Tales from a New England Transplant

Rose Parade & Pasadena Wrap Up

2010-01-04T03:32:00.000-05:00

Well it's been a few days...

The Parade was AMAZING. We arrived on-site at about 5:00 am to some pretty chilly weather. We froze to the bone until the sun came up. The float was already parked on the street and awaiting our arrival. The students milled around a bit to keep each other warm. Not soon after the sun came up a tournament official greeted us and told us that we had won the Craftsman Trophy for Outstanding showmanship and dramatic impact over 55 feet in length. The students went nuts...and rightfully so...they put an a great show during the judging.

At about 8:00 am we started moving. I can't even begin to describe the feeling I felt as our float entered the first stretch of road and we saw the grandstands and media cameras. Unbelievable.

The students did a wonderful job of building enthusiasm and maintained it for the duration of the parade. The National Officers were jamming on the float to the point where it was bouncing. It was so cool to see it in action. As one of my colleagues said "I've definitely had worse Friday mornings". Although I will say, 5+ miles in dress shoes was rough. The gel insoles did nothing and I really respect the girls who bravely (albeit foolishly and unnecessarily) decided to walk in heels. I'll work on finding video of the parade and will post it.

After the parade ended, we headed to the football game. I've never seen so many people packed into a sports arena in my life. While the game was a cool experience, I think most of us would have been just as happy at the hotel in our beds. We were beat!

After the game we headed back to the hotel. We all looked like zombies during dinner. It was a late night for me as I had to pack up all of our stuff. I rolled out the next morning to LAX with seven students for San Francisco. We arrived in SFO about noon. I spent a few hours in my room until Cindy and Brian got into town. We grabbed a late lunch and then headed to downtown San Francisco to take in the sights. We went shopping on Powell Street and rode a cable car to the Pier.

Those cable car drivers have nerves of steel. That would be a job that I could NEVER do. Firstly those cars pick up some speed on the hills of San Francisco and the drivers have to use every muscle in their body to stop an eight-ton cable car that is gaining speed and momentum as it travels down hill. Secondly, these cars travel on the same streets as regular cars, so they have to deal with obnoxious motorists darting in and out of their path. Props to them! Still riding the car was pretty cool. It was neat to look down the hills and see the whole city, the bay bridge and Alcatraz Island.

We walked around the Pier for bit in search of the famous sea lions who came to the Pier in 1989 after the earthquake. Nearly 1,500 sea lions have been at the pier for the last twenty years but recently they suddenly disappeared. We later learned that they migrated up to the coast of Oregon as their food source moved. It was a little disappointing but we could see a few out on one of the docks.

We spent some time walking around and seeing some street performers before heading back to the hotel. Today was mostly sleeping in and working on orientation. The students are all here and are ready to get things kicked off. As for me, I'm still tired and sore. My feet are still killing me...to the point where shoes hurt. I'm mentally drained. I need to find a reserve of energy though because I don't want to ruin this experience.

Well, I really need to finish a few things before bed. We kick off at 8:00am so there's plenty to be done.

Rose Parade - Day 2

2010-01-01T01:19:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year! Sort of... (It's currently only 10:19 PM in California).

Today we spent most of the day on the parade grounds for the line up and judging of the floats. Despite a few logistical snafus (imagine serving 70 students subway out of a mini-van), today was awesome. The students did SUCH an amazing job. They choreographed a cool little routine to wow the judges as our float was being scored and our convention theme song blared over the speakers. We even got into a little dance off between some of our students and the Boy Scouts of America whose float was next to ours. No worries though, the students got to hang out with the scouts and talk. The scouts were so cool...they even brought two cases of juice over to our float. We even clapped for each other as our floats were judged. What an awesome display of camaraderie!

After getting back to the hotel, the National Officers through a great New Year's Eve party for the students. We had hats, noisemakers, party horns, balloons, streamers, banners...the whole bit. Alex's grandma even made "puppy chow" (variation of chex mix) for us and bagged up sixty five bags of it and mailed it from Michigan for the students. We celebrated New Year's on East Coast time and counted down to 9:00 PM local time. Such a fun time...Levy and Chase had music playlists and the whole bit. It was so fun!

