Entry for April 25, 2010

234 days later, I had my first day of work. This ended my third jobless period in my lifetime. Not counting my childhood, of course. Come to think of it, I had jobs as a child. Mostly simple chores to help my parents with the weekly upkeep of a home to seven. Cutting grass, taking out the trash, putting dishes away, cleaning my room and vacuuming a designated living space. All necessary work for a young person. I also hustled lawn service work, a paper route with Chris, and some construction labor with Mr Wynette (I think that was his name?). I regress. 

My first week at the new job introduced me to EMWS (Electronic Media Withdrawal Syndrome). It is a serious condition brought on by an extended period (1/2 a year or more) of too much Facebook, email and web surfing during a jobless period (retirement or general goofing off), then spending 10 consecutive hours a day without any such device in your possession. Hopefully I get my antidote (new laptop for the job) this week.

As for other things at work, I attended the BMW safety orientation and received my contractors badge. I introduced my new company to my old friends at Caterpillar Engine Facility in Fountain Inn. The introduction was in conjunction with a conveyor system modification project expected to start this summer. We will submit our proposal this week.

Gin walked with me Monday at the Va-Du-Mar Park disc golf course. My home course of course. I did pretty well for the most part. The first hole was a bit of a bugger when I made it in 7 (hideous). The rest of my play was pretty good. On the #17 (241 feet) I made the basket in three shots which is average for me. There was a foursome ahead of me at #18, so I went back to the tee at #17 and played it again for practice. My tee shot hit the top of the basket and landed within 2 feet. Gin and I were shocked and amazed. I have given thoughts that if I ever made a hole in one, it would be that basket.

Friday I was off early from work and contacted Gin to offer my services. Gin was helping with the March for Babies site preparations. I joined the group and helped with hanging sponsor banners.  We finished close to 7:00 and stopped by Roly Poly http://www.rolypoly.com/ for our favorite #39 Turkey Applejack.

Saturday we were up and out of the house by 5:15am. Gin was told that Bojangles would be providing 100 biscuits for the Family Team registration tent. They say Bo knows, Bo didn't know diddly squat about 100 biscuits. So we stopped at Hardees for our own breakfast and proceeded to the walk site without Bo. We had the two tents and tables set up in no time. I assisted with a few other tents for general registration and food service. Before long the place was filling up and a light rain was upon the event. Luckily the rain subsided for the remainder of the morning except for a brief spitting of during 1/2 mile of our walk.

Patrick, Jessica and Nolan joined Gin and I at the family tent. Nolan was such fun with his smiles and hugs. Our friend Susan Horton met us at the tent as well. Susan joined our Beau and Haley walk team this year and raised $520 as our top fund raiser. I walked with Susan as Gin was tied to the family team tent for the event. I failed to ask Patrick if they were walking. I had assumed with Jessica being in her 7th month with baby Dean, that they would wait at the main area. Susan and I ended up seeing them as we turned to the east and they were still heading west. I felt bad that I didn't check with them. Susan and I had a good talk and I shared with her more about Beau and Haley than she knew from my book.

Back at the end of the walk we enjoyed good refreshments provided by Publix. I walked back down to the start/finish line to greet walkers at the Ambassador Alley where posters were placed for each family who has helped March of Dimes by sharing their story. I spoke with several walkers and shared a little bit of our story. I also got to speak with some of the other families who I have been honored to work with as a volunteer.

The day was finally done and everything was packed up by 1:00. Gin and I grabbed a quick lunch and headed home for a well deserved nap. Last night and today have been recovery time for the whirlwind week and weekend we both had.

I'll be looking forward to my second week of work. I expect to travel to Chattanooga for my first tour of the Volkswagen plant sometime mid week. I'm confident as things progress with my new job, so will my level of satisfaction in my decision to accept this position. Good luck with your continued vocation, whatever it may be. Remember that it is better to have a job than to be without and looking for one. Thank your boss this week.

P@

Entry for April 18, 2010

We thought everything was OK between the two of them. They co-exist in the house together and for the most part keep their distance. Sure, being brother and sister can be tough at times. You can choose your friends and not your family. Both of them have had their chances to leave and be out on their own, but they each decided to stick it out where life is easier. So we thought. 

There are differences in opinions of how they like things and when to eat. For the most part, they do enough to avoid each other and remain silent. Last night the two of them got tangled up into fever pitched fight that I thought I would have to get a fire hose to separate them. There was screaming and crying and fur flying like I had never seen before. When I stepped into the room to break it up, Fluffy made her break for the door and Hoagie (pictured) ran under the bed. There was enough fur floating in the air to make another cat. Then I looked at Hoagie as he peeked from under the bed. He was licking his chops...full of fur. It looked like he had a grey and white beard. I grabbed the big ball of fur hanging from his mouth. I should have let him figure out how to get all that fur off his face, but I knew the consequences would be a huge hairball later.

