "assistant surgeon", which by the way was deemed by United Healthcare to be "unnecessary" and therefore not a covered expense. I might have to agree with UHC on this one. How many surgeons are require to make two quarter inch incisions in a knee? One for each cut? Of course I'll still appeal the "unnecessary" decision part - $3,700 isn't exactly small change.
8. The Blizzard of 2009 - On December 4th Houston received it's earliest snowfall in recorded history. Snowmen were in abundance. It was cool.
I probably forgot some really important stuff, but if I remember anything else I'll add it later.
Get ready. Tomorrow I start on Costa Rica. We have pictures (528 of them to be exact).
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