Now it's off to bed. We have breakfast at 3:30 AM so that we can on the parade grounds by 5:00 AM. Watch for us on NBC, Travel Channel, HGTV, and of course RFD-TV.

Make sure that you vote for our float too as the viewer's choice. Visit http://bit.ly/7xHAam on New Year's Day and cast your vote between 1:00 - 8:00 PM EST (10:00 AM - 5:00 PM PST) for the RFD-TV/ FFA TODAY float.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2010!

Rose Parade - Day 1

2009-12-31T02:24:00.000-05:00

Phew! What a day!

We spent most of the day just making sure that all 60 students arrived in Los Angeles without a hitch. In the end, three missed our buses. Thanks to to our handy rental van which I've dubbed "White Lightening" (everyone else on staff calls it "Ho No!" because "hono" is part of the license plate number), we got them squared away. Two of them are missing luggage but hopefully it is en route.

We headed to the pavilion to check out the float. The students loved it! I'd post some photos of the decorating but to be honest, I didn't take any. Here's a video though that will give you some insight into how this thing is constructed. We also had a chance to hang out and enjoy some "In-n-Out Burger" for dinner (easily the best burger I've ever tasted!).

The best part of my day though was the kickoff meeting. When I walked in the room the students all clapped and were cheering my name. It was probably the most satisfying gesture that I could have received for what has been MONTHS of work on a very nerve-wracking project. I can't even describe it.

Tomorrow is "Media Day" and float judging/rehearsal. I've got to get to bed because 6:00 a.m. will be here before I know it!

Whirlwind Adventures

2009-12-28T22:19:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow I leave for what will probably be the busiest month of my life...well, ever.

I leave at 5:50am for Los Angeles/Pasadena to coordinate a float in the Tournament of Roses Parade. From there, I travel with seven students up to San Francisco where we meet up with thirty-nine other state officers and some FFA staff and board members to spend ten days in China. We'll visit farms, agribusinesses, colleges and cultural sites as we take in all that the People's Republic of China has to offer. Then it's back to Rhode Island to recover before headed back to the land of hoosiers.

Stay tuned as I post some thoughts, reactions, pictures and reflections from the next month of my life!

Balance and Coincidence - or lack thereof

2009-09-17T22:40:00.005-04:00

As I grow older, I become less and less of a believer in coincidence. More and more I find myself believing that what some might pass off as a coincidence is really something greater. Calling it "a sign" seems so cliche but there's really no other way to describe it.

Recently, I've found myself looking for one thing in life: BALANCE!

Now, when I say balance, I'm talking about a feeling. I want to feel that my life is "in tune"...that it's "just right". I've got a job that fulfills me. I'm working on my education to further my career. I've got friends here in Indy who are my family when I'm away from home. Still, I feel like I'm missing something. I feel incomplete.

Let me put it all out there. What I'm missing is spirituality. I look around me and see people who are deeply rooted in their convictions and beliefs and I realize that they have a special relationship that I don't have. This relationship isn't a romantic one but one that is spiritual and sometimes even emotional. These people surround me and they seem fulfilled. They have balance.

This summer, I opened up to a friend of mine. Ever since I've known this person, I've felt comfortable seeking his advice. Since he's one of the most spiritual people in my life, I decided to seek out his advice on developing a relationship with God. We talked about what I was looking for and why I wanted to find it. After several weeks of reflecting on that conversation, we checked in again. This time, I knew I had to open up. I had to do more than just listen to his thoughts...I had to share my own. Scary stuff! I explained how religion hadn't been part of my upbringing and that I didn't have a close relationship with God. I told him how I felt distant from others because I didn't have that inner faith like they did. He challenged me and made me think critically. He shared with me a verse:

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world (James 1:27).

