So I realized at bible study tonight that I needed to write on my blog, as per the goal...Carlee you are too funny. As far as my goals are going, I have read half of "The Giver"...and so far it's awesome! I'm familiar with the first chapter of Philippians, but not memorized fully yet, and I'm playing my guitar more, but nothing written yet.
In the last 9 days, I have worked a lot...likely too much, I have community Group tuesdays and now I am going to a Men's group Wednesday nights, but it's been nice not to have young life while work is crazy. Saturday was an all day Young Life conference and I had breakfast with Carlee and Timothy up in Everett beforehand, and after I went to Jenn and Carlos' for the birthday party and house warming party and congrats to Amber and Isaac on their pregnancy party. It was fun.
This weekend I might join Matt for a fun little outing to a cabin then superbowl at Timothy and Carlee's. Next weekend is a retreat with the church I go to here. The retreat will be up near Mt. Baker, so that will be really fun. Lots to keep me busy.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Birthday stuff
I've been working a lot lately, and haven't had a lot of free time to just rest. So yesterday I just sat at home and did nothing. I played a little guitar, goofed around on the internet, watched a movie...just vegged and it was nice. This morning when I woke up, I had a random urge to go to my favorite benches in Seattle and play my guitar. There were a ton of people who apparently walk this strip so it took forever to take the pic above, but it was worth it in the end. :-) It was really cold though.
Wednesday I joined a men's group at Bethany(my church) and we're going to read the pastor's book called O2. I'm really excited because I've heard really good things about it, so I'll let you know how it is when i've read it. :-) The other two books I have decided are on my 9 books to read are The giver and the alchemist. Both have come with great recommendations. Let's see how much time i can fit in for reading.
The rest of the day I decided I didn't want to drive anywhere far. So it appears I'll just be hanging out in ballard or go to downtown Seattle and taking more pictures. I'm not sure. I just want to be outdoors and I don't want to have to drive far to get there. We'll see where I end up.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
To 'Be' or to 'Do'
So something struck me at church tonight that i think is too profound for an accountant's mind. My pastor was talking about Acts 1:8 where it says "you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth". He mentioned how this is what St Francis meant by "Preach the gospel on all occations and only when you have to use words." So BEING a witness and not going out to DO witness as an afternoon project.
This really put a deep impression on my heart in regard to Christianity in general. How some people "do" christianity vs. "BEing" christian. For example, it's easy to 'do' good things, it's altogether different for one to 'be' good. Similarly, it's easy to go to church and do things in the name of Christ, but it is altogether different to 'BE' Christ.
Thoughts?
This really put a deep impression on my heart in regard to Christianity in general. How some people "do" christianity vs. "BEing" christian. For example, it's easy to 'do' good things, it's altogether different for one to 'be' good. Similarly, it's easy to go to church and do things in the name of Christ, but it is altogether different to 'BE' Christ.
Thoughts?
Sunday, January 04, 2009
9 Goals for 2009
I don't normally do 'new year's resolutions' so instead I decided to make some goals for 2009 instead. A resolution seems so concrete, whereas a goal is something you reach for and it's okay to come close. I've been thinking pretty hard about what to do for my new year's goals. I've decided to go with 9's this year.
1) Blog every 9 days(so Carlee, this gives you full permission to scold me if i forget)
2) Climb 9 mountains(Mom, I'll call you when I leave and when I get back)
3) Read 9 books i've never read before. (I'm open to suggestions)
4) Write 9 songs(I don't intend on them all being good, so don't expect me to play all of them for you)
5) Spend 9 hours a month doing something for my community here in Ballard(feeding the hungry, prayer walks, cleaning up garbage on the street, etc)
6) Memorize 9 chapters of the bible. (Starting with Phillipians)
7) Write a rough draft of the first 9 chapters of a book(I've been talking about this for long enough that i should be able to start something i'm sure)
8) Run 9 miles(6 years ago i ran a 10k. Now i'd be lucky to run 1 mile)
9) Go to 9 places i've never been to before for a day(Each. Not all in the same day.)
These are highly ambitious goals for me, but we'll see how I fared in 12 months.
1) Blog every 9 days(so Carlee, this gives you full permission to scold me if i forget)
2) Climb 9 mountains(Mom, I'll call you when I leave and when I get back)
3) Read 9 books i've never read before. (I'm open to suggestions)
4) Write 9 songs(I don't intend on them all being good, so don't expect me to play all of them for you)
5) Spend 9 hours a month doing something for my community here in Ballard(feeding the hungry, prayer walks, cleaning up garbage on the street, etc)
6) Memorize 9 chapters of the bible. (Starting with Phillipians)
7) Write a rough draft of the first 9 chapters of a book(I've been talking about this for long enough that i should be able to start something i'm sure)
8) Run 9 miles(6 years ago i ran a 10k. Now i'd be lucky to run 1 mile)
9) Go to 9 places i've never been to before for a day(Each. Not all in the same day.)
These are highly ambitious goals for me, but we'll see how I fared in 12 months.
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Entering the fall
Work has been keeping me busy, but i have had a chance to actually do some things. Last weekend I went to the aquarium with Isaac and Amber and it was such a nice way to spend a rainy day. We took some fun pictures of random things and just talked about life. Just being around people who know you is soothing to the soul.
This last weekend I went to the Faraca wedding in Tacoma and saw some other really good old friends, and i was just smiling all day just from being around such good people. I had to leave pretty early though to get up to Arlington(ish) to get to the Young Life Leader's retreat. I arrived (after getting turned around a few times) at almost 11pm so we were up a little late, so the morning was just cooking cleaning and planning then leaving. Pretty quick trip, but it was nice to be able to spend time with the leaders that i'll be around with Young Life.
Tonight we attempted to have young life, but since there is no school for them tomorrow (veterans day) only 3 kