"It's been one of those days
and everybody's on it everybody's on it
here comes the rain
the boys and the girls are coming inside
walking past the gate if i hurry i can get home in time
i love my house
it's been one of those days
and everybody's on it everybody's on it"
~ ATHLETE - One of Those Days ~
That sounds rather harsh, but no worries, nothing horrible will be unfolding in the post below. I've just been thinking an awful lot in the past two days about where I'm at and where I'm headed.
For the last 8 months of my life everything has been building towards a single date: May 11th. We accomplished the unthinkable... we opened a brand new store while keeping another store running at full force. It's been an amazing experience. (I'll post more about all that later on... hopefully there will also be pictures :D) I have little doubt in my mind that I found the job I was always meant to have. I look at all the random hobbies, skills, classes that made up the 23 years preceding and can see how they all came into play during these last months. This move has called on all my skills personally and professionally. (Am I really old enough to have "professional" skills?)
I feel as though God lead me down a road as twisted and hilly as the turn off you take to get to Sugar Bottom's Disc Golf course. And looking back I now see how both the failures and triumphs have gotten me here. Wow. Who am I to have been so blessed in this way and at such a young age.
For the majority of my "adult" life I've had one consistent prayer that is always included amongst all the others:
"Lord give me the knowledge to see the path you're laying out for me,
The stregth to walk down it,
And the faith to put one foot in front of the other on the days I've lost my way"
And let me tell you..... He made good. I knocked and the door was opened. I asked and He provided.
So if there's any advice I can offer to you, all my friends out there graduating or just looking ahead... trust Him. Follow Him down the road that feels right even when you can't read the map.
This brings me to the second half of my post, where to now?
Now that the store opening has come and passed it's time to start looking forward again. Talking to my boss it sounds like I'm going to be transferred to another store within the next month or so. This is sort of bittersweet, having just put everything I've got into this new store and knowing now that I'll be leaving it. I'm surprisingly ok with it though. I'm ready for that next adventure, that new challenge. I've proven that I can do the first half of the job. Now I have to prove that I can do the "people half." Now I want to show them I can be a leader and a coach and a good manager.
So here I sit on my front porch in the rain letting my mind wander...
This is the first real summer rain. Where the air is humid all day and then when the clouds break the rain is warm but the breeze has a bit of a chill to it.
I miss my dog. I miss bringing her our onto this porch in the rain. She'd sit by the ledge with her nose in the air discovering all the new scents brought alive by a fresh rain.
It's time to leave my parent's house. It's been great and I'm so thankful they let me come back and I haven't had to struggle to pay rent and bills. But now it's finally time I move on.
I promised two years ago to fix the chair I'm sitting on and still haven't done it. It's an Adirondack style chair I built in high school wood shop class. I took the class as a senior because unlike most of my friends who packed their schedule with AP this and honors that in order to get into the best school, I was accepted into Iowa by the beginning of October and wanted to relax and enjoy my senior year. I knew the wood shop teacher from the brief time he was at the middle school and then again when he would lend a hand for theater productions. I was his "handy Thiel person." So senior year Matt and I were in his class with all the usual wood shop trouble makers and he basically let us build whatever we wanted. It was great.
I should make Angie another mix cd. I wonder if she's gotten the last ones I sent to her.
I need a real vacation. And someone to go with me on this trip. I want to take an actual trip. Maybe another country? Highest on the list is probably Asia. Maybe Japan, or Thailand or China for the Olympics? Europe would probably be easier though. Maybe I can arrange to meet Angie somewhere on her next leave. It would have been nice if I'd had the time to get to Spain.
Not only is it time to leave my parents house, but probably also Illinois. I need a new city. When my boss and I talk about my transfer I'll have to pick his brain about where he thinks the best opportunities are.
That's all. The wind has definitely shifted to being cold and the shorts and t-shirt which felt like almost too much when I came out here are now not doing enough to keep out the chill. Sorry about the lack of structure towards the end. I just haven't posted anything in so long and I figured it was as good a way as any to share some of the random thoguhts I've been having lately.
I'll try and get pictures up of this new store I keep mentioning. It's seriously so great I want you all to come visit it. Maybe that 120 hour, 11 straight days leading up to doors open was worth it after all :D
Tuesday, May 15
Wednesday, April 18
Play the same chords
If you've ever thought all pop songs sound the same, Rob here will explain why...
Make sure you watch all the way until the end. That's the best part.
Make sure you watch all the way until the end. That's the best part.
Wednesday, March 21
Recap
Goodness. Has it really been a month? I'm sorry. Someday I'll get back to finishing the trip pictures, but for now... eh. Maybe if I get bored tomorrow. Anyway....
Work continues to be stressful, but I'm doing a better job having a life outside of work. A couple weeks back I went to America's number one soccer bar in Wrigleyville on my day off. Yummy Irish food and Good beer and even better soccer. Not a bad day off :D
On St Patrick's Day I met up with my friend David in Evanston and we had a few pints of Guiness to celebrate the holiday. It was nice to do something besides work or sit at home, even if we did talk mostly about Trader Joe's and people we knew in common. The bar we went to was close to the Northwestern campus so we definitely spent part of the night mocking the rowdy college kids. It felt like being back in IC.
Sunday night another one of our friends Dj'd a bar in Wicker Park. It was one of those tiny hole in the wall clubs that is too cool to even have a sign out front. I think the only people in the place were TJ's empolyees from various stores, but it was still good fun. I made some new friends and now the count is up to 4!!!! That's right, I have 6 friends in Chicago now. Take that Iowa City! ( Just kidding. I'd still much rather be back there) One of the girls there spent a solid 15 minutes playing TJ customer charades were she acted out stereotypical customers while we tried to guess. I was laughing so hard I was in tears. We were practically rolling on the floor laughing. We also all made plans to go to Trader Joe's prom on the same night. Hooray knowing people at the party this year!
Yes that means I have to buy a dress for the party again. No clue what I want to wear, but at least this year I'm starting shopping earlier and I have a better idea of what other people wear. It looks like I won't be going the same night as my boss, which is probably for the best because he tells me he's "quite the partier" and he plans on "going wild." Like I said, I think I can miss that.
Work continues to be stressful, but I'm doing a better job having a life outside of work. A couple weeks back I went to America's number one soccer bar in Wrigleyville on my day off. Yummy Irish food and Good beer and even better soccer. Not a bad day off :D
On St Patrick's Day I met up with my friend David in Evanston and we had a few pints of Guiness to celebrate the holiday. It was nice to do something besides work or sit at home, even if we did talk mostly about Trader Joe's and people we knew in common. The bar we went to was close to the Northwestern campus so we definitely spent part of the night mocking the rowdy college kids. It felt like being back in IC.
Sunday night another one of our friends Dj'd a bar in Wicker Park. It was one of those tiny hole in the wall clubs that is too cool to even have a sign out front. I think the only people in the place were TJ's empolyees from various stores, but it was still good fun. I made some new friends and now the count is up to 4!!!! That's right, I have 6 friends in Chicago now. Take that Iowa City! ( Just kidding. I'd still much rather be back there) One of the girls there spent a solid 15 minutes playing TJ customer charades were she acted out stereotypical customers while we tried to guess. I was laughing so hard I was in tears. We were practically rolling on the floor laughing. We also all made plans to go to Trader Joe's prom on the same night. Hooray knowing people at the party this year!
Yes that means I have to buy a dress for the party again. No clue what I want to wear, but at least this year I'm starting shopping earlier and I have a better idea of what other people wear. It looks like I won't be going the same night as my boss, which is probably for the best because he tells me he's "quite the partier" and he plans on "going wild." Like I said, I think I can miss that.
Wednesday, February 21
Hit the Slopes
Day One on the Mountain. We woke up bright and early (7 am) and geared up for some fun. Of course we didn't actually get out the door until almost 930. We're not so together. Matt, Tony and Jason all smiles at the start of the day...
Our awesome condo.
The view from our driveway.