Later that night, I logged on to a friends blog and began reading. Here's what she wrote:

"The fact of the matter is Jesus Christ lived a life - and died a death - that was about everyone but himself. And so I believe that serving others is one of the best ways that we can be made more like Him. He commanded us to serve. And so I think when we serve others in obedience to Him, we are changed through that experience, and our wickedness is slowly melted and replaced by the same love He has for us."

She was writing that at the exact same time that he was sharing that verse. I have to believe that these two events happened for a reason.

Tonight I was reading another blog, one on leadership. Yet the author chose to post a blog called "Losing My Religion." ((Guess where this is going...)). In the article, he posted a quote from his mentor:

"You cannot be disillusioned about anything unless you are first illusioned."

As I think to the relationship with my own spiritual mentor, I find myself blessed for the conversations that we've had and excited for the ones that are to come. After reading the leadership blog, I pulled up another friend's blog. This friend has been chronically his own spiritual growth. He shared another piece of scripture that resonated with me...

"As iron sharpens iron, so one friend sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17)

Am I really to believe that these are not all related for specific reason and purpose? It's pretty brazen to write these all off as coincidence. Sometimes I can be downright cynical, but I have to believe that this is more than just coincidence. My friend ended his blog talking about the person who has invested themselves into his spiritual growth and the following challenge:

I encourage you to seek out a trainer. Seek out someone who will push you to learn more, do more, serve more, love more. Surround yourself with people who will push you towards God, not pull you away from him. Happy training!

I'm ready for my training.

Moving at the Speed of LIFE

2009-08-03T19:44:00.002-04:00

Time is flying! I can hardly believe that summer is almost over. Today a co-worker who has been working out of town the whole summer asked me "What did you do this summer?". I him'd and haw'd for a few seconds before saying "Nothing."

Really it's true, I haven't done much this summer! Sure, I went to Washington, D.C. for the Fourth of July but other than that everything else was work-related. No concerts, no weekend day-trips, nothing notable. I'm not complaining...I just am regretting not taking greater advantage of the opportunities around me.

I've decided to come up with my own little "To-Do List" full of things that I want to try or do in the next year. Here's a sample:

Day Trip to Chicago (Two Hours Away)
Check out some of the Museums in Downtown Indy
Attend one of the outdoor concerts at Connor Prairie or Verizon Wireless Music Center
Spend a weekend touring Nashville, TN (Five Hours Away)
Get tickets to some Pacers games
Go on a Central Indiana Wine Tour

Life is moving fast right now. Summer is almost over and National Convention is in sight! I'm starting grad school classes in just a few weeks and before I know it the Holidays will be here...along with my January travels (Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena immediately followed by ten days on ILSSO in China - more on these later!). That being said, I need to make the most out of my work-life balance by taking better advantage of what's around me.

Nearly Five Months Later...

2009-06-20T23:04:00.001-04:00

Sorry! Once again, I've pretty much forgotten about this blog. Admittedly, I don't think anyone really reads it though. Hmmm.

"I will..." Power

2009-02-04T21:22:00.003-05:00

There are a few things that I feel I need to be more proactive about. I've titled this entry "I will...' Power" because I'm professing that "I will" do these things because I have the power to do so.

I will become more assertive about organizing my life.
I will make an conscious effort to call my friends and family versus using more convenient methods of communication like texting, IM, and Facebook.
I will be the person my friends can count on to lend an ear and provide honest support.
I will make a sincere effort to invest in people around me.
I will give unexpectedly.

I've been fortunate, no, BLESSED (it's because of a higher power and not luck) to have good people surrounding me and I need to give the most of myself to them.

I'm Back

2009-02-04T00:00:00.002-05:00

It's been quite a while since I've posted on here. The last six months have been eventful...

I've been out in Indianapolis for over a year now. I still find it hard to believe that I live so far from "home". I'll talk to friends from Rhode Island or New York and think Wait, I'm in Indiana! How weird is that! While I enjoy living here, I'm beginning to realize that I miss the Northeast more than I thought I would. Everytime I go back home, I'm usually worn-out by then end of it and look forward to getting back to Indy. Still, I miss the option of going home for a weekend.

