He is ALIVE!

Yes, boys and girls, I am still alive. I haven't been posting lately, and I'm not really sure why. Actually, that's not true. I do know why....

Mainly, its this: Now that I'm not in "the business" anymore, I refuse to be one of those that sits on the sidelines and snipes at what other people are doing. But since I needed to pass on a "good luck", I decided to break my self-imposed silence.

Ken Dillon is headed back to Clinton next week. Their gain, our loss. When Ken was first hired at my former place of employment, all I knew of him was what I had heard from some former co-workers. I had a preconceived idea of Ken -- and I was wrong. Ken is one of the hardest working, nicest guys I've ever had the pleasure of working with. There easily could have been some tension between us, as he was coming from a situation where he'd been THE BOSS, and now he was working for someone with less experience than he had. But he never gave any indication that it was a problem. He did everything I asked him to do. He offered advice when I asked for it, and didn't talk about me behind my back or question my authority. And he became much more than a co-worker. He became a friend.

When I walked out, I dumped a load of shit on Ken's shoulders, and he never complained (ok, he complained a little, but always in a nice way!) He had to learn a lot in a short period of time, and he had to do some things I know in his heart he did not want to do. I know it wasn't easy for him -- or on him. I'm happy about his new gig, if only for the positive impact it will have on his health -- both physical and mental. He's going home, and not too many people get that chance.

So, Ken Dillon, make the most of this opportunity. Use every little shred of knowledge, talent and drive that you have to make this work for you. And if by some chance you learned anything from me in the time we worked together, rest assured that I learned as much, if not more, from you. You are a class act, and I wish you well.

NOW GO DOWN THERE AND KICK SOME CLINTON ASS!!!!!!

Wow! Whatta week!

I made it through my first week at the new job, and my brain is still spinning. I thought I was reasonably computer literate. Yeah, right! The guys I work with make me feel like I was using an abacus.

I spent the first two days just learning how to navigate the computer system. Everything, and I mean everything, is done on your desktop. Hell, you even answer the phone through your computer (I'd read about VOIP....I'd never used it). I finally started feeling a tiny bit productive on Wednesday, and then on Thursday, I got to dive headlong into customer relations, trying to save a major bid that is teetering on the verge of going to a competitor. Plus planning for a couple of upcoming trade shows, working on branding a new service offering, and making arrangements with a local weekly paper for my boss to write a tech column. And all the while, trying to learn all the new acronyms. VAR, SAP, NAS, MSP (I won't bore you with the translations) not to mention such things as application virtualization ( I think I know what that one is, but I'm not entirely sure) . It quickly became apparent that most people in the office use all those terms, so if I wanted to have a clue about what anyone was talking about, I had to take a crash course.

I'm EXHAUSTED! And I haven't enjoyed work this much in years!

Jim Lawson hurt in accident

An old friend and co-worker, Jim Lawson, was seriously injured in a car accident this past weekend. Jim is the operations manager/AM drive at KDKD in Clinton. I guess he got screwed up pretty bad -- a bunch of broken bones and a shattered leg. His wife, Glenna, was also seriously hurt. He's in Columbia, she's at St. Luke's in KC.

My thoughts are with both of them as the long process of recovery begins. Godspeed.

Doing the right thing.

I always had a complex relationship with my late father. Well, not really complex, I guess. We just didn't have anything to do with one another for the past fifteen or twenty years. So I was suprised to find out after he died that I was indeed to share in his estate, along with my sister and his adopted son from his second marriage (who I have never met).

What I really didn't expect was what I found out last week. When he died, his wishes were already laid out and were followed to the tee. There was no obituary, no funeral, no nothing. His remains were cremated by the funeral home and that was the end of it. Or so we thought.....

Seems his ashes are at the attorney's office along with his personal effects. And since I'm the only heir that lives here....guess who has to deal with them???

I'm kinda ashamed to admit that I had some really evil ideas at first. I won't even go into specifics. But after talking to my mom and my sister, we're gonna do the right thing. I'm trying to track down exactly where his parents are buried. I know they are in one of the local cemetaries...just not exactly where. But since my sis will be in town later this month, I agreed to find out, so we can scatter his ashes on his parents' graves.

I don't really know how I feel about it. But I guess that's consistent. I never really knew how I felt about him, either.

Gainfully employed!

After five weeks of glorious (and beginning to get boring) inactivity, I start my new job on Monday. I'm an account manager for a local tech service company. Of all the jobs I applied for, this is the one I really wanted!

I'm working for a guy I've known for years, doing something I think I'm gonna really enjoy. The hours are great (8 to 5 and NO on call work). The pay is good, the benefits are good, and most importantly, the morale of the place seems to be fantastic. I'll be the oldest person there, by far, but to me, that's not a bad thing. The propeller heads are all in their twenties, and the management types in their late thirties or early forties.

It's a little scary to be starting a new job. I haven't done that in a LONG time. But its also exciting and I think it will be a good (and long term) opportunity to not only use all the varied skills I've picked up over the years, but to learn new ones on a daily basis. I'm already learning about hardware and capabilities that I didn't even know existed. And I think what excites me the most is that, if I had known what this company does and how well they do it, I would have contracted with them at the radio station several years ago. My god, how that would have taken an immense load off my shoulders back then! But I didn't know what they did. And the important thing is -- NOBODY ELSE DOES EITHER! What a marketing opportunity!!??!!

In any event, the past five weeks have been good for me. I am more rested and relaxed than I have been in literally decades. I've had time to reflect on what I want out of the rest of my life, and to get the groundwork in place for some other things I really want to do (like finish that elusive degree....time off for classes does NOT seem like it will be a major stumbling block. This place WANTS its people to get training and education on a continuing basis). Self-examination is not always a pleasant experience, but ultimately, it is an important aspect of growth. And it's nice that something besides my waistline may be growing!

Soooo, Monday morning, its up and back into the world of the gainfully employed. Here's hoping it turns out to be everything I expect and hope -- and more!

Confucious say:

He who stays up until 7:30AM reading deserves to feel like dung spot on bottom of elephant's foot.

It's been a while...

...so I thought I'd post something!

The job search is going better. I've got a solid lead on a position with a tech company that interests me greatly, and I think its moved from the possible to the probable. I'll know more next week after the holiday.

Other than that, just doing a lot of reading, fishing, crossword puzzles and barbequing. All in all, life is pretty good!

Just one more option to consider......

It has always kinda bothered me that I never finished college. I'm a two-time dropout -- once because of immaturity; the second time because of family responsibilities. I think I've grown up now, and being single again eliminates the family problems. And since I'm not working -- well -- I'm thinking about going back.

I went to talk to an advisor at the college yesterday, and was surprised to learn that I'm in better shape than I expected. After all the dust settles, it seems like I may need only about 15 hours. That's one semester full-time. The biggest problem has always been that I need specific classes which are only offered occasionally. But I spent the morning going through class schedules, and every course I need is offered this fall. Hmmm---maybe an omen??

On top of that, I am scheduled to receive an inheritance from my late father in early June, and it will be enough to live on for a year - without working. Another omen??

The biggest drawback is age. It's hard enough looking for a job in your late forties. Will passing the magic half-century mark make it even harder? But at the same time, it would be nice to be able to check that "bachelor's degree" box on the applications. It doesn't seem to matter that I already have more college hours than most graduates. It's either "degree" or nothing!

Sooooooo....as if I didn't have enough to think about, now I've got another option to consider.

(Ironically, they want me to repeat "public speaking"....as if 20 years on the radio doesn't qualify. Sheesh!!!!)