Last night I told my 11 year old daughter that dad might lose his job...
The first question out of her mouth was - "What will happen to us if you lose your job?"
Pretty good question from an 11 year old who has not wanted for anything in her life thanks to the blessings of steady work for me and mom (staying at home now) and wonderfully generous grandparents on all sides.
Her biggest worry? If she was going to be able to play sports... honestly that made me feel better!
It made me realize it's not the end of the world if I DO lose my job... actually it would be a blessing if I could get out of it before I did, but I think removing myself from that stress-hole would do wonders for my health and my relationship with my wife and family.
I talked to multiple recruiters today and am actively looking. Hoping something comes along soon...
More to follow
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Hillarious HelpDesk Video
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pQHX-SjgQvQ
Great video for anyone in the HelpDesk industry... it'll bring a smile to your face!!!
Great video for anyone in the HelpDesk industry... it'll bring a smile to your face!!!
Good day of venting
At work I got to at least get out of the office at lunch time... first time in a few weeks, it's been that crazy.
Retail sucks! That's why I want out so badly.
Network problems all the time, a boss that is frustrating as all bloody hell because he has it set that there is a silver bullet for our problems (when most of them lie in other areas). Don't get me wrong - my HelpDesk group has a LOT to improve on, but when you are essentially given plastic toy tools to build a 40000 sq.ft. mansion - it ain't gonna work!
A 90 year old man can stay up longer than our network sometimes!
HR is no help at all... It's no wonder I'm probably on the block. With a little luck I'll be able to get an interview at a friend's outfit and get back into some technical work and away from the management gig. This gig really has fried my brain and turned me off of management at this point... it's sad because I think I'm good at what I do, but apparently they just want someone/something a little bit different.
Retail sucks! That's why I want out so badly.
Network problems all the time, a boss that is frustrating as all bloody hell because he has it set that there is a silver bullet for our problems (when most of them lie in other areas). Don't get me wrong - my HelpDesk group has a LOT to improve on, but when you are essentially given plastic toy tools to build a 40000 sq.ft. mansion - it ain't gonna work!
A 90 year old man can stay up longer than our network sometimes!
HR is no help at all... It's no wonder I'm probably on the block. With a little luck I'll be able to get an interview at a friend's outfit and get back into some technical work and away from the management gig. This gig really has fried my brain and turned me off of management at this point... it's sad because I think I'm good at what I do, but apparently they just want someone/something a little bit different.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Turn around?
Could it be that things might be turning around? I actually got a call from a friend of mine who used to work for me at another company and she said the outfit she's working for is hiring. I sent the resume right off...
Who knows if it will work out... it will mean traveling, but it would get me out of management at least for a little while... maybe that's what I need - who knows...
Fingers crossed but hopes not up at this point...
Who knows if it will work out... it will mean traveling, but it would get me out of management at least for a little while... maybe that's what I need - who knows...
Fingers crossed but hopes not up at this point...
Monday, June 11, 2007
Saturday, June 9, 2007
What a week...
Unbelievable week.. terrible at work... feel like nothing went right. Was wishing I could turn the clock back to a better time ... then what should come along from a great friend of mine but the below:
Close your eyes...And go back...
....Before the Internet or PC or the MAC......
....Before semi-automatics and crack....
....Before Playstation, SEGA, Super Nintendo, even before Atari...
....Before cell phones, CD's, DVD's, voicemail and e-mail....
...way back....
....way.....way.....way back.....
I'm talkin' bout hide and seek at dusk Red light, Green light
Red Rover....Red Rover.....
Playing kickball & dodgeball until the first...no...second...no...third Streetlight came on
Ring around the Rosie
London Bridge
Hot potato
Hop Scotch
Jump rope
Duck....duck.....GOOSE!!! YOU'RE IT!!
Parents stood on the front porch and yelled (or whistled) for you to come home - no pagers or cell phones
Mother May I?