Since my last post I moved out of the house that I was renting (the owners sold it) and into an apartment. It is pretty small...especially in comparison to the house but I enjoy it because it's my own space. I can furnish it how I want and I don't have to worry about real estate agents bringing clients through for showings. Maybe I'll post some pictures up here once I get this place cleaned up. Right now it's a bit of a mess...

It's hard to believe that I've been in my job for over a year now. Our programs are very cyclical so I've now completed a full cycle of my job. That being said, I expected it to get easier but I've found myself becoming complacent. I feel like I'm not attacking things with the same level of detail as I used to. Tina, my direct supervisor, says that this is because my learning curve has dissipated and I've become more comfortable with the position and the programs. I really hope that is the case! A part of me feels like I'm not giving it the effort it deserves though. I think my issue is that I need a program to re-energize me. I've noticed that I get in these "slumps" every few months but once a program starts and I'm "in the moment" then I'm in the zone. The next one is March so I need to find a way to get fired up before then or else it's going to be a mess!

I'm also working on grad school which is a blessing and a curse. I'm not really a fan of the current program I'm in or the delivery method of the courses (online). I'm planning on transferring to a school here in central Indiana for the fall to major in Adult and Community Education. I really feel like this is the right step. Ag Education is so specialized and because I have no desire to go into the classroom, I feel as though I have no career options outside of "FFA World". I think this new major will not only have great applications to my current career, but it would give me a variety of avenues outside of FFA. I really am excited about the changes! One of the courses I'm taking now, while in the Ag Ed program, is an evaluation and assessment course and I think it is helping to reaffirm that the new area is a great fit.

Well this is becoming a short novel but I suppose that's what happens when you try to summarize six months of your life. More to come!

Am I wanted by the Government?

2008-05-21T18:54:00.003-04:00

Allow me to re-enact a phone conversation from work today...

[Caller ID displays random number with no city listed]

Me: "National FFA, this is Shane"

Caller: "Shane, this Officer Collins with the U.S. Capitol Police"

Me: "I'm...sorry?"

Caller: "This Officer Collins with the U.S. Capitol Police"

Me: "Hi? How can I help you?"

Caller: "Do you have any idea what this call is in regards to?"

Me: "I'm hoping its in regards to a permit I sent in for an event being held on the Capitol lawn..."

Caller: "Is there another reason why we should be calling you"

Me: "No."

Caller: "I'm sorry, did I have you worried?"

Me: "Honestly? Yes!"

Caller: "That has the tendency to happen."

WTF.

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

2008-05-19T21:51:00.004-04:00

Two of my friends from college are National PAS Officers. PAS falls under the FFA umbrella and the organization is managed by our Collegiate Services team. They were at the FFA center today for the beginning of their officer training. I had the chance to sneak down to the meeting room they were in and poke my head in. They were eating lunch and listening to some of our staff speak. When they saw me they jumped out of their chairs and raced out of the room. They ran over and gave me a hug. It was so awesome to see them! I've been without my friends from college and home for almost six months now and it's getting harder and harder to deal with.

We must have stood and talked for ten minutes but it felt like thirty seconds. I let them get back to their training and almost had a breakdown on my way to the lunchroom. I would have given anything to spend some more time with them. I feel like there's so much I could have caught up on. Sometimes I wonder how I ever thought that this would be easy.

The Great iPod Screw-up! Part Deux

2008-05-17T15:58:00.002-04:00

A manager from the local Best Buy store never called me back. Furious, I called my mom and asked her to mail me the iPod when she had some time to stop by the Post Office. She did and it finally arrived today. The new refurbished iPod seems to work just fine and the outside of it looks like new except for the missing serial number and Apple icon on the back. This makes me wonder if it is a knock-off or something...

Also accompanying the iPod is a small green card offering for me to take a survey regarding my iPod Replacement Experience. GLADLY!

The Great iPod Screw-up!

