New Years Eve

Well so it is fancy that. 2009 tomorrow and another potential year of headaches. Since I am drawing a blank on what to write at the moment I will run over my last year.

Started in Cedar working with adult education and planning to start a master's program in the fall.
Found a job at Granite School district and started working and traveling to Cedar on weekends.
Bought a house and moved to the Twilight Zone.
Taught to High School classes for a month.
Got to go to a big convention.
Left Job.
Looked and Looked and Looked for work.
Got a job
Wondering what I am going to do now.

That is more or less the "high" (or low) points of the year.

good luck for next year

Laptop again

I have decided to bring my laptop for the second day this week. It is definitely a different ride when I am typing on a keyboard, and can do more with the web than just check my email. Work is work still, and maybe even worse since yesterday afternoon. The mess that has been building up for years and this year on top of that is crazy and now people are going to expect me to fix it, and some of it needs to be fixed by April, not too pretty. It is interesting when you have years and years of work that needs to be completed and you have to rely on someone that was "trained" by someone that was never really trained. We will see how today goes and especially the next couple of weeks.

I will have to see if anyone is going to give us the time of day, and let us do our job. Not that I know how to do it, but at least I could try. I don't think management will ever be something I really want to do, although I might end up there with this job. I think I am very distracted right now.

Hagoda

Video Contest

A good friend of mine made a video for a competition that takes votes to decide the winner. Check it out here and vote for him each day to help him win.

Right Back In

I got to the bus stop this morning and realized that UTA hasn't bothered plowing their parking lot and hopefully I will be able to get out this afternoon when I am trying to go home. Otherwise I am back in the fray and ready to make some changes in the next couple of weeks both with work and with my life. I needed the week away from the stresses I have been feeling and I am extremely grateful to my mom for letting us go stay with her for awhile. Overall it was a good holiday and I got to spoil Jane and surprise her with all the gifts I was able to sneak out on Christmas Eve. My present was a video game that I have yet to try a whole lot, but that should make for some interesting times. It is called Little Big Planet and it has a myriad of tools and functions to build and explore huge worlds. Carter was insane with it as he decided to "decorate" everything to extremes.

All in all I think the time off is going to be beneficial, I just have to get back into a routine so I don't go crazy. Vacations and I don't usually agree, even weekends are not the best, but this one was in comparison far from the worst, but not perfect.

On my computer today, hopefully I can accomplish something by bringing it.

Wikipedia

I really enjoy all the information available on wikipedia so I finally got around to donating something to the cause. If anyone else wants to donate you can use this button.

Vacation

I am on vacation this week so I don't know how much posting I will do
yet. When we go to my moms last night Gwen was being really funny and
cute. She was talking her head off and playing with all the toys.

When we were sitting at the counter and she had some apples to eat
with a cup of water she asked for her bear and I put him on the chair
next to her and she decided to give him a drink from her empty cup.
Maybe we coils all benefit from this vacation more than I realized.

I'll see most anybody that reads my blog this week, so you will have
to put up with me in person.

Super Guy
(on the move)

Dropping Like Flies

We are lean on people for the bus today. Many factors could decrease
the number of passengers, less people work on Friday, less traffic
with less people working, next week is Christmas, the bus was on time,
you know those kinds of things.

This was the most on time I remember ever seeing this bus, and I am
glad I got out of the house earlier than usual, especially with
somewhat slow drivers again.

I have been getting Gwen for bedtimes this week and she was pretty
goofy last night. Just before putting her in bed she followed me into
the kitchen where her other binks were on the counter. She wanted one
of them so I took the one out of her mouth an put another one in, she
must not have liked it because she asked for another one. I was
thinking she was trying to get me to give her two at a time, but when
I switched it out she was satisfied and headed back to her room. I
guess even binkies that look the same are different and Gwen was being
particular.

I actually got a relatively useful present from the another branch of
my employment yesterday, so they have helped ease my outrage, although
I am still not very pleased with the lousy management of what could be
a lift on morale. We also had a Christmas party with a white elephant
gift exchange and I ended up with a big jingle bell, although there
were at least a few nice gifts. As far as Christmas stuff is concerned
we will see how the dinner with Jane's family goes tonight, it should
be fun.

