The Weekend Visit and Weekly Work

The Past History........
1897 - Thomas Edison patents the first movie camera.
1920 - The first new program is broadcast from Detroit Michigan.
1997 - Princess Diana is tragically killed in Paris.

Buddy Hackett (1924), Richard Gere (1949), Debbie Gibson (1970), and Chris Tucker (1972) are the birthday people!


Let me be the first to say good-bye to August and hello to September as it's just an hour away.

The weekend was ok. My parents came and went. I was nice for them to come down. They usually come down sometime around the beginning of the school year. It different now that my Dad has retired. I guess more so since I am out of school and most probably for good (no aspirations to get a doctorate degree).

I was working on the computer this weekend. On Sunday, it was brought to my attention that I had a virus. I checked with three antivirus and nothing, but I did it anyway. I'm assuming that there might have been something or it was a glitch between software, but regardless I fixed it. Now my mouse every now and then has a mind of it's own when it comes to highlighting and doubleclicking on a single click. Oh well, I'll get it figured out somehow. I want to kill it every now and then, just as everybody else when a computer doesn't do what one wants to do.

This week is pretty quiet. Doing house cleaning and laundry. Did take my wife's car in for warranty recall work, nothing big. Lawn work and car washing probably remaining as well. Now, next week is the zinger. It will be busy. It's another chance for a job opportunity, a chance to interview. I did get a copy of the Comprehensive Plan and Economic Development Plan from the work I did this past year and I can show that. I figure I'll start working on that in about two days, including my wardrobe selections. I'll tell ya about the plans later. I'm still going through them. Seeing what the final editors have changed.

Laters,

Will this rollercoaster never end? YEP! Whooop!!

Let's see what happened on todays date........
1939 - The first flight of a jet airplane.
2003 - Mars made it's closest pass of Earth

Confucius (550B.C.), Lyndon B. Johnson (1908), Mother Teresa (1910), and Pee Wee Herman (1952) have birthdays today.

Paul Hamm was asked to give up the gold.
Why can't they all sides meet and discuss this over a video tape?

The rollercoaster ride hadn't ended on Monday! My job opportunity was to return the call on Tuesday. Tuesday came and went. Wednesday came and went. By Wednesday night I began to worry. Thursday afternoon I called. Only got a voicemail. However, EUREKA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This morning, the call came. I will have an interview in a few weeks. Just as understood, they were just totally swamped. My mind was put at ease. It was kinda stressful week with all the stuff going on. My parents are here now and the call was received. I WILL sleep better tonight. Just as before I'm continuing my vigilance on looking for more job opportunities, but God willing he will place me soon. Which makes me think of another philosophy of mine.

Urban's Philosophy: "If you wanna make God laugh, tell him YOUR plans!"

That made me think about all those billboards with God quotes.

My parents came in town yesterday and just hung around today. Just doing little things here and there. We took my wife to lunch and then went to Sam's for supplies and gas. My parents like it here where I live as well. There's just some things that you can get in smaller towns than the big cities for smaller prices. So far in the appoximate decade that I have resided in this town I found two things that are NOT cheaper in the big city: CARS & GARAGE DOORS!!!!!!!!!!

I had better go. This week really took it out of me with cleaning and stressing over job opportunities. I'm going to try and get my sleep cycles back into order. It might work. Maybe.

Laters,

Rollercoasters

History Today........
1617 - The first One-way street was established in London.
1821 - Mexico gains its independence from Spain.
1839 - United Kingdom captured Hong Kong.
1889 - The first wireless message was sent from a ship to shore on this date.
1966 - Lunar Orbiter One takes first picture of Earth from its orbit around the Moon.

Birthday's Today........
Barbara Eden (1934), Shelley Long (1949), Jordan's Queen Noor (1951), and Kobe Bryant (1978)

The past few days has been an emotional rollercoaster. This weekend was pretty just 'there' in the scheme of things. I was kinda bummed out about the missed job opportunities. Although, I did hear from another job opportunity. I haven't yet taken time to redo my resume or anything like that. So I should hear tomorrow about when I will meet with them. This time they gave me the option (telephone, or in-person?) hmmmmmmmmmm. Decisions Decisions. I also got a CD I had ordered of an extrordinary composer and pianist.

