When Dreams Come True

When you were a child did you ever have dreams of what it would be like at work when you grew up? Did you think of things like:

Where you would work?

What type of work would you do?

How would you dress at work?

How important would you be in your job?

I've recently experienced an epiphany in this regards. When I was growing up my role models were Darren Stevens (Bewitched), Greg Brady (Brady Bunch), Steve Douglas (My Three Sons), and Bill Davis (Family Affair).  All these men had important jobs they had to attend to support the family. They dress professionally, carried briefcases, and worked a normal 9-5 workweek.

Change of Career

After 6 years with Savvis Communications I decided I needed a change. Savvis has not been the same company it was when I joined them. The work is no longer challenging and the rewards for your hard work are slim to nil.

Oddly enough Savvis has been encouraging their employees to join LinkedIn, a social networking site. On the site was a listing for a Windows Administrator position with a company in the next county. The commute would be cut by half, I wouldn't have to pay taxes in two states and I regain a normal work schedule of Monday-Friday.

So on May 19th I submitted my resume to The Maschhoffs and waited...and waited...and waited. Finally on June 10th I heard from the company. The position was still open and they wanted a phone interview. That interview led to a behavioral evaluation test and two technical exams. The interview process continued. I was asked to come into the office for a personal interview that would last 1 hours. The date of the interview was personally arranged for me to accommodate my vacation schedule. They even went as far as to prep me for their interview questions the day before. My interview started at 7:30 am. The first interview actually ended at 9:00 am, 30 minutes late.  They asked me to stay around for more interviews, two total. I finally left their office 5 hours after the original interview started. None of that time was spent waiting for people, it was a constant shuffle to talk to everyone from the person I would work with to the directors of the IT department, to the VP himself.

Fall, Football, Pheromones and Family

As I sit on my front porch with a hot cup of coffee, watching the sun rise, listen to the birds sing "Good Morning", I think of how peaceful it is today. Unlike the afternoon and evening hours which are hustle and bustle, filled with worry of "Did today's tasks get completed? What did I forget".

What is it about this time of year that gets people riled up? The changing of the season is definitely a big factor. Some people do not adjust well to the heat so the cooler temperatures make for cooler emotions. The physical change from humidity to blustery winds, the color of the leaves,  anticipation of joyous holidays like Thanksgiving and Halloween, special times spent with family and friends, all bring back fond memories which we desperately try to recreate and live again. Isn't it funny how when those events happened the first time we often thought of them as disasters instead of joys. As time passes the negative aspects fade away and only the cherished momemnts remain.

Eat Unitl You Feel Better

Food here, food there, food everywhere and I have to eat it. That's the way i feel when I'm on my depression spirals. I can never get enough to eat. The worst thing is that it's always the worst food for me. I lack the control of eating food that is right for my diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure, etc.

Is a Grain of Sand Still a Rock?

How tiny do you have to be to not be associated with the elements from which you began? If the answer is, "once a rock always a rock no matter how small" then we are on the right track. Even though many people like to be individuals, they are still people. They are still apart of society and should be welcomed as such.

Oregon Trail

We are traveling the famous Oregon Trail to get from Illinois to Oregon. The original trail started in Independence , MO. This is one town we had to go through on our trek.

I've decided to post the pictures we have taken on our trip to Oregon in a slideshow. For the entire two weeks we will be adding pictures hopefully on a daily basis. If there are too many pictures in one show, I may add a second.

In addition to the pictures each day I will try to post about that day's adventure.

I'm going on a trip and in my bag

I'm going on a trip and in my bag.... This was the game I played as a kid when my mother, my sister and I were traveling for our vacations. It's a memory game. The first player says "I'm going on a trip and in my bag I have a(n) ..." They then insert whatever item they want. The next person must repeat the phrase, including the previous items(s) and then add their own. It doesn't even have to be something that you would normally take on a trip.  My mother always had an 8x10 glossy of  someone, Elvis, Bobby Goldsboro, Burt Reynolds (it was during the period when Burt posed for Cosmopolitan). Obviously the best way to win was to add an item that was hard to remember like "a giant purple people eater with eight toes". It really helped past the time away. I think the longest game was over one hundred items.

Life's Crossroads

What do you do when you reach a crossroad in life? Many run and hide. Some attack it with vigor and force. Others stroll the path and allow fate to determine the outcome. Life is full of choices. When we choose one direction over another we usually do so because we believe it's the best for us, either now or in the foreseen future. But when the choice is wrong we hope we can correct the mistake quickly enough. If not we try to make the best of it and keep moving on.

Being a Father/Grandpa

On this day, the third Sunday in June, which is typically celebrated as Father's Day in the US, I often ask myself,

"Have you been a good father? Are you admired and respected by your children?"

 As I reflect on my many years as a father I am confused and perplexed with the true answer. There were and are times when the answer is an astounding YES. But to my embarrassment there are too many times when the answer is a hurtful NO. It's not from a lack of trying to do my best. There are times in my opinion that I just failed.

Getting Older

Have you noticed  yourself getting older? Does your body ache more than usual? Are you gaining weight in places you never noticed before? Is your hair changing color? Are you needing to wear glasses? Are your reading glasses becoming an every hour necessity? I had to change my eye glass wearing habits. I have found that more and more I need my reading glasses. I went for my annual checkup with the ophthalmologist and everything was good despite my personal views. It's important for me to get those checkups because of my Diabetes. The eyes have the smallest blood vessels and is anything should start to go wrong, the eyes should show it first.

Travel Planning

The family and I are planning our trip west from Illinois to Oregon. We will be attending the Bentley Family Reunion at Beverly Beach State Park. I love the driving but I'm not always a camping person. My brother-in-law reserved two cabins for everyone to use. So far there are at least 8 people attending.


I am excited that the beach is a short walking distance from the campgrounds. I need my ocean fix every 4 years or so. I don't necessarily need to go into the water but I need to smell the fresh ocean air. When Hurricane Katrina hit and moved up the Mississippi River we could smell the salt air in the air here in the St. Louis area.

When I was a child...1977

I was listening to the radio on the way into work today.  They had Kasey Kasem's Top 40 from 1977.  That was 34 years ago and I was 12 years old back then.  I heard some songs that brought back good memories.