Super Guy
(on the move)

Two days left

I've decided that I may get to work eventually today, but that I need
to get up at least ten minutes earlier on snow days. It isn't the snow
that affected me and brought about the missin of my first bus, it was
the effect it had on other drivers. I tend to agree with a Colorado
visitor to Utah who said that Utahns don't know how to drive in the
snow, they were going much slower than they needed to be from Eagle
Mountain into Lehi today, and there iare no good opportunities to pass
on that entire drive, bothersome.

Also, if the first bus had been as late as the second bus I would
have made it with time to spare. Yes my second bus was way late so I
am going to see if I even get my 40 hours this week let alone my
customary 2+ hours of overtime.

I don't mind too much though because I have two days left then
vacation (roughly translated "snow shoveling") for a week. Get to
spend time with family and at least a little with friends as well. I
will be glad to not have to go very far each day and get out of the
chaos that is the wasatch front.

Wow I'm going to be way late today. Oh well. Maybe I will write more a
little later since this is going to take awhile.

Super Guy
(on the move)

Nap time

So apparently I forgot to talk about Monday much yesterday, but it
will take a bit. Sunday night we had a Christmas party/program with my
wife's family an we got home a little late with a sleeping baby. Later
on in the night she had an episode where she woke up for awhile and
Jane took her for sometime then when she put Gwen to bed again she had
some crying fits.

I ended up spending an hour sleeping on her floor to help her feel a
little better that she wasn't alone an we got past that. When my alarm
went off in the morning I hit the off button instead of snooze and
woke up about an hour late. I took a little too long getting out of
the house, because by the time I got to the bus stop the last express
bus had left. I decided I would drive at least to the train station
then just kept going. I parked in a section of the University
neighborhood called research park (no permit required) then caught a
shuttle to work.

Things are developing at work and I should be able to make several
changes when I get back from vacation.

Our work Christmas present was totally malfunctioning on Monday and
Tuesday apparently and people were giving feedback already, I might
comment to someone in hopes that we can stop them from pulling
something like this next year, one of my main problems was the bogus
survey before you choose your gift, utterly ridiculous.

It's early and I'm tired I am going to pretend to sleep now.

Super Guy
(on the move)

Counterproductive Lameness and the way out

I would argue the point of an employer giving holiday gifts or
bonusses would be to bolster morale. Well my experience yesterday did
the exact opposite sending me home offended and more than a little
upset.

We were given a "variety" of gift choices by means of a wesite and a
vague list of possible gifts like:

30 music downloads, 3 DVDs, 2 magazine subscriptions, etc.

There was one in particular I wanted more info about and that was a
$100 gourmet rewards certificate. (whatever that means).

So I get my card that has the code on it. It Is a novel cars because
it is the size of a credit card, but made out of paper and has flower
seeds embedded in it so after you are done you can plant it. I grow to
the website on the card and the first thing that comes up is a survey.

This was a first warning that something was amiss, taking a survey
before completing a process made/makes absolutely no sense. It had
questions like, do you like this method of choosing your gift, how
would you rate the variety/selection of gifts available, or the
quality. Just talking about this is making me mad, because at this
point the only specifics I have seen is an offer for 2 Papa Johns
pizzas so I am supposed to rate a vague list of items before getting
to look at them, bad business and more than a little insulting.

Well I did the rating and under consultation with a coworker watching
I put the middle ground responses, I thought the idea was cool and
choosing your own gift was a cool option, little did I know is was all
going to fizzle.

My impressions as I looked at the choose a gift screen:

There was no option for a $100 gourmet rewards certificate, nor was
there an option for 2 papa johns pizzas.

Clicking on each section for more info we find for:
30 music downloads a site I have never heard of (not fond of messing
with something I have never heard of when mainstream sites would have
been a lot better option)

3 Dvds a list of pictures and names of movies that were probably all
released at least a year ago (at least) and most could probably be
found in the $5 dump bin. (my family will understand that one)

Magazines were considered only because of the dwindling list, 2 that
were mentioned by my coworker and I that might have been interesting
we not there Consumer Reports, or National Geographic, by such gems as
"Cats" and "Dogs" were present. (names are probably not exact, but
those were the main topics of these magazines).

3 movie tickets fromfandango.com this might have been worth something,
but we don't toto the movies all that often and I didn't want to
search for a participating theater. Can I just say as well, what am I
supposed to do with a third ticket? Go on a date with my wife and ...
What exactly? I mean come on....

150 photo prints, a gift I would most likely never use was what I
settled on since I had at least heard of snapfish.com so people can
talk to me and we can get photos for them if they want, my Christmas
gift to you from my loving, and ..., management.

There may have been other options that were equally disenchanting, but
I guess I got something someone can use and I will just walk away
remembering that this is turning into one of the dumbest Decembers
ever and I will be glad to get out of the Rat Race and settle down to
hopefully enjoy some of what this season is really about and not this
commercial farce that is staged every year. It is not about being
busy, or shopping, or decorations, or this ,or that, or the other. It
is not about superficial presents, or stress, or anxiety. In fact I
think we often live it in a way that is the antithesis of the angelic
message of "Peace on Earth" wouldn't it be wonderful and won't it be
on Christmas eve and Christmas day to slow down, and feel a little
peace before going back to the daily grind. The real gift was a baby
in Bethlehem that became a man on Calvary, that gave us a path to peace.

I am grateful to God right now for that gift and the peace I have for
remembering it in this ridiculous fiasco. I actually feel a whole lot
better remembering the point and not getting as lost in the world and
its silly experiences.

Super Guy
(on the move)

Blogging again

So yesterday I didn't do a post and had a little hole in my weekday
tradition, and that is simply because I drove to work. No bus no
blogging sorry, but I am back and ready to be done with this week so I
can go home for Christmas I should get the whole week off next week
and we are getting the "heck out of Dodge". (we are going to take the
Chevy)

It will be nice to potentially get some kind of rejuvenation before
embarking on the possible duty increases at work. It will also be nice
to hang out with friends at least a little. To not "have" to go
anywhere, play games with family, see my nieces and nephews who I love
to death. I miss my family a lot and so does my wife (maybe even more
than I do)

We are a mellow bunch and a lot less high strung than many people I
have been around along the "Wasatch Front" it will be nice to be
around a little mellowness.

Super Guy
(on the move)

Just made it

Luckily I have a good bus driver that let me jump on on the road,
because she was already on her way out of the stop when I got there. I
blame Friday, and the fact that yesterday was a horribly slow work
day, which happens when I come up against bad documentation.

Hopefully I can get through the day better today, but I don't think I
will have too high of hopes as long as I get through it at all. I
guess that is it (writers block).

Hagoda

Super Guy
(on the move)

Just Remembered

There is a really fun Christmas book out by my sister-in-law called
"Santa's Secret" by Christy Hardman and Phil Porter. I am thinking
about getting some extra copies for coworkers it was a lot of fun.

Super Guy
(on the move)

One Day Closer

It is now Thursday so we might finish this week yet. I am more than a
little worn out this week to the point of almost wantiing to call in
sick to try and rejuvenate a bit, but it didn't happen and here I am
on the bus.

I have yet to see how my job is going to be rearranged for the new
year, but I have hopes that I will gain some freedom to be able to work.

City lights are pretty this morning, if nothing else Salt Lake has
that going for it I guess.

Super Guy
(on the move)

Christmas is coming

And I am glad that my shopping is practically done. Jane and I are
going to be simplifying this year so far and I think I might be able
to make it after all. It helps a lot to not have money available for
shopping.

We have a few things we bought that we need to make sure come out as
Christmas presents and don't get forgotten because we are already
using them. I enjoy not having money sometimes since I won't think
about how to spend money I don't have.

Luckily we don't really need much these days either.

Super Guy
(on the move)

Seriously now folks

I think my brain is already impeded for the day, I guess that should
be expected with two late nights in a row. Work is going alright
these days I am going to b getting more responsibilities at work
throughout this month and come January. It will be nice to try and get
some of the things we are doing standardized and functional for future
data efforts.

It is strange how time passes for me since I spend only four hours of
my days at home, it makes for long days when you are living a 12 hour
work day. Putting it in those terms it is no wonder that Jane doesn't
like our current situation, although if I were working an 8 to 5
closer to home I would only be getting effectively 1 more hour
(excluding lunch considerations).

It would be nice to see the sun again I remember it like it was
yesterday, how warm it felt, how bright it was.