Hula Hoops
Seeing shapes in the clouds
Endless summer days and hot summer nights (no A/C) with the windows open
The sound of crickets
Running through the sprinkler
Cereal boxes with that GREAT prize in the bottom
Cracker jacks with the same thing
Ice pops with 2 sticks you could break and share with a friend ...but wait.....there's more.... Watchin' Saturday Morning cartoons
Fat Albert, Road Runner, Tom&Jerry, Heckle&Jeckle, Pink Panther, Richochet Rabbit, Schoolhouse Rock
Watchin' Sunday morning oldies (Abbott & Costello, Three Stooges, Tarzan, Shirley Temple OR WONDERAMA!!)
Wonder Woman & Super Man Underoos
Catchin' lightning bugs in a jar
Your first day of school
Bedtime Prayers and Goodnight Kisses
Climbing trees
Swinging as high as you could to try and reach the sky
Getting an Ice Cream off the Good Humor Truck
A million mosquito bites and sticky fingers
Jumpin' down the steps
Jumpin' on the bed
Pillow fights
Sleep-overs
A 13" black and white TV in your room meant you were RICH
Runnin' till you were out of breath
Laughing so hard that your stomach hurt
Being tired from PLAYING
WORK: meant taking out the garbage or doing the dishes
Your first crush
Your first kiss (the one that you kept your mouth CLOSED and your eyes OPEN )
Rainy days at school meant playing "Heads up 7UP" or hangman" in the classroom, remember that?
Oh, I'm not finished yet....
Kool-Aid was the drink of the summer
So was a swig from the hose
Giving your friends a ride on your handlebars
Wearing your new shoes on the first day of school
Class Field Trips with soggy sandwiches
When nearly everyone's mom was at home when the kids got there
When a quarter seemed like a fair allowance; and another quarter a MIRACLE
When ANY parent could discipline ANY kid, or feed him, or use him to carry groceries...And nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it.
When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited you at home.
Basically, we were in fear for our lives but it wasn't because of drive by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc. Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! And some of us are still afraid of em!
Didn't that feel good?
Just to go back and say, "Yeah, I remember that!" Well, let's keep going!!
Let's go back to the time when... Decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-mo " Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, "do over!"
"Race issues" meant arguing about who ran the fastest.
Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in "monopoly"
Catching fireflies could happily occupy an entire evening
It wasn't odd to have two or three "best" friends.
Being old, referred to anyone over 20.
The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was cooties.
Nobody was prettier than Mom
Scrapes and bruises were kissed by mom or grandma and made better
It was a big deal to finally be tall enough to ride the "big people" rides at the amusement park. Getting a foot of snow was a dream come true.
Abilities were discovered because of a "double-dog-dare"
Spinning around, getting dizzy and falling down was cause for giggles.
The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team.
Water balloons were the ultimate, ultimate weapon.
Older siblings were your worst tormentors, but also your fiercest protector
If you can remember most or all of these, then you have LIVED!!! Pass this on to anyone who may need a break from their "grown up" life......I TRIPLE DOG DARE YA!!!!!!
Close your eyes...And go back...
....Before the Internet or PC or the MAC......
....Before semi-automatics and crack....
....Before Playstation, SEGA, Super Nintendo, even before Atari...
....Before cell phones, CD's, DVD's, voicemail and e-mail....
...way back....
....way.....way.....way back.....
I'm talkin' bout hide and seek at dusk Red light, Green light
Red Rover....Red Rover.....
Playing kickball & dodgeball until the first...no...second...no...third Streetlight came on
Ring around the Rosie
London Bridge
Hot potato
Hop Scotch
Jump rope
Duck....duck.....GOOSE!!! YOU'RE IT!!
Parents stood on the front porch and yelled (or whistled) for you to come home - no pagers or cell phones
Mother May I?
Hula Hoops
Seeing shapes in the clouds
Endless summer days and hot summer nights (no A/C) with the windows open
The sound of crickets
Running through the sprinkler
Cereal boxes with that GREAT prize in the bottom
Cracker jacks with the same thing
Ice pops with 2 sticks you could break and share with a friend ...but wait.....there's more.... Watchin' Saturday Morning cartoons
Fat Albert, Road Runner, Tom&Jerry, Heckle&Jeckle, Pink Panther, Richochet Rabbit, Schoolhouse Rock
Watchin' Sunday morning oldies (Abbott & Costello, Three Stooges, Tarzan, Shirley Temple OR WONDERAMA!!)
Wonder Woman & Super Man Underoos
Catchin' lightning bugs in a jar
Your first day of school
Bedtime Prayers and Goodnight Kisses
Climbing trees
Swinging as high as you could to try and reach the sky
Getting an Ice Cream off the Good Humor Truck
A million mosquito bites and sticky fingers
Jumpin' down the steps
Jumpin' on the bed
Pillow fights
Sleep-overs
A 13" black and white TV in your room meant you were RICH
Runnin' till you were out of breath
Laughing so hard that your stomach hurt
Being tired from PLAYING
WORK: meant taking out the garbage or doing the dishes
Your first crush
Your first kiss (the one that you kept your mouth CLOSED and your eyes OPEN )
Rainy days at school meant playing "Heads up 7UP" or hangman" in the classroom, remember that?
Oh, I'm not finished yet....
Kool-Aid was the drink of the summer
So was a swig from the hose
Giving your friends a ride on your handlebars
Wearing your new shoes on the first day of school
Class Field Trips with soggy sandwiches
When nearly everyone's mom was at home when the kids got there
When a quarter seemed like a fair allowance; and another quarter a MIRACLE
When ANY parent could discipline ANY kid, or feed him, or use him to carry groceries...And nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it.
When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited you at home.
Basically, we were in fear for our lives but it wasn't because of drive by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc. Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! And some of us are still afraid of em!
Didn't that feel good?
Just to go back and say, "Yeah, I remember that!" Well, let's keep going!!
Let's go back to the time when... Decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-mo " Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, "do over!"
"Race issues" meant arguing about who ran the fastest.
Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in "monopoly"
Catching fireflies could happily occupy an entire evening
It wasn't odd to have two or three "best" friends.
Being old, referred to anyone over 20.
The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was cooties.
Nobody was prettier than Mom
Scrapes and bruises were kissed by mom or grandma and made better
It was a big deal to finally be tall enough to ride the "big people" rides at the amusement park. Getting a foot of snow was a dream come true.
Abilities were discovered because of a "double-dog-dare"
Spinning around, getting dizzy and falling down was cause for giggles.
The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team.
Water balloons were the ultimate, ultimate weapon.
Older siblings were your worst tormentors, but also your fiercest protector
If you can remember most or all of these, then you have LIVED!!! Pass this on to anyone who may need a break from their "grown up" life......I TRIPLE DOG DARE YA!!!!!!
Monday, June 4, 2007
Why I Don't Like Mondays...
What a day... thrown under the bus by someone in another department, beat down by the man, feeling less than appreciated at work.
Ahhh... but then to come home and get a hug from my son and at least a "hello" from his older sister :-) - Pre-teens... damn - I'm not ready for this. HA!
It was a day that I wish I could rewind... I want to find a new gig but feel some loyalty to where I'm at. I need to get over that part of it and just get my ass moving so that I can get on with things and get in a better situation. Right now there's no work/life balance and it's basically on-call 24 x 7 x 365 (not healthcare or law enforcement). With 2 kids, a wife, and a life outside of work, this is tough. Need an out but I don't want to quit just for the sake of quitting - gotta pay the bills, you know.
Ahhh... but then to come home and get a hug from my son and at least a "hello" from his older sister :-) - Pre-teens... damn - I'm not ready for this. HA!