So I spent the last week of unemployment in many different but productive ways. Monday and Wednesday were Nolan days after his daycare. We enjoyed playing together and riding on my lawn tractor.

Tuesday I spoke at the Greenville City Manager's meeting for the March of Dimes. I shared our story about Beau and Haley and received a very nice thank you email from their March for Babies team leader, Leslie. After the meeting I dropped Gin off at the MOD office and I changed into jeans and a button down shirt for a meeting at a friend at Caterpillar who is the maintenance manager. After my visit at Caterpillar and a change into shorts & T-shirt, I drove over to the Simpsonville City Park and played disc golf on their 9 hole course. It is the type of course you would only want to play once and that's all I can say for it. I met Gin back at the MOD office and we drove over to Wendy's for a dollar value lunch then back to work for Gin. I played the Holmes Park 9 hole course which makes for a great warm-up course before Timmons Park. So....after Holmes Park I was at Timmons Park and played their par 3 course. I did fairly well but not as well as the 57 I scored the first time there. I picked up Gin a little later and we made it home in time for dinner.

Friday I started cutting the grass and kept hearing a noise that didn't quite sound right. After I finished the front yard I turned the mower off and investigated. A belt guide was loose and hanging on the cutting deck. After further investigation I found out that the bolt had broken off. So...after 3 hours of repair work Saturday night, I finished cutting the grass Sunday morning.

Saturday I attended the Loch Norman Scottish Festival in Huntersville, NC. I helped the Hahn's (Caris' in-laws) at the piping competition tent. When I wasn't busy, I walked the grounds and talked to old friends from past festivals. I also caught up with Timmy Hord and we exchanged our had made for 5 items. Timmy made a Scottish drinking cup for whiskey made of clay. I gave her the oak frame for painting. The frame is bi-fold and has my wooden hinge incorporated into the two halves. Timmy is a portrait artist and plans to paint a continuous scene on each side.

I start my new job tomorrow. As always, I am cautious when starting a new job. I don't want to jump in with both feet and get burned or frozen because I didn't test the water. Slow and easy is the best approach. The thought of being a career employee with most companies is a thing of the past. I have realized this since 2002 which was the last time I was laid off. How can a person put their whole heart into their work, when in an instant their lives can be turned upside-down because business is bad. C'Est la Vie (Fr. Such is Life)

P@

Entry for April 11, 2010

Let me start with last Monday. Gin had gone to pick up Nolan while I started preparing lunch. I chopped onions and mushrooms and sautéed them with olive oil. Next I browned some ground turkey and cooked a batch of whole wheat linguine. When Gin and Nolan arrived home from his daycare, they played in the living room. At one point Nolan had removed the towel protecting one of the reupholstered footstools. The towel was laying on the floor and Gin asked him why the towel was on the floor. He picked up the towel and placed it on the stool in a clump. As he straightened the towel he said "Bad Pappy"..."Bad Pappy". I heard him say this and asked if he had just accused me of doing something. Gin and I got a big laugh out of that after she explained what he did. I completed fixing lunch by combining the veggies, turkey, noodles and added turkey gravy and Italian spices. We usually make one big pot of something that will last four to six days for lunches or dinners. This was a new dish I concocted to change things up a little. 

The rest of the week was busy for me with research and paperwork for finances and job preparation. I organized the past years worth of bills and documents for storing in files. I also worked on downloading project files onto my zip drive for my new job which begins April 19. I was also contacted for another prospect that I am also researching. I'll keep that one under my hat for now. One job at a time for now.

Friday morning we traveled to Greenville for some March of Dimes tasks Gin needed to take care of. I also loaded up the ten foot step ladder for a Craigslist customer for delivery at the BMW plant. We were back home by 12:30 and Gin ate lunch then ran back out to get her hair done. When she returned we packed up for our trip to Rocky Mount and our Nephew, Russel's, wedding. We stopped over in Albemarle and stayed at Caris' and Thomas' house. Then loaded up and hitched a ride with them Saturday morning.

Russel's wedding was short and sweet. Probably the fasted wedding ceremony I've ever witnessed. The rest of the afternoon we visited with Gin's family during the reception. My parents picked me up around 4:30 and we attended Mass and Rosary prayer service in downtown Rocky Mount. I enjoyed the service but not the kneeler. My knees are still sore, but the pain is nothing in comparison to what our Lord endured for us.