Last night was weird though. I was working on stuff and just worked through the night and morning. My wife had to get up early so imagine her suprise when she realized I hadn't slept. I took a nap, but made sure not to sleep too long. Hopefully, this will cure my month long(er) bout of going to bed late. I may have stemmed from my job search. I don't know, but I think it might be time to put it to bed, sorta speak.

Tomorrow starts the major work on the house. To begin the build up to the parental units coming. Tiger has come and claimed his new domain (the desk) again. He's looking at me while meowing. Geez this cat talks alot. If I could only imagine what he were saying. The other one had eyed me all day because I didn't come to sleep.

I had time to think this weekend to think about things. I wish by now I had some more actual planning stuff that affects the everyday person. It's coming, just waiting for the right way to start or angle I want to interest my viewers. This blog is still building. Can't you tell I've added 'Links'. It took a while to refrest myself with HTML, but I did it, abeit at 2 A.M.

Hopefully, no longer at that hour. So we'll see how it goes and pray about it.

Laters,

Saturday's Catching Up

History Today........(for August 21st, 2004)
1841 - The venetian blind was patented.
1959 - Hawaii was admitted as the 50th state.

Birthdays....Wilt Chamberlain (1936), Kenny Rogers (1938), Kim Cattrall (1956)

It's been a while since I've last posted. It's late already as it is so this may have to be somewhat short since there's church tomorrow.

This week most of my time was spend watching the Olympics and doing the daily day to day things. I did find out my parents are coming to visit next week and I'm looking forward to that. It also means that tomorrow, or rather that, later today (Sunday), will be a day to get the laundry, groceries, and church along with the To-Do lists for this week to prepare.

Yesterday was pretty bad. I got a double whammy.

For the first whammy. I first heard from my job opportunity that they had already chosen another candidate. It lead me to believe that there was first a telephone then in-person interviews for all finalists. It sounded as if they already had the in-person interview, meaning that they had interviewed one of the finalist, the one they picked. Regardless, all of the finalist, including me were well 'qualified' for the position. I feel good for that. I gave it a try and am revising certain things to come at job opportunities more directly and God just meant for me not to work there.

For the second whammy. I received an e-mail not more than 10 minutes after hearing from my first job opportunity loss I heard from another job opportunity's human resource department that another position I had applied for over a month ahead that the position had been filled. I was surprisingly not so upset about the position being filled, since no news over time leans towards that outcome (although I've heard that most cities take up to 6 weeks to call for an interview), but was moreover that it took OVER A WEEK for them to reply to my e-mail.
Here I am, a recent graduate with a form of professional etiquette and ethics dictated to us about how it happens "in the real world" and then to have it thrown back in our faces. I can sympathize that they are busy and somewhat 'overloaded'. Again, here I am taking the time to apply and write formal letters to apply and I cannot even get a dignified response to simply say "your application was recieved."Essentially they are saying, "DON'T CALL US, WE'LL CALL YOU!!!!" I guess it's just a sellers market for now. It'll be interesting when it becomes a buyer's market when planners like myself are in need in about 10 years.

I hate to say this, but it makes me want to make a list of the cities that basically don't want to bother with people like me. Then, it wants to make me try harder and become an exceptional professional planner. Never the less, I will remember it. No, not negatively, at least trying not to, but to take this and improve myself to even better heights and thus basically 'learning a lesson from what's happened!" Eventually I believe that what comes around goes around.

That's enough for now. P.S. Note to self - I may need to add more links in my discussion.

Laters,

Simpleton Tuesday

History for Today........
1969 - Hurricane Camille hits Mississippi.

Robert DeNiro (1943), Belinda Carlisle (1958), and Sean Penn (1960) have their birthdays today!

Google may have false started?

Nothing new really happened today. Makes me think of those fake historical markers. "In 1886: Nothing happened here!" Did a few errands: mailed an application, went to the store. More or less a "simpleton" day where I didn't think too much about anything. I just went through the day. Now that I think about it. I don't like that. I didn't do anything!!!! I'm suppose to do those only on the weekends! Tomorrow WILL be different! I at least did have some ideas about next week, possibly travel, but I may reveal that information later, or maybe not! We'll see.

Laters,

The Monday Monotony

In History........
1954 - The first issue of Sports Illustrated is published.

