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!
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