Holding Pattern

That time and space between jobs is a strange place to be. While I am still working at my old job, I have given official notice and am now waiting to start the next phase of my career. While my current job still may hold some challenges, for the first time in a long time, I am genuinely excited about this next phase. I suppose for the last little while I have been more or less treading water. Now I am ready to dive in. Excited, nervous, terrified, pumped, amped, you name it, I feel it.

Thinking of the future with an eye towards the past. A double edge sword.

I was a part of two church services this weekend. I played drums with the worship team at the Christmas Eve service Saturday evening and at the Christmas day service Sunday morning. It struck me that though I believe that I am not particularly close to too many people at church, except for a select few, I will still miss being part of that group. But with that said, I am still excited about the opportunities to come. What a strange place to be. On the blade of a double edged sword.

I am not one who allows anyone too closely, too quickly. I do not trust easily or often. I am wary of being hurt, but maybe mostly of hurting. I keep people at a considerable distance, I am largely impatient, intolerant, direct and have extremely high expectations of myself and those around me.  Again, a strange place to be, on the blade of that double edged sword.

Though I am comfortable with who I am, I know there is considerable room for improvement. I am not unwilling to change, though it is more likely I am simply unwilling, maybe even incapable of even considering it.  Not sure if that makes sense to anyone else, but it does to me. Today.

Hey, I did not title this blog "random thoughts" for no reason...

Leslie is a saint.

Like running from the law...only with weather...

All the while, while planning and packing and trying to secure the rental truck, I was thinking if we don't get out of Hays by 11 AM Monday, we will be stuck in Kansas for a few days. Turns out, that little premonition was dead on. Sometimes you really need to listen to that small voice...
Anyway, we got the rental truck (props to U-Haul for having one. Budget, not so much.) at 8:30 and we all worked hard to get the truck loaded and house cleaned by 10:30...We had a couple more errands to run and we were on the highway at 11:15. We were a little behind the storm front, and had to make up some time to get out of it. We drove hard, even with 40 plus MPH cross winds all the way across Kansas. We would only stop long enough for fuel, a potty break and a snack... Quite literally, we would check weather radar and 20 to 30 minutes after we left a spot, that very spot would have ice and snow... It was like this from Hays all the way to Des Moines. We decided that this really must be what it feels like to be chased by the law... it was a relentless 12 hour drive. It really felt like the weather was stalking us... a cold and dangerous pursuer, ready to stop us in our tracks. We were very determined to stay ahead of it and I think it gave us a common goal and it provided us with the motivation and adrenaline to keep going. We were indeed looked after. We had a lot of rain through Kansas, but not one time did we have snow or ice, not once.  After arrival, I slept a fitful sleep in my own bed and was never more grateful to do so...
My son-in-law and daughter were driving their cars behind me as I drove the rental truck... They were troopers for sure.
What an amazing couple of days.

Ready for a small (ish) trip...

Heading out on the bus tomorrow to Hays, Kansas to help my daughter and son-in-law load up and move back to Minnesota. They are going to live at the farm while we are away. Should give them a good taste of home ownership without all the expense... well, they will have some expense, but not a mortgage. Good deal for them, good deal for us... I hope they actually like living here as much as they think they will like living here... Know what I mean? Anyway, going to try and enjoy the trip and the process...

Official Notice This Week (What, me worry?)

After nearly 17 years with Moto/Freescale I officially gave notice this week. For some strange reason, I am not worried. The new gig with Raytheon is progressing nicely without a hitch thus far. It's been a long process, but in the big scheme of things, it has gone very well. Les and I are both excited about the challenges to come. Leslie really is a trooper.
I am excited from both a personal and professional perspective. I am confident I can learn the tools and apply my experience to learn the job and for the first time since I can remember I am actually going to receive formal training!!! That alone was worth the job switch!!! Seems most companies simply do not see the value in providing formal training for employees. Personally, that's just stupid... But I digress...
Now just trying to wrap things up at FS and begin ramping up for the new gig.
More on this topic as time allows...
Jeddah will be awesome...