2008-05-14T20:20:00.003-04:00

So my previous post detailed my state of mourning over the loss of my iPod. Here's how the in-store experience happened...(cue dream sequence soundtrack)

Geek Squad Rep: "Is your home address still 8 Julie Court...blah blah blah?"

Me: "No, it's changed. My new address is 6722 Sun..."

GSR: "Okay, we'll go ahead and send that out for service!"

Me: "Just to be sure, it's going to ship to that new address right?"

GSR:"No it will actually be shipped back to us here in the store. We'll give you a call when it's ready and you can come in and pick it up."

FAST FORWARD FIVE DAYS

I got a phone call from my sister that I got a package. I asked her to open it and she said it was an iPod. I thought, hmmm...I'll just call Best Buy and have them send UPS to pick it up.

First I called the store. They remarked on how unusual that was (thanks guys). They directed me to BB customer relations where I talked to "Channing". He proceeded to ask me why my parents won't ship it back. I informed him that it wasn't their responsibility to pay for it. He told me to call UPS and get a quote. I ship conference supplies all the time. Without the weight of the package, they can't give me a quote. He told me "I don't know what I can do to make you happy". I told him that he may need to re-think his career choice. I then asked to be transfered to someone with the Geek Squad.

A Geek Squad "Agent" named "LaQwanna" told me that I should speak to someone in customer service. She transferred me to "Isaiah". Isaiah happens to work in the cubicle next to Channing. Go figure. He told me that "Channing already suggested you call UPS sir". Thank you Isaiah. Before hanging up Isaiah told me to call the local store (IS ANYONE ELSE NOTICING THE CIRCLE FORMING HERE?). I asked him to give me the number of a service manager. He asked "from the store or the service center?". Heatedly, I said "Assuming this was sent out for repair, the service center". I then called the Dallas Service Center which was closed at 8:30pm.

I then figured my last ditch effort is to talk to the store manager. When I called the store, the guy answering said the managers were currently busy and wanted to take a message. After hearing more than he wanted to, he took down my phone number and name and promised a manager would call me back.

Now, we wait...

Click of Death

2008-05-10T12:03:00.007-04:00

My iPod died recently. I've diagnosed it having, what google refers to as, "the click of death". In a nut shell, the hard drive died. After surfing the web to find some options, I learned that many iPod owners have had luck in reviving their iPod by whacking or dropping it. I was not so lucky. My iPod has truly gone to a better place. The large Apple Store in the sky. To affirm that it is in fact dead, every time I attempt to turn it on I see the following image accompanying the clicking sound:
The good news is that I purchased it from Best Buy two years ago with a service plan that covers it through March of 2009. With any luck, they will replace my iPod with a current model. If not, I'll need to wait until my next pay check to buy a new one. Either way, I'm in need of replacing it because I'm traveling at least three time between now and the end of July and without the ability to listen to music on the plane, I might go insane.

I would be remiss to note that when I purchased in two years ago, I paid $300 for 30 GB of storage space. At the time, that was the second largest iPod available. The largest was 60 GB and cost about $400. The most comparable model that I can get today is 80 GB for $240. That's right folks, I could pay $60 less for nearly three times the storage capacity. You really have to admire the evolution of technology.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE: (May 10, 2008. 7:30pm) After bringing my iPod to Best Buy and consulting "The Geek Squad", I was offered two options:

Send my iPod out to be repaired.
Receive a new refurbished iPod.

I asked which would get me a working iPod the fastest and I was told that it would take two weeks to get a refurbished one while it would take "much longer" to have mine repaired. The way I look at it, the hard drive is shot. Essentially it would come back refurbished anyways except for the outside case. Feeling no emotional attachment to the outside shell of my current iPod, I opted for option two. These next fourteen days are going to be very quiet...

Margaritaville

2008-05-05T22:18:00.004-04:00

¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

Tonight was spent enjoying the company of friends who have quickly become my Indianapolis family. We ate a Mexican dinner and drank margaritas after work tonight. The food was nothing amazing but the company was definitely nothing short of a good time. It's been a while since I've posted last and while this post isn't very fulfilling, it will have to do. I'll post again when I find a topic worthy of a good rant.