It was a day that I wish I could rewind... I want to find a new gig but feel some loyalty to where I'm at. I need to get over that part of it and just get my ass moving so that I can get on with things and get in a better situation. Right now there's no work/life balance and it's basically on-call 24 x 7 x 365 (not healthcare or law enforcement). With 2 kids, a wife, and a life outside of work, this is tough. Need an out but I don't want to quit just for the sake of quitting - gotta pay the bills, you know.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Cheif Morale Officer???
Last month I was at an industry conference and went to a few sessions by a gentleman from Utah named Kirk Weisler.
I first saw him at the same conference in 1999 in New Orleans. I heard about him but couldn't believe his schtick so I had to see it for myself. He sat and read a Dr. Seuss book to a bunch of business professionals - AND WE LOVED IT! The book was "Oh the Places You'll Go"... he related it briliantly back to our profession as managers and technical support people.
His official business title? Chief Morale Officer... I'm not kidding!
This year's conference was no less briliant than New Orleans so long ago. Inspiring, thought provoking and funny, Mr. Weisler is a true professional and truly cares about what he does and what others do for a living.
He's written a couple of books, the first is called "The Dog Poop Initiative". Read it and not care just a little bit more about doing the right thing - I DARE YOU!
His 2nd book is titled "The Cookie Thief" - equally good.
These are kids books written for adults and they're wonderful.
www.kirkweisler.com
I first saw him at the same conference in 1999 in New Orleans. I heard about him but couldn't believe his schtick so I had to see it for myself. He sat and read a Dr. Seuss book to a bunch of business professionals - AND WE LOVED IT! The book was "Oh the Places You'll Go"... he related it briliantly back to our profession as managers and technical support people.
His official business title? Chief Morale Officer... I'm not kidding!
This year's conference was no less briliant than New Orleans so long ago. Inspiring, thought provoking and funny, Mr. Weisler is a true professional and truly cares about what he does and what others do for a living.
He's written a couple of books, the first is called "The Dog Poop Initiative". Read it and not care just a little bit more about doing the right thing - I DARE YOU!
His 2nd book is titled "The Cookie Thief" - equally good.
These are kids books written for adults and they're wonderful.
www.kirkweisler.com
Through the eyes of a child
So my 4 year old was playing with a baloon this morning outside on the front lawn. Simple and happy - how things should be when - POP!
The baloon was a bit thin (he found it blowing down the street and "captured it" like a bug) and after a few dozen times of hitting the top of the lawn, it landed jusssssst riiiigggghhht when it burst.
He looked at me as I was talking to our neighbor when he looked at us and just asked "WHY?"
That's when I thought to myself how much like life that baloon is - it can be simple and going just how you may want it to, and change in an instant.
I spent a lot of time with my son today because of that baloon and will keep that in my mind because you just never know when it will all go "POP".
Thanks to my 4 year old for sharing something with his old man to put things back in perspective after having a few months of hell at work. He's a challenging kid - headstrong like is dad - but he's a blessing. Paired up with his big sister, I'd say I'm a pretty lucking man. I need to keep reminding myself of that and urge everyone else to do the same - find the good and the elegant in everything. There's far too much complexity anymore.
The baloon was a bit thin (he found it blowing down the street and "captured it" like a bug) and after a few dozen times of hitting the top of the lawn, it landed jusssssst riiiigggghhht when it burst.
He looked at me as I was talking to our neighbor when he looked at us and just asked "WHY?"
That's when I thought to myself how much like life that baloon is - it can be simple and going just how you may want it to, and change in an instant.
I spent a lot of time with my son today because of that baloon and will keep that in my mind because you just never know when it will all go "POP".
Thanks to my 4 year old for sharing something with his old man to put things back in perspective after having a few months of hell at work. He's a challenging kid - headstrong like is dad - but he's a blessing. Paired up with his big sister, I'd say I'm a pretty lucking man. I need to keep reminding myself of that and urge everyone else to do the same - find the good and the elegant in everything. There's far too much complexity anymore.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Here we go again.... NYC Targeted
Can you believe this crap? The guy comes here from another land, enjoys (I assume) the freedoms of this country and then wants to harm NYC by torching the JFK airport?