As you can see it was snowing at the base of the mountain. It had been snowing steadily for a couple of days and there was knee high powder when we got out there. I'd never snowboarded in anything that deep before so I did a lot of falling at first. This first stretch of mountain took me almost 20 minutes to get down
I'm told it kept everyone waiting in the lift line entertained :D I had a couple of awesome falls... some good sommersaults... only one minor injury. I only went about half way up the mountain that first time. This put me in the heart of the clouds and the snow storm. I took a cut through path to get to one of the big runs.
I also wanted to avoid the little kid ski schools. At one point I was following a pair of riders who decided to leave the path and go down the clif. Sure. Why not. Eventually I got to a larger run, but there was little visability.
I got a bit lost, but I did find this sign...
So I didn't feel completely lost :D It turned out I was on a different run then I planned. Only a bit farther and I got home just in time for lunch.
I was so exhausted I decided to spend the rest of the day relaxing in the condo.
The guys went a bit higher...
...but fell just as hard.
Once everyone was home we hit the hot tub and did a little bit of drinking. We spent the big bucks on Canada's finest variety packs. We bought a couple of cheap mixed cases that turned out to be halfway decent.
Andrew played with the fireplace
Matt pretended to be an Iron Chef
While Matt and I worked on enchiladas for dinner we accidently set off the smoke detector. Which set off the house alarm. Which we had no idea how to turn off. It was ok though, because while we all scrambled about trying to fix the problem, Andrew continued to play with the fire place. "Where's the lighter? Has anyone seen my lighter?" "No Drew, open a freaking door and let the smoke out"
After dinner Matt and Tony pelted us with snowballs every time we tried to join them in the hot tub.
So we decided to get them back with the Shovel Sneak Attack!
Ok well that was Day Two. Stay tuned for more updates.
Our awesome condo.
The view from our driveway.
As you can see it was snowing at the base of the mountain. It had been snowing steadily for a couple of days and there was knee high powder when we got out there. I'd never snowboarded in anything that deep before so I did a lot of falling at first. This first stretch of mountain took me almost 20 minutes to get down
I'm told it kept everyone waiting in the lift line entertained :D I had a couple of awesome falls... some good sommersaults... only one minor injury. I only went about half way up the mountain that first time. This put me in the heart of the clouds and the snow storm. I took a cut through path to get to one of the big runs.
I also wanted to avoid the little kid ski schools. At one point I was following a pair of riders who decided to leave the path and go down the clif. Sure. Why not. Eventually I got to a larger run, but there was little visability.
I got a bit lost, but I did find this sign...
So I didn't feel completely lost :D It turned out I was on a different run then I planned. Only a bit farther and I got home just in time for lunch.
I was so exhausted I decided to spend the rest of the day relaxing in the condo.
The guys went a bit higher...
...but fell just as hard.
Once everyone was home we hit the hot tub and did a little bit of drinking. We spent the big bucks on Canada's finest variety packs. We bought a couple of cheap mixed cases that turned out to be halfway decent.
Andrew played with the fireplace
Matt pretended to be an Iron Chef
While Matt and I worked on enchiladas for dinner we accidently set off the smoke detector. Which set off the house alarm. Which we had no idea how to turn off. It was ok though, because while we all scrambled about trying to fix the problem, Andrew continued to play with the fire place. "Where's the lighter? Has anyone seen my lighter?" "No Drew, open a freaking door and let the smoke out"
After dinner Matt and Tony pelted us with snowballs every time we tried to join them in the hot tub.
So we decided to get them back with the Shovel Sneak Attack!
Ok well that was Day Two. Stay tuned for more updates.
Saturday, February 17
Duck, Duck... Duck?
Why yes, that is a picture of a four-legged duck. My question is why did he name the duck Stumpy?
(picture stolen hotlinked style from CNN)
Monday, February 12
Say Goodbye
When I loaded the snow day pictures onto my computer I found the pictures from Angie's layover in Chicago. Jess, Eli and I went to Midway Airport to goof around in baggage claim for a couple of hours. Jess even wore her Cedar Falls t-shirt in honor or angie's visit
Then Jess scratched Angie's nose. I'm not entirely sure why. I think I was distracted by the hot pretzel I was snacking on.
