Out like a light!

Well, my wife and I finally got home last night, during the 10 o'clock news. I was NOT in the mood. I was sick. We had an eventful weekend.

The grandparents and parents are all at back and safe now. All be it, my in-law parents have a few interesting stories from their drive back towards the Houston area. It's kinda funny, but that's a story later on.

Anyways, yesterday we unloaded the U-haul right after we had lunch, after church and actually got everything unloaded at the storage place by 3. Then we unloaded stuff at the house and were still done by 4 or 4:30. The problem being that it's Houston, there were some rain showers (actually only one lasting less than 10 minutes), but the heat and humidity made me wish it would just rain. Regardless, I got a headache by the time we were finished. My wife thinks it was just from not drinking enough water and working in the heat so much. Plus when we left I started driving.

I think it was the first time that I drive with my head with my head turned to the side (as if trying to sleep on a pillow) It was ok in the beginning, just the annoying numb pain on the left side. Just outside of Houston, 1/2 way home, it got worse. I was hot and had the air on but sweating profusely. I had also started to yawn alot. It actually caused my eyes to water, which actually seemed to make my head feel a little better. Well, my wife got cold, as cold natured people do, and turned on the heat on her side. By the time we were almost home I had already brought to her attention to please stay awake, don't yap too much, and don't touch anything dealing with the A/C. I felt at any point, that I'd have to stop. For you know what reasons.

Fortuneately, we didn't. I walked in the house. My wife simply said, "I'll take care of everything, just go lay down." I went and took a hot shower. Laid down on my nice bed, my wife brought my bed-buddy and put it on my head and she took her shower. The next thing I know, "POW, lights out." My wife said I didn't even wake up the next morning when she gave me my morning kiss this morning. I was out. I love my wife and it was the first good sleep I've had in about two weeks. I truly love my wife.

P.S. I highly reccomend bed-buddies for headaches. I have a lot of them due to my sinuses, but it works. Also works for aches and pain areas. It's just universially nice. It's basically a sock with rice in it. I can't say I've ever cooled it

That's all for now.

Laters,

Just a Quick Note!

Just thought I would write a little bit. I've spent the past few days at my in-laws house since my wife flew out to L.A. I'm working around their house and currently using my father-in-law's computer to do a little work. HE'S GOT HIGH SPEED INTERNET! Oh how I've missed it since I had it, but hopefully we'll get it back when I get a job.

Oh well, I'm going to get ready in a few minutes to go out to lunch with my former boss, and still mentor and friend. Then I'll head on to wait at the airport for my wife and grandparents. I'm really looking forward to this evening.

Talk to ya'll laters,

Objectives Met!!!

I got back from my conference last night. I was very good. I did all of the things I wanted (or had needed) to do by means of contacts and/or working rooms, except one. I did not meet one gentleman that I really wanted to meet. However in many ways I exceeded my goals in how much I would learn and absorb and how many people/connections that I would make. I am quite suprised and pleased. Now the next step is making these connections work.

I must say though I'm a little annoyed. Annoyed with my next door neighbor who decided to have team batting practice at 9:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning less than 6 feet away from my house. I was really looking forward to sleeping in kinda later than that. Of course I haven't and got woken up only to find out that the batting practice means that he and his son have decided to do Fall little league. OH #@&*! My wife and I look forward to the end of summer because we know little league (i.e. batting practice ends).

This weekend will go fast though. This next week is going to start very soon. It is the week that we are helping my wife's parents move her grandparents move from the L.A. area to the Houston area. Her parents are already packing up their apartment and I'll be taking my wife to Houston Hobby Airport on Tuesday to go out there and help. She'll be returning on Thursday with our grandparents with her. I feel sorry for her parents because they're the ones that are driving the U-Haul and car carrier from L.A. to Houston. They should get back sometime Saturday. During that time my wife and I will be spending time with them and helping them acclimatize to Houston. We haven't seen them since our wedding. The longest of any other family members. At least the parents will also get to see my sister/brother-in-law in Phoenix.

Had better go for now. Starting the day earlier than I was expecting.

Laters,

Prepare for Takeoff!!

Well, my conference is this week. Last week, was as good as I could make it and my wife, my family, and friends did their best to help me, even though it was to give me so so news (the former classmate) I still appreciate the help.

Another friend of mine, who is some distance away, has a blog and wrote not too long ago about 'Friends.' NO, not the show, but the people and how amazing they are. She also talks about her closeness with her family. She's a very special person, Thanks Trish!

Sometimes it's times like these that I really miss my brother. He passed away about 11 years ago. The anniversary of his death is actually approaching within the next week. I guess that's the thing about siblings is that their not your parents and their not your spouse, they are kinda of a breed split between the two. I know he's with me at times, but it would still be nice to have him.

I have another thought about how friends' (close and distant) lives can intertwine without really knowing, but that'll have to wait until after the conference.

Speaking of the conference, I'm getting things together. What to take, what not to take, how to prepare to access certain things quickly, and pulling out bags used for the conference last year. That's all for now, I'll relay more when I return from the conference. Wish me luck.

Laters,

The Pace is Quickening!

I must say that this week has not been so well. I learned that another former classmate has an interview for one of the same positions with my current job oppotunity.

I'd really like this position for reasons I've stated before, but it's been so long since I've had positive news that the self-doubting comes around never-the-less. Regardless, God has a place for my wife and I and if it's meant to be it's meant. As much as it WAS against myself at some earlier point in my life, I wish her all the best. This person whom I call a good friend works hard and has accomplished much. So, all I really can say is I hope you best.