After Hours

2008-04-23T22:02:00.002-04:00

I have a new official favorite thing: Having dinner and drinks with co-workers on an outdoor patio.

Tonight I went to Rock Bottom with some fellow life-changers. We had a few drinks and several hours of laughing over dinner as we sat out on the patio. It was just a fun evening that was well-spent enjoying the nice weather.

Tradition? I hope so!

Continuing Education

2008-04-21T18:14:00.002-04:00

I'm old. At least that's what I've decided. I get up, I go to work, I come home, I make dinner, I go to bed at 10:30 where I read a book on business management. Don't get me wrong, I love my job and my new life here but I need more.

I'm considering grad school. I've been soliciting opinions for a few weeks now. I've decided that I need to grow more professionally in order to get where I want to be. I like what I do now but I need programs where I can travel and expand my horizons. I need a little more creative license than what I have. Is it wrong that I think this when five months ago I was labeling this my dream job? I love my programs but I want more from them. I still love the organization but I want to experience what other people within it do.

Am I being too impatient? While you mull it over I'll be researching grad schools...

Shook Me All Night Long

2008-04-18T21:30:00.002-04:00

So I have officially been in an Earthquake. As you may have heard, the Midwest experienced an earthquake this morning. It measured 5.2 on the Richter scale and happened at about 5:37am.

I woke up to a painting hanging above my bed rattling against the wall and everything in the room vibrating (including the bed). I remember thinking that it might have been an earthquake but as soon as I thought about it, it stopped and things were normal. I went back to sleep. I chalked it up to being a dream.

When I got to work, I asked co-workers if there had been an Earthquake and they laughed because it had been all over TV and the radio. We joked about it and I went on with my day. Around 11:00 I was in our warehouse packing and shipping conference supplies with a colleague. We went upstairs and someone asked if we felt the tremor. Assuming that they were still picking on me for asking about it this morning, I told them that it was a "funny joke". Several other people confirmed that there had been an after-shock which shook their office walls and was very much felt. Oddly enough, in our first floor warehouse, we had felt nothing.

It took me a while to get over the tornadoes. Now I'm contending with earthquakes. Indianapolis is on a major fault line and it's said that because the earth here is older than in California, we are more likely to have a major earthquake that far surpasses anything on the west coast.

HR needs to include this information in a potential employee's job offer.

Yes, I'm watching Oprah

2008-04-16T21:55:00.003-04:00

So now that the title got your attention, I'll say it...I'm not watching Oprah but I am subscribing to her podcasts. Before you pass judgment on me and my masculinity, consider the following...

In the last two years, I've become obsessed with the Strengths Movement and Strengths based education. If you're not familiar, the basic premise is that each of us are made up of unique talents and traits. If we take time to affirm our talents and apply them to our academics, careers and personal lives, they will develop into strengths. The key is not to focus on your weaknesses but to rather build on your strengths and let the rest follow suit.

Doesn't that make perfect sense? Who wants to focus on what they're not good at? At what causes them not to succeed? IT'S DEPRESSING! Why not focus on what you are good at and let that build your confidence and define your abilities? All too often in education, kids are made aware of the areas to which they are failing to meet the standard. Think of the impact this really has on a student. Imagine being able to empower that student to use their strong points to their advantage. As the student realizes his or her own potential, he or she will embrace the idea of improving their areas of lesser-strength.

So what does this have to do with Oprah and why am I adding her to my iPod? I'm not. She is sponsoring an eight session web seminar delivered by Marcus Buckingham. Buckingham is the co-author of several books on the Strengths Movement (First Break All the Rules, Now Discover Your Strengths, and Go Put Your Strengths to Work). The seminar is completely free and is to be completed at your own pace. The sessions can be downloaded as podcasts to your iTunes for free and worksheets and a syllabus can be found online.