We enjoyed an evening at my parent's house with good conversation and a little bit of computer network connectivity for their two desktop units. Sunday morning Caris and Thomas attended the Methodist service with Uncle Ray. After their return and a few more stories shared between all of us, we departed for destinations west (aka Home). 

I'd like to write more, but I'm whipped from all the riding and driving. I hope your week is a great one. I'll be busy getting ready for my first full week at work in 7+ months.

P@

Entry for April 4, 2010

A few months ago I posted a status on my Facebook page offering something handmade by me to the first five people who commented on that particular status. The five who responded were my Mom, my daughter Caris, my sister-in-law Doria, my friend Timmy Hord and our family friend Maria Cook. After much deliberation and a few experiments that failed miserably, I decided to make a simple cross for Mom, Caris, Doria and Caris. Maria's cross is pictured above. She decorated with the flowers and card. 

As for the fifth gift to Timmy, I decided to make a wood canvass. Not just any canvass, but a bi-fold red oak canvass with a built-in wooden hinge. Timmy is an artist who works with oil paints and creates portraits from photographs. She also makes ceramic Scottish whiskey cups called Quaich (pronounced Quake). I figured she would enjoy experimenting with my newest experiment. She has already indicated that she would want to paint four portraits by using each side and each half of the canvass. http://www.hordstudio.com/index.html

I attended Mass Monday morning and had Father Winslow bless the four crosses before I mailed them. Mailing them was simple enough once I found the perfect padded envelope for their size. I was surprised to learn they arrived within a day or two, considering that two of them traveled to New Jersey and Florida.

Things are starting to wind down for me with the unemployment gig. I have two more weeks off then its back to work. I'm not real keen on having to travel, but it beats not having a job to travel too. I'll also be in the field more than I have been in the last six years. No more paper pushing all day for me. I'll be supervising the installation of Volkswagen's door assembly line conveyor system in Chattanooga. Now here is some interesting information about this job. When I worked for Eisenmann at BMW, I had a subcontractor to install the conveyors and the manager was Tom M. After I was laid off from Eisenmann, I was hired by Tom M. and worked for him at BMW as a superintendent. Now on this new job I will have Tom M. working for me again as a subcontractor. Can you say "What comes around goes around"? Tom M. and I have a good working relationship and I don't foresee any problems with this.

Friday night we attended the Good Friday Mass in Tryon. It was the first time I had ever kissed the feet of Jesus on the crucifix which was part of the veneration of the cross. A very moving experience to say the least. Sunday we attended a packed Easter service. Fr. Winslow delivers his Homily in such a way that teaches and  avoids talking above us.

I skipped Saturday's events, but not for any other reason than it was pretty uneventful. Gin sewed curtains all day for Jessica. I cut the grass, ate the weeds, cleaned up the leaves and acorns in the gully beside the road and scooped up the loose gravel at the end of the driveway.

Flash forward to Sunday after church. Gin baked her famous cinnamon streusel cake for a lunch at the Herbst's. Needless to say, we had lunch ad Jodi and Greg's as we always do on Easter Sunday. They're like regular family except without the wills and life insurance policies naming us as the beneficiary. After some delicious ham, smoked turkey and all the delectable sides along with great fellowship, we departed for Patrick's house.

Arriving at Patrick's we pulled up to the side of the road as we saw Nolan and family in the front yard. No need to pull in the driveway and have the little man run after the car. I was greeted by Nolan running to my arms as he called out "Pappy" several times. That was enough to melt my heart. We spent a little time visiting with Patrick, Jessica, Nolan and Jessica's family. Nolan helped me drive the truck to the backyard to hook up the utility trailer. After that was hooked up, he hi-jacked my keys for most of our visit. We were finally able to distract him enough with some plastic Easter eggs and a foam football to get the keys to a safe pocket. He still tried to search our pockets for the keys before we left.

Gin suggested a round of disc golf while we were driving home. At first I really didn't want to go, then decided to go ahead and play a round while Gin walked with me. I had a rough game to say the least. Several bad shots on easy holes kept my mind in the negative. On the 18th I hooked a shot to the bottom of a steep bank to a retention pond. The disc was dry, but surrounded by 10 foot pines. I tossed and overhand shot to get the disc up to the road. BIG MISTAKE! I ended up throwing my shoulder out of whack. My right shoulder is sore, especially when I try to raise my arm above my head. Hopefully it will work itself out over the next few days. I might be wise to learn to play left handed, which would be a hoot.

Thanks again for reading and commenting. I know most of this is boring, but it IS real life drama (HaHa).

P@