Other than that my mind is starting to prepare for my conference next week. I imagine I won't have that much time between now and then to post, no so much for time sake, but preparation sake. Don't ask!! It's a weird thing with me. I'm contacting my contacts and trying to set up meetings. Hope to hear back from them before the conference.

Nothing more really now.

Laters,

TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY........No Soup for You!

Well, since this is MY day........let's do history! So shall we........

1921 - The World Series is broadcast for the first time.
1947 - Harry Truman makes the first televised White Houst address to the United States.
1962 - The Beatles release their first hit, "Love Me Do."
1969 - First broadcase of Monty Python's Flying Circus.
1970 - PBS becomes a television network.
2000 - Slobodan Milosevic resigns in Belgrade due to mass demonstrations.

Birthdays.....ME ME ME ME (197?), Chester A. Arthur (1830), Robert Goddard (1882), Ray Croc (1902), Barry Switzer (1937), Steve Miller (1943), Bernie Mac (1958), Daniel Baldwin (1960), Michael Andretti (1962), Mario Lemieux (1965), Patrick Roy (1965), Grant Hill (1972), and Kate Winslet (1975).

You know it's amazing! My whole life I thought that I was one of the few people born on this day. It was only about a year ago that I actually read somewhere that October 5th was actually the day of the year with the most birthdays. Then all of a sudden I meet alot of people with my birthday. It's kinda nice, but I may prefer later in life that I never knew that.

Well, as I kid every year. One of my presents I request is to sleep in late. This year I made it to 7:45 a.m. I should really not complain because it's better than 6. I think my wife would have something to say if it were 6, not so much for the phone call, but the aftermath of Tiger realizing one of us is up and its time for the morning petting.

I did some more phone calls today to find some added assistance on resume, cover letter, and interviewing tips. I got it, didn't do anything after that. I had another one of those slightly "let me know it's there" sinus headaches.

My wife came home and I took a short nap (a result of the Sinutab I took) and we had a nice quiet dinner. Talked to both sets of parents and here I am now. Didn't either bother with the debates, heard that they were pretty much like the others. However, did watch Wing Nuts where the company MotoArt takes aircraft scrap and turns it into furniture. As an architect and creative person it looks and sounds cool. 2 problems though: I wouldn't have the thousands of dollars to purchase one, nor any place to do it justice. Maybe someday I'll have the chance to do a small project for myself.

Other than that my birthday has been pretty much ok, it could have been better, but it could have been alot worse too. I still thank the Lord for this day, and for what he's allowed me to do with it and/or done to help me.

Laters,

Gooooooooooooo........

Congradulations to the team at Scaled Composites for their winning the X-Prise with Space Ship One! In my book, Burt Rutan(also designed first airplane to fly around the world non-stop, Voyager) is as much an aeronautical genius as Kelly Johnson (designed the U-2 and SR-71).

On a sad note, we lost Leroy Gordon "Gordo" Cooper today. He was one of the original Mercury astronauts and the last of the Mercury astronauts to fly into space, excluding Deke Slayton. (played by Dennis Quaid in The Right Stuff)

My wife and I got back today from visiting my parents in Dallas earlier this evening. We decided since there was a family get-together yesterday afternoon that we'd take the extra day and take our time and not be rushed at least once. We also celebrated my upcoming birthday with my family on Saturday night.

Spending the weekend there was good. It rained most of the time, which was nice since we haven't seen rain in over a month. Although, the weekend maintained the conversation of the status of my job search in sparse discussions here and there. All in all I was just sad. It's close to my birthday and I didn't like feeling like this especially near such a happy occasion.

So tonight when we got home. I contacted one of our family's oldest friends to kinda "dust off" the rust on the interviewing tips and techniques he taught me about three years ago. We talked for about an hour and a half. Boy did he really help me. Not so much a new things, but reminding me about experience, insights, and positives and how to bring it across. Most of all he reminded me of what I REALLY had to offer and what I have accomplished, just that I have to polish up a bit more. It definately helps to hear that again, and confidence in myself knowing that I have the qualifications to do the work, I just really have to let them know that in a better way.

While relegating that information to my parents, my uncle called and again while talking to my parents again, my other parents called. To make a long story short. I spend from about 7:30 til about 11:30 on the phone. I came into my office and get online so that I don't have to talk on the phone. My ears are kinda sore. It was really nice to talk to everyone, but I began to wonder if they had all choreographed this with each other. I had to sneak in my Tombstone pizza dinner in the 5 minutes between phone calls.

Well, this week is mainly aimed at continuing my job search and working on trying to really work on this job opportunity in limbo up til the end of the APA planning conference. Which also reminds me to work on my resume and take names to meet more contacts at the convention.

I heard back, today, from my mentors and other friends whom I'd asked questions on Friday. Mainly, the suprise is that the planning job market in Texas is tougher than I thought and the possibility of getting a job this soon after graduation (May) is good. They all said that the normal time is 9 to 12 months. Well, maybe I can buck the trend. We will see, Lord willing.

I'm gonna go for now. I'm really tired. I didn't sleep as well at home, especially since my parents got rid of my bed to replace it with a smaller bed about a year and a half ago. Since this home is home, just home is not same with out that trundle bed.

Laters,

P.S. Tomorrow's my birthday. I may not go full guns until Wednesday.

Night.