Today birthdays are: Fess Parker (1925), Frank Gifford (1930), James Cameron (1954), Modonna (1958), Timothy Hutton (1960)

Google could start trading on the Nasdaq as 'GOOG' as early as Wednesday.

Monday's are just Monday's to me lately. They're not the dreaded day in which one must go to bed early again to start yet another work week. I'm on my third month from graduating and still no job, but there's job opportunities. Heard from my job opportunity and things are going slow. Regardless I'm still applying elsewhere until I snag the coveted position. I'll get a job when the good Lord says it's time to.

I spend most of Sunday night with my wife catching up with family over the telephone. I've realized the importance of trying to talk to family when I was working between my college careers. Although I actually enjoy it. We spoke with my grandparent-in-laws whom we are going to help move later this year. They're actually excited about moving now. We're excited too. We haven't seen them since our wedding and I'm looking forward to my wife living significantly closer to her grandparents, like I did, than she did growing up.

I think this week may be a starting for a Late Summer Clean Week. I may just start in a section of the house and clean really really good. I've pretty much started in my office, but I mean really put things away and scrub. No particular reason, but just get the house in tip top shape and cob webs out of the corners.

I still haven't REALLY started making a dent into my reading list, but I'm making headway. I'm making my TO-DO list for this week. Mainly I'm going to catch up on some stuff I need to check in on like the Comprehenive Plan I worked on a team with at the end of my master's degree. And check up on that 120 GB harddrive I got that the store had to order. I can also get things organized and off the computer and/or update my blog and website. Things I've been meaning to do for ages, and now finally get them off the list.

Should be a busy week. Tune in......same time, same channel.

Laters,

Working and Waiting...

This day in History!

1851 - Isaac Singer receives patent for the sewing machine.
1898 - Hawaiian sovereignty is transferred to the United States.
1908 - The first Ford Model T is built.

Buck Owens (1929), George Hamilton (1939) and Pete Sampras (1971) share a birthday.

I'm blogging later than usual today. Today was a beautiful day. Well at least for Texas. The high was only 86 degrees with low humidity. Low enough that the air was turned off, a fan was put in a window and I let the air circulate.

I normally work later at night during the summer since it's cooler. I'm sitting next to my desk with a To-Do list of things on it. Although right now one of my cats, Tiger, a ringed tabby, has confiscated my workspace. This summer, of all, he found a place that suits him. On my desk, usually when my desk light is on. My other cat, Molly, is curled up behind me on my futon blissfully sleeping. Well, at least until I leave my office.

I've been pretty productive the past few days. Although, I know the whole time I've had a job opportunity return call in my mind. I'm suppose to hear this week if I can continue onto an 'in-person' meeting. BTW........

I just found out today that another colleague has found a planning job in Texas. She is very deserving of this opportunity and I wish her the very best. I will miss her, but that kinda comes with the territory with graduation.

That's the nice thing about planning, much less Texas planning that there are plenty of opportunities for us to bump into each other over the years.

So never the less, I'm working and getting things done while waiting, but at least I'm not hurrying up to wait.

My wife and I made some major decisions. Not really earth changing. We just simply were able to make some decisions to solidify some near and far future events that have been up in the air which helps to solidify the dominoe effect of other events. It was not necessarily due to us as it was the economy of cost. Regardless, it feels good to make some of those type of decisions.

Other than that there's not too much else. It's suppose to be cool for the next few days so I'm sure that I'll mow the front and back yards and most likely we'll work more in the yard this weekend.

Laters,

From the Simple Life.....

On this day.....>

1948 - The Olympics opened in London.

B-days
Alex Haley (1921), Steve Wozniak (1950), and 'Hulk' Hogan (1953)

News........
Today is National Underwear Day!!!!!!!!
Los Angeles may try to block Wal-Marts.
Toys 'R' Us may stop selling toys.
There's a new bagle computer virus. It has 'price' or 'price quote' in the message body and has an attachment.
A good friend of mine got an internship with a school district here in Texas. Congrats to her.
Waiting to hear back from prospective job opportunity. Said it would be about a week. Well it's a week +1. We'll see that's where 'about' becomes that terrible word in laws that say 'reasonable'.