This may or may not have led to Angie getting a nose bleed...
According to Angie it happens to her a lot. So I think Jess is pretty much blameless. Too soon it was time to say goodbye.
Then Jess scratched Angie's nose. I'm not entirely sure why. I think I was distracted by the hot pretzel I was snacking on.
This may or may not have led to Angie getting a nose bleed...
According to Angie it happens to her a lot. So I think Jess is pretty much blameless. Too soon it was time to say goodbye.
Go Cross Country Skiing
I had a very ambitious plan to make this into a "choose your own adventure" blog entry. Of course that was back before arts and crafts time ran long. (I had to make signs for the store and apparently it takes longer to apply all that glitter than I remembered from first grade) Instead you'll be getting an average "this is what I did" post. I know, I'm disappointed too.
I woke up today to the wonderful sight of snow! And not just a little flurry. Almost 4 inches of fluffy powdery snow! Once I finished shoveling I couldn't bring myself to go back inside. I love my snow and it was a balmy 29 degrees out so why go inside. What to do? Cross-Country Ski!!!!!! It took me a while to find my boots but soon I was off to the park down the road.
I made a couple of laps. Stopped to take pictures of the playground...
There's something sort of sad about a snow covered Jungle Gym... but peaceful all the same.
My own skis...
The pretty snowy trees...
I had forgotten how tiring it was to break your own trail. I hadn't gone very far and it was only 945 am but I was already tired. I stopped at a local ski shop and they told me about a nearby forest preserve with good trails. Side note: what is it with Illinois and forest preserves? is this something they do other places? how is it any different than a park? I really don't understand.
This park was exactly what I was looking for. Of course having never been there before I had no clue where I was going. So I just picked a trail and was off.
After a couple of "well I guess I'll go this way" turns I found a river.
There were some ducks swimming but they heard me approaching and flew off as I got close.
Following the river I found a bridge...
...and more importantly a trail map.
I'd made a loop of the north trails, about a mile and a half so far. I figured I had enough energy left to explore the southern trails rather than cut across and try to find my car. So I kept following the river.
Eventually I came across a path no one had taken yet...
I couldn't resist. I got to tell you, I was having so much fun. I'm such a geek. There I was alone in the woods with a goofy grin on my face, skiing along.
In retrospect the new path was maybe a bad choice. I think it ended up being the longer way around and I have to admit it was a relief to see a bright yellow spot in the distance.
Was it? Could I have found my way back? YAY it's Buck! Right where I left him....
I'm not sure why the sign said Habitat Restoration. It probably means I shouldn't have left the trail and scared those ducks though. Oh well. So that was my day. How was your monday?
The whole adventure reminded me of my favorite Frost poem: Stopping By the Woods On a Snowy Evening. This was one of those days where it's easy to see how amazing God is.
I woke up today to the wonderful sight of snow! And not just a little flurry. Almost 4 inches of fluffy powdery snow! Once I finished shoveling I couldn't bring myself to go back inside. I love my snow and it was a balmy 29 degrees out so why go inside. What to do? Cross-Country Ski!!!!!! It took me a while to find my boots but soon I was off to the park down the road.
I made a couple of laps. Stopped to take pictures of the playground...
There's something sort of sad about a snow covered Jungle Gym... but peaceful all the same.
My own skis...
The pretty snowy trees...
I had forgotten how tiring it was to break your own trail. I hadn't gone very far and it was only 945 am but I was already tired. I stopped at a local ski shop and they told me about a nearby forest preserve with good trails. Side note: what is it with Illinois and forest preserves? is this something they do other places? how is it any different than a park? I really don't understand.
This park was exactly what I was looking for. Of course having never been there before I had no clue where I was going. So I just picked a trail and was off.
After a couple of "well I guess I'll go this way" turns I found a river.
There were some ducks swimming but they heard me approaching and flew off as I got close.