If you're interested in learning more about the Strengths Movement, I'd highly suggest any of Buckingham's books. Also pick up StrengthsFinder 2.0 and take the StrengthsFinder Assessment. The assessment (to be completed online using the provided access code) will recognize 34 different themes of talent and identify your top five. You will also receive access to a personalized report that will describe in detail why those five areas are your top themes of talent. You'll be surprised at how what this report will say about you. It's accuracy is almost frightening. SF 2.0 will also help you develop these five areas into strengths by applying them to academics, your career and even your personal life.

Think your strong? Prove it.

Supporting the Dentists of Greater Indianapolis

2008-04-15T20:23:00.004-04:00

So I spent most of my morning at the dentist. I was in the chair for over 90 minutes and somehow managed to walk out of the office without ever getting my teeth cleaned. How exactly? I'm not sure but that is a post for another time...

However, before walking out the door, the receptionist spins around in her chair and asks "So are you guys keeping your convention in Indy?" Puzzled by the randomness of her question, I truthfully reply, "A decision hasn't been made yet but it will be either here or Louisville." She then elaborates by informing me that "it would be great if you would."

Immediately, two thoughts come to mind:

We're contracted to keep the National FFA Convention here until 2012. Even if we decided to move it to Louisville, there's time to come to terms with that disappointment.
While the convention stimulates the economy of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Area by generating $40 million each year, I'm pretty sure the dental industry sees none of that.

With all due respect: I'm willing to stimulate the economy of your office by $50 if you clean my teeth.

Thanks.

Dear Uncle Sam,

2008-04-14T18:50:00.002-04:00

We regret to inform you that your check made payable to SJ on April 3, 2008 for INCOME TAX REFUND has been returned to you for insufficient funds. Additionally, you have been assessed a service charge of $40.00. This is in addition to any fees that may be charged by your financial institution.

What? That's how it's worked for me the time I've bounced a check!

Shaken, not stirred, by laughter

2008-04-13T17:59:00.002-04:00

I love it.

iMemories

2008-04-11T22:00:00.003-04:00

I've become rather obsessed lately with making random playlists in iTunes. I've found that most of these lists are the soundtracks to special memories in my life. There's the Summer '07 list with a collection of songs from my time on WLC staff last summer. I've got the Mallard Mix which is a collaboration of songs from my college party days. Tonight I made Cobleskill Country Night from a bunch of country songs that were part of my Wednesday night routine while a freshman at Coby.

It's interesting how music can trigger memories and emotions. I think back to sixth grade and the first CD that I ever owned (Space Jam Soundtrack) and to songs that I used to listen to while driving around in my first car ("In the End" by Linkin Park). I remember songs that I used as a State FFA Officer ("Your Life is Now" by John Mellencamp in my Retiring Address) and tunes that I'd hear drunk college kids cover in the worst karaoke attempts ever.

I could keep rambling on and on but I'll let Stevie Wonder wrap up my thoughts..."Music is a world within itself , with a language we all understand."

Grounded

2008-04-08T21:32:00.003-04:00

I came home tonight and checked my YAHOO! e-mail only to see the headline...

AMERICAN AIRLINES CANCELS 500 FLIGHTS

You can imagine my happiness when three of my BLAST Off conference trainers are scheduled to fly to their conference locations tomorrow. As my luck would have it, two of them are on American Airlines.

As I type this, one of them is on the phone with our travel agency's emergency line so that he can get from Washington, DC to Reno, NV.

Score.

Blogging v2.0

2008-04-06T20:47:00.000-04:00

I used to have a blog. No, really, I did. Throughout high school and most of college I had a xanga page. I stopped using it because I found it became a slip-shod way of keeping in touch with friends. People decided that if they read my blog and left a canned comment it would suffice in maintaining a friendship. I learned that those are the people who I don't want or need as friends.

With a new life being created here in Indianapolis, I'm 900 miles from the friends I've made over the last 23 years. If there was ever a time in my life to capture thoughts, this is it. So here we go. Round two.

Let's see where this takes us...