It finally hit me last night just how much I will miss my Thursday night skate with the Old Timers in Rochester. They held a little going away party after our skate last night for Leslie and I with some food and drink. They had a cake made, which suffice it to say, was hilarious. We had a few laughs and I filled them in a little on what I will be doing... and I had to choke back a tear.

What a great group of guys... It really is an honor to skate with such a great group, and while we have all may have lost a step as far as the hockey is concerned, these guys more than make up for that with class, dignity, and caring...

I said it last night and I really meant it, they all taught me how to love the game again and because of that, I am playing some of the best hockey of my life at any level and these guys will truly be missed...

Very good night of hockey

Played hockey in Kasson last night. What a F-A-S-T pace. Mostly former junior, college and minor pro players. I personally had a very good night. Went undefeated in three mini games and was even able to garner a shutout (1-0) in the last mini game. The "D" played well in front of me and minimized most second chance opportunities and by and large I was solid with the first saves. Not bad for a 50 year old goalie... Some of the best hockey I have been involved with in some time.

My ever loyal wife decided to come with me and watch from the frigid seating area. She says she really enjoyed watching and I believe that to be true. I did take some ribbing from a couple of the guys about her wearing her Detroit Red Wings jacket with matching gloves and toque. I said she only wears it to torture me because I am such a Habs fan.

As usual, my favorite part of the evening was the drive up and back.

Snow is finally here

Did a little grocery shopping in the rain today, which quickly turned to snow. It was beautiful... Great day!
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Old Timer Hockey

Great night playing hockey last night. What a group, I will miss this once a week event when I go, but hopefully I can establish a good skate with another group... It will not be the same, but hopefully just as enjoyable...

What a Thanksgiving Week!!!

Great week last week. Amazing Friday. A little shopping, some travel, a hockey game, then a dinner, then the Chamber Orchestra... Great company... Had a conversation with my best friend that I have been waiting for years to have. An amazing discussion about theology... faith, personal belief... all that...
not religion... but spirituality... biblical spirituality... AWESOME stuff.

Another great day...

Good day with friends and family. Hung out with Jon and Josh and had some awesome laughs. We somehow invented a new word (clawpecker) and thought up useless but hilarious usage and phrases for it.
Later that day, I showed my son-in-law some maintenance things around the house, then taught him how to use my tractor. He did great! Slow, steady, careful... can't ask for more than that. Besides, I told him, "you break it, you buy it"... bahahahah...  and the fact it can really hurt you if you do something stupid...
Made some awesome home-made pizzas. All in all, a great day.

Sunday...

Great time at worship and the message on patience and knowing we are not in control... how timely. Had a great time banging on the drums. Worship team sounded awesome... Good lunch out (I ate some stuff that was WAY too hot for me, but I would never admit that) but it was awesome... Nice afternoon knocking around with Leslie. What a great travel buddy my wife is... She always gets that nap in on the way home...

Busy day...

Loading, unloading, packing, unpacking, moving stuff around, then off to the Legion for some chicken with Leslie... back home, resting, watching the Habs and Rangers. Life is good.

On patience

I am learning patience... more and more... not just an issue of hurry up and wait, but just wait...
Ready for something to happen, but no longer sure that it will.
Ready for the weekend.

Today, I feel like a pin cushion, a lab rat, a science experiment... had a lot of tests done today, but for a good reason... big things on the horizon...

Great Weekend

Well, had a great visit with our daughter and we can check a great many things off of our bucket list for Minnesota. Rode public transit (light rail) in the cities, roamed around downtown, visited Evelyth, saw the big hockey stick, the US Hockey Hall of Fame, International Falls, Ely, a wolf sanctuary (from the gate), spent a night in a lodge on Lake Superior, traveled the North Shore and cruised through Duluth... What a great vacation!!! My wife is an amazing partner, friend, traveler and companion...

Great night skating with the young dudes last night. Made some nice saves, allowed a couple softies, but overall, I was satisfied with my play. Ah, the life of an old goalie. Truth is, what I enjoyed the most, was the ride up and back with my wife Leslie...

Big changes coming...

Many changes on the horizon. I believe I am as ready as ever to handle this. Time will tell.

First post

Honestly do not think anyone is interested in what I have to say. Just trying this out as another means of communicating.