As someone who saw the Twin Towers being built as a kid growing up in North Jersey only to come down on TV after moving away from the area, this latest episode really makes me freakin' sick!
The ring-leader is a US citizen so what say we bring back the treason charges of old, try him and if there is absolutely 100% no doubt as to what he supposedly did, HANG him on the 50 yard-line at Giants Stadium! Sell tickets at $1000 a pop... 80,000 seats at $1000 each is a hell of a lot of $$ to throw at the national debt, to our troops or to any number of deserving charities in the tri-state area.
As someone who saw the Twin Towers being built as a kid growing up in North Jersey only to come down on TV after moving away from the area, this latest episode really makes me freakin' sick!
The ring-leader is a US citizen so what say we bring back the treason charges of old, try him and if there is absolutely 100% no doubt as to what he supposedly did, HANG him on the 50 yard-line at Giants Stadium! Sell tickets at $1000 a pop... 80,000 seats at $1000 each is a hell of a lot of $$ to throw at the national debt, to our troops or to any number of deserving charities in the tri-state area.
Friday, June 1, 2007
What happened to the simple things??
More random thoughts as I was going through a stack of old pictures...
What happened to the simple things?
Sometimes I feel bad for kids nowadays (mine included) - they are missing out on a lot of shit because of where their parents now choose to live, the psychos in the world and the general state of things.
Not to dis my wife and family, but I've said in the past that if I could, I would sell my soul to be 16 again. No worries other than where my next beer was coming from! There is one condition to this - my entire hockey team from high school has to come with me and ALL the girls that hung out with us! Damn - what a great time! GO BLAZERS!
So many special people from that time of my life - some still with us and some not. So many special people from this time in my life - how lucky I am to have had so much back then and now!
What happened to the simple things?
- Walking to/from school without some psycho jackass trying to do something to you...
- Waking up late in the summer and going to the schoolyard with your friends to play {fill in the blank} ALL fucking day! (for me it was stickball and hockey)
- Hanging out on a neighbors porch with all the kids on the block until midnight (do you even know all the kids on your block now??)
- Riding a bike EVERYWHERE!
Sometimes I feel bad for kids nowadays (mine included) - they are missing out on a lot of shit because of where their parents now choose to live, the psychos in the world and the general state of things.
Not to dis my wife and family, but I've said in the past that if I could, I would sell my soul to be 16 again. No worries other than where my next beer was coming from! There is one condition to this - my entire hockey team from high school has to come with me and ALL the girls that hung out with us! Damn - what a great time! GO BLAZERS!
So many special people from that time of my life - some still with us and some not. So many special people from this time in my life - how lucky I am to have had so much back then and now!
And so it begins...
Who'd a thunk?
I never thought I'd actually start a blog. I've read them, read about them and finally decided tonight on a whim to just start.
Why? I'm not sure.
What do I have to offer? Hopefully something to someone.
How will things pan out? Not sure about that either. Between work, family, sports and other things, there's not a hell of a lot of time out there do really do this, but hell - maybe there's a release for me in this -
I never thought I'd actually start a blog. I've read them, read about them and finally decided tonight on a whim to just start.
Why? I'm not sure.
What do I have to offer? Hopefully something to someone.
How will things pan out? Not sure about that either. Between work, family, sports and other things, there's not a hell of a lot of time out there do really do this, but hell - maybe there's a release for me in this -
Sometimes I wonder where people get their ideas and how they can be so creative. I've seen some pretty damn good blogs out there and in the future, as I read more, I'll add their links. Guess that's the nice thing about them - don't have to be an expert on a topic, just have an opinion and write about it. Don't get me wrong, being an expert helps your credibility!
Guess that's why I've started out by calling this "Random Thoughts" - you gotta start somewhere.
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