Following the river I found a bridge...
...and more importantly a trail map.
I'd made a loop of the north trails, about a mile and a half so far. I figured I had enough energy left to explore the southern trails rather than cut across and try to find my car. So I kept following the river.
Eventually I came across a path no one had taken yet...
I couldn't resist. I got to tell you, I was having so much fun. I'm such a geek. There I was alone in the woods with a goofy grin on my face, skiing along.
In retrospect the new path was maybe a bad choice. I think it ended up being the longer way around and I have to admit it was a relief to see a bright yellow spot in the distance.
Was it? Could I have found my way back? YAY it's Buck! Right where I left him....
I'm not sure why the sign said Habitat Restoration. It probably means I shouldn't have left the trail and scared those ducks though. Oh well. So that was my day. How was your monday?
The whole adventure reminded me of my favorite Frost poem: Stopping By the Woods On a Snowy Evening. This was one of those days where it's easy to see how amazing God is.
Thursday, February 1
Monday, January 29
Go to Canada!
Ok. So, Canada. We all flew into Seattle and then drove up to Whistler the next day. But now I'm ahead of myself, because what makes you think "greatest vacation ever" more than having to diffuse a bar fight with hick Washington locals within the first 4 hours of the trip. I wish I had pictures of these guys but it was the most ridiculous situation I'd been involved in, probably ever.
Matt...
lives down the street from a townie bar. And we had sometime to kill before Drew...
landed at 1130. When I say townie bar I mean pretty much what you're picturing. Small, dirty, broken door on the men's bathroom, one bartender/waitress/manager. So when we get there a pair of Indian guys are playing pool. We do the proper thing and put down quarters, asking to have next round, they're fine with that. So we're taking turns using the table and then new people arrive and want to play against us. By this point Matt and Tony have left for the airport, leaving me, Jason, Steve and Matt's friend whose name I unfortunately can't remember.... Mike? maybe... let's just call him Mike to make this easier.
So Mike and Jason...
play this new pair of people and win, keeping the table. Then more people start challenging them. Steve and I are just sitting back drinking, laughing, having a good time, when Steve notices one of the "losers" giving Mike dirty looks. Now I've maybe had a few drinks. Steve has maybe had a few pitchers. You know, good times :D But we start joking about how Jason should run up, sucker punch the one redneck guy and then we all run away. This must have been over heard by the Indian guys (who kept disappearing into the bathroom to smoke weed we late figured out) because next thing I know they're talking to the hick guys and we're all getting even more dirty looks. So by this point Steve and Jason think a bar fight is the greatest idea ever, Mike is fairly indifferent but would go along and I don't want anything to do with actual violence.
Mike finally suggests taking a break from playing and he and Jason give up the table by either intentionally losing or just bad luck, I'm still not sure which and the fight is avoided. Of course five minutes later Matt, Tony and Drew arrive and are mad they missed the fun and have to talked out of rekindling the animosity.
Whew. So that was night one.
Day One: Road trip to Whistler
Whistler is about a 5 hour drive from Seattle. So we piled all our stuff in to the Expedition we were borrowing from Steve and off we went. Tony and Drew slept, I rode middle in back so as to have a kick ass footrest :D
Woohoo the border!
It turns out the border patrol people have no interest in being anything but deathly serious with you. We stopped to run around anyway.
There were shenanigans.
Did you ever see that South Park Episode where they went to Canada to get Ike back and ended up finding Saddam Hussien? And on the way when they asked directions they were told "follow they only road"? That's how we felt. I turns out there is only one main road that runs from the border, through Vancouver and on up to Whistler. And when I say through Vancouver I mean it was like driving down the strip in Coralville. For almost two hours. Talk about good times.
But it did get us right to our condo (after a few wrong turns) and it was completely worth it. There was a ton of snow on the ground and we had a huge hill in our backyard so of course we did the only sensible thing: built a sled run!
Well first I guess we had a bit of a snowball fight. I ran up the hill and started raining snowballs down on everyone as they came out the back door. The snow at the very top was a bit britttle so I had a weight advantage being the smallest, it was easiest for me to get all the way to the top.
Matt tried the sled run head first
I wasn't so brave (foolish?)
I seem to have a bad habit of building sled runs that end in dangerous places. I'm thinking back to the one behind Daum which ended at concrete steps and there was that tree to avoid along the way. And then last year in Mammoth it ended in the road...
Well this year you had to brake before slamming into the side of the hot tub. :D
So there's the first 36 hours. I forget how time consuming it is to add all the photos so I'm going to break it up into lots of shorter posts.
Matt...
lives down the street from a townie bar. And we had sometime to kill before Drew...
landed at 1130. When I say townie bar I mean pretty much what you're picturing. Small, dirty, broken door on the men's bathroom, one bartender/waitress/manager. So when we get there a pair of Indian guys are playing pool. We do the proper thing and put down quarters, asking to have next round, they're fine with that. So we're taking turns using the table and then new people arrive and want to play against us. By this point Matt and Tony have left for the airport, leaving me, Jason, Steve and Matt's friend whose name I unfortunately can't remember.... Mike? maybe... let's just call him Mike to make this easier.
So Mike and Jason...
play this new pair of people and win, keeping the table. Then more people start challenging them. Steve and I are just sitting back drinking, laughing, having a good time, when Steve notices one of the "losers" giving Mike dirty looks. Now I've maybe had a few drinks. Steve has maybe had a few pitchers. You know, good times :D But we start joking about how Jason should run up, sucker punch the one redneck guy and then we all run away. This must have been over heard by the Indian guys (who kept disappearing into the bathroom to smoke weed we late figured out) because next thing I know they're talking to the hick guys and we're all getting even more dirty looks. So by this point Steve and Jason think a bar fight is the greatest idea ever, Mike is fairly indifferent but would go along and I don't want anything to do with actual violence.
Mike finally suggests taking a break from playing and he and Jason give up the table by either intentionally losing or just bad luck, I'm still not sure which and the fight is avoided. Of course five minutes later Matt, Tony and Drew arrive and are mad they missed the fun and have to talked out of rekindling the animosity.
Whew. So that was night one.
Day One: Road trip to Whistler
Whistler is about a 5 hour drive from Seattle. So we piled all our stuff in to the Expedition we were borrowing from Steve and off we went. Tony and Drew slept, I rode middle in back so as to have a kick ass footrest :D
Woohoo the border!
It turns out the border patrol people have no interest in being anything but deathly serious with you. We stopped to run around anyway.
There were shenanigans.
Did you ever see that South Park Episode where they went to Canada to get Ike back and ended up finding Saddam Hussien? And on the way when they asked directions they were told "follow they only road"? That's how we felt. I turns out there is only one main road that runs from the border, through Vancouver and on up to Whistler. And when I say through Vancouver I mean it was like driving down the strip in Coralville. For almost two hours. Talk about good times.
But it did get us right to our condo (after a few wrong turns) and it was completely worth it. There was a ton of snow on the ground and we had a huge hill in our backyard so of course we did the only sensible thing: built a sled run!
Well first I guess we had a bit of a snowball fight. I ran up the hill and started raining snowballs down on everyone as they came out the back door. The snow at the very top was a bit britttle so I had a weight advantage being the smallest, it was easiest for me to get all the way to the top.
Matt tried the sled run head first
I wasn't so brave (foolish?)
I seem to have a bad habit of building sled runs that end in dangerous places. I'm thinking back to the one behind Daum which ended at concrete steps and there was that tree to avoid along the way. And then last year in Mammoth it ended in the road...
Well this year you had to brake before slamming into the side of the hot tub. :D
So there's the first 36 hours. I forget how time consuming it is to add all the photos so I'm going to break it up into lots of shorter posts.
Monday, January 15
Go Snowboarding
I just back from the annual Ski Trip and am desperately in need of another vacation. I'm posting this mostly as a reminder to myself to post pictures and stories from the trip. Also, so when I get busy you can harass me into posting the hilarious trip details.
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