There, I just unlocked another secret. I'm a computer geek as well. Not as much as some, but I know my way around a computer. That reminds me.

Urban's Philosophy: "Don't opnen any unknown attachments from people you don't know."

That will prevent 99% of the chanes of inevitably getting a computer virus. Not to mention this blog being able to help those family and friends whom I have to remind to regularly update and run anti-virus software and programs. That makes it much easier than to work on a computer when I visit. With that instance coming up, I've realized that computers have become more and more 'high maintenance'. People can say they can remember when the Internet was safe. Well, now we're in the middle of a war zone. I can remember computers pretty much taking care of themselves, apart from their software glitches that were more prevalent in the mid-80's and early 90's. Now it's active control of the content and protection of information.

It really does prove that first there was the move towards manufacturing and mass production, but that our global society, with the U.S. being only but a handfull of countries who are leading into the truly information age, where information is worth more than the physical product. Where speculation is worth and/or can cost billions. Just look at the oil market.

Tweaking the Habits

Today........

1846 - The Smithsonian Institution is chartered by Congress.
1949 - Harry Truman signs the National Security Bill developing the Department of Defense (DoD)
And today is Rosanna Arquette's(1959) and Antonio Banderas'(1960) birthday!

Well, since my graduation in May I've been on the job hunting trail. All be it that I am proud of myself in indulging in doing things while waiting for opportunities and returned phone calls. It also keeps me from going stark raving mad and I can expand my cranium even more. I've been indulging in doing things that I feel that I need to know more about. Specifically things my wife and I have not been able to learn more about since our marriage, just over two years ago. I look at the stock market, I am beginning to understand PE ratios and mutual funds better. I'm also taking care of things that we've both kinda put off like trying to clean out the garage, and go through some of our closets. Although, I did the closets mostly back over a long weekend in April.

So here I am today, doing the daily things a new college graduate, looking for a job and waiting for phone calls does and I realize something.

I need to catch up on my social reading.

Even though my wife does not really subscribe to anything, apart from gift subscriptions. She's a book reader. I on the other hand subscribe to my various hobbies and information texts. Things like This Old House and Texas Architect. The actual ones that I read from cover to cover are the aviation ones. Mainly because aviation is my passion. But, I've been reading a book since the start of the summer and I'm not yet 25% through it yet. The book I've been reading is interesting. I just haven't had time or thought about picking it up to read it. I guess I just need to add a little bit to my own personal philosophies of life.

Urban's philosophy: "Take 30 minutes a day for yourself to do whatever you want to do. "

So I'm going to tweak a little in my reading habits. I've also noticed that this time in my life I'm reading more, listening to the radio more, and watching tv less.

That's leads me to the fact that I don't really consider watching tv bad, at least for me. I don't watch sitcoms, but for one or two of them. The rest of the time, I'm actually watching channels that deal with history, learning about something, or informative like The History Channel, Fox News, The Food Network, etc. There is, of course, too much tv and I'm recognizing it the older I get. What it has all come down to is that I've become an information junkie of sorts. I'm fascinated by the little tidbits, the details, of information that make everything go.

And at the beginning!

Well, welcome to the site. I will not begin with a life story so lets she what today is?

On this day in history........221st day of the year.

1892 - Thomas Edison patents his two-way telegraph.
1936 - Jessie Owens becomes the first American to win four gold Medals in one Olympics.
1944 - Posters are released showing Smokey the Bear for the first time.
1945 - The atomic bomb named "Fat Man" is detonated over Nagasaki, Japan.
1974 - United States President Richard Nixon becomes first U.S. President to resign from office.
1999 - Russian President Boris Yeltsin fires his Prime Minister, and, for the fourth time, his cabinet.

Birthdays........Sam Elliot (1944), Melanie Griffith (1957), Whitney Houston (1963), Brett Hull (1964), Deion Sanders (1967), Gillian Anderson (1968)

We lost........Jerry Garcia (1995) and Gregory Hines (2003)

Wow, what a busy day in history.

Today

Oil hits $44.97 a barrel........better start looking for cheap gas!

Since this is the first time I've posted on a blog be looking for changes to this website as I gather my thoughts and decisions of how this particular space of the World Wide Web will become all mine! Well, not totally mine, but you know what I mean.

Laters,