Thanksgiving...

Thanksgiving... another come and gone... another alone (sort of) far from family and closest friends...

This time of year really starts to depress me so I stay busy with work and other things to keep my mind off it all... the phone calls are great and I love talking to mom, dad, sister, friends, etc... BUT it doesn't replace the feeling of being there.

Why don't I go back east for the holidays? Pretty tough to do - in-laws are 120 miles away from my folks and it'd just be a drive-fest from one part of NJ to the other... I always said trips to see the family are more work that pleasure and that holds true to this day...

Maybe someday now that the kids are older and can handle themselves, but $2k for tix is a bit much... Summer 2012 though will be a different story... will do it because it's been too long.

Love the family, miss the friends dearly but you know what? I wouldn't trade what I have and where I am for anything..

Cure for Leukemia??

This would be wonderful if it works out... 27 years ago (almost to the day) my family lost a wonderful member to this terrible disease.. if this proves out, it could be the answer to millions of prayers.

http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-health/20110810/US.MED.Gene.Therapy.Leukemia/

Again...

Frustrated. Need sleep but of course, work called 1 hour after I passed out.

Amazing how we are so dependent on others to get our jobs done and how one person can screw up many... dominos at it's best.

Some day I am going to get out of the management business and become an individual contributor again but until then - back to the fight. I'll get a nap soon and then back to the office.

What a Game

So after a long, ugly week at work, I decided to watch the USA Women's Soccer team take on Brazil in the quarter finals of the Women's World Cup.

What a match!

Up 1 - 0 after only 2 minutes into the game, Brazil tied the game late in regulation forcing extra time. So 90 minutes in the books and another 30 minutes guaranteed!

Brazil goes up on what I think was a bit of a lucky goal scored by one of the best players in the world at this time (Marta) and it looked like the end. The US was playing with only 10 players - a big disadvantage in soccer terms.

But the US kept pushing... and pushing... and pushing... then near the end of extra time with Brazil trying to do everything they can to stall for time, the US scores to tie it up on a brilliant header by Abby Wambach! NEVER SAY DIE!!!

From there, they move on to penalty kicks - one on one with the goaltender from 12 yards out. One of the most difficult shots for a keeper to stop - but also one of the most difficult to make. I speak from experience on this one from both sides of the ball.

Enter Hope Solo - the new sweetheart of US Women's soccer... beautiful save by a beautiful gal moving the US into the semi-finals against France!!


USA!! USA!!

Oh yeah - moral of the story - no matter how hard you think things are, keep pushing, plugging and trying - hard work WILL pay off and there are no shortcuts to a great outcome!!

Nothing is Free - Especially Freedom

So this weekend we celebrate our nation's independence... as we spend time with family and loved ones during this long weekend, we can't forget all the patriots - past and present - who gave us our freedom.

Lives lost and turned upside down.. families broken... it's a hell of a cost for what we call "freedom".

Isn't it too bad that the dumb-asses in Washington now can't face reality and run this country like a damn business? It's gonna cost us dearly people... class-warfare and unrest are certainly on their way because just like a household, eventually something has to give when they realize there's no more money and no matter how much is printed, it won't help...

God bless our soldiers and their families this July 4 and every day... and God bless all the hard working people in the country that REALLY keep the country going...

Is the Work Ethic a Lost Concept?

Seems to me that younger folks (some, not all) have no concept of what work ethic actually is.

People seem to be forgetting that it is a pay for performance world and this is not Major League Baseball!!

There are a number of people who instilled my work ethic in my life. Those people include my parents of course, my first baseball coach who took a bunch of "minor leaguers" and turned us into champs who could take on the "major leaguers" under the lights and kick their asses and my high school soccer coach.

Basically the message was the harder you work, the more reward. People who skate by will not get the bonuses and may not get the bigger raises. They certainly will not get the promotions!

Tenure in a position does NOT give you the right to be promoted. I'll promote a hard worker willing to learn over a person with twice the time in the position who is what I call a "banger" - the one who is in at 8 and out at 5 with no additional efforts.

Hell - I started delivering newspapers at age 11 and something as simple as putting a paper between the storm door and front door on a rainy day netted me HUNDREDS in Christmas tips - just for delivering a dry newspaper... sometimes it's the simple things.

People think I'm crazy to work as hard as I do, but I hope to God that I am able to show my kids that a little hard work can lead to great things!

I want to be an example to my kids and all the kids I have coached in the past years - I hope I live up to the legacy of the people who inspired me.

Lessons

Back from camping with my son. Big Cub Scout camping trip .. lots to do and he was wiped out after day 1 of a 2.5 day trip.

Monday sucked because it rained most of the day and some of the events were cancelled.

He's shy and anxious about certain things... doesn't really like big crowds so this was a good chance for him to get put into situations that he's not always comfortable with... I stuck close to him though - that comfort factor... sometimes I do just want to kick him into the middle of a situation and have him do for himself but overall he did very well...

Learned how to use a pocket knife properly, found out he was pretty good at archery and handled a couple of situations on his own.

Couple of meltdowns also which frustrated me a little bit (silly things), but he is coming along... I love you buddy and I hope things keep getting better... just have to keep working at it... you teach me new things every day and I see a lot of me in you at that age... I came around and I know you can and will too...

Your imagination is the thing I love most about you... the theme for the camp was right up your alley and your imagination was able to run with it...

Be confident pal... you will do great things... I just know it in my heart... I'm your dad and I want nothing more than for you to be confident in all that you do... just keep working at it... one day you will show yourself and see...

Wow - The Things I've Missed

Just went through some old posts... the things I could have been writing about...

Music - Les Paul, Ronnie James Dio, others passing

Old friends coming, going and coming again...

The return of Dee

Comings and goings at work - to acquisitions, hirings, firings...

I think I can do this... just have to remember - 2 or 3 times a week...

Been so Long...

Wow... it's been so long...

So much happening... so much to write... need to start doing it almost daily since the likes of Facebook and Twitter can't do justice to the things I have to/want to get off my chest...

Past comes back, present continues... past continues to haunt in some ways yet satisfies/pacifies in others...

Work has been hell - but still love it...

Home is trying, but can't leave it...

What a beautiful mess... can things get more interesting? Time will tell...