Hagoda

Super Guy
(on the move)

What's the point?

If anyone knows please tell me.

Super Guy
(on the move)

All in all

Not the worst weekend I have had so not all that bad looking forward
to accomplishing something at work this week trying to get a hold on
everything that needs to be happening as we go forward with all of out
responsibilities.

Super Guy
(on the move)

Media

My sister-in-law set me off on a topic this morning as I read her blog and I thought I would reserve some of my commentary to write here since I was already leaving a longer than needed comment on her post.

Media is getting out of hand in our society on many fronts slowly sliding into inappropriate materials that are desensitizing the masses.  When you can take a step back and ask yourself about something you might be watching or reading and say "is this appropriate" that is when you take that step you may find that many of the things you enjoy or thought were "so cool" are really disgraceful portrayals of life.  I have come to agree in many ways with a story I once heard, that goes something like this.

Some children asked their dad if they could go to a movie that was very popular at the time.  The father knew that this movie was not appropriate with the standards the family had set.  He posed the question to the children and they acknowledged there would probably be inappropriate material, but that it was "only one scene" the rest of the movie was going to be great.  The children went off to school and the father prepared a pie for them when they got home.  As an ingredient in the pie he placed kitty litter from their cat's box.  When the children got home he told them he had baked a pie, one of their favorite treats, and told them about his secret ingredient.  The children were disgusted and refused to eat the pie, the father told them that the when he put in the kitty litter it was "just a little bit" and cautioned them against the thoughts that "a little bit" of anything bad can taint something that is otherwise good.

The world will always trend downward in moral issues and appropriateness, being able to step back and possibly extricate yourself from things we thought were "ok" or even "good" will help us take a step up and away from the world that is slowly sliding into a pit.  The process may be painful as we make decisions to give up something we are "used to" there are many ways of accomplishing this one of the things we have done in our family is seriously consider the movies that we own and get rid of some that didn't reflect our values.  I found an Ensign article that talks about this topic that might be worth a read, some strategies may be a little easier these days with advances in technology, but the principles will never be dated.

  

It is

Friday
Payday
Ward Party Day
Almost Nap Time
20 days until Christmas
Super Guy
(on the move)

Long Nights

So we got to the temple last night and had a good time, but the
aftermath was interesting. Jane picked me up in Lehi after I got back
from work so that is where my car was and I totally spaced on the way
home and passed it right up.

We got to the church where they were watching the kids at about 10:20
(Gwen goes to bed between 7 and 8 usually). Luckily Gwen was happy
enough, but she had an extremely sore behind. We went home and gave
her a bath then headed out at about 11 to get my car.

This was a potentially hazardous situation, but Gwen had fun looking
at the "li"s (prounce lie) both Christmas lights and stars. Luckily we
survived and got home and to bed eventually, I just hope she can get
to bed tonight.

I know I can't wait to get back to bed. Oh wait, I just got up that
could be a bad sign.

Super Guy
(on the move)

Long Days

Yesterday was very busy and ended quite well. During work a lot of my
efforts were focused on getting a better picture of what our data
management team is responsible for, since I will be taking the lead in
about a month. I found out some things that could be helpful and
hopefully I can get off to a good start.

After work I ran around inviting people to our ward Christmas party,
or inviting people to invite people to the party. All in all it didn't
make for a bad day just a bit of a long one.

It is crazy how my life has been so dynamic it changes so often that I
find a new routine or flow practically every week. Last week there
was Thanksgiving this week this ward party and a temple trip among
other things. Who knows what moight come up next week.

Super Guy
(on the move)

Something

There was something I was thinking of posting, but it has flown the
coop since I spaced off this morning. I blame the fact that I woke up
at 4 an then had to fight to get back to sleep.

I don't know why I feel so off lately, but thugs just don't feel
right. Survivvable, but not enjoyable.

Super Guy
(on the move)

Blaaah

Sometimes I wonder why we take holidays. Like weekends holidays seem
to thrash me much more than help me. It doesn't help that for the last
4 days I haven't done much of anything or really gone anywhere. It
would have been nice to leave for awhile, but it didn't happen this
Thanksgiving.

Hem haw, good luck with another week.

Super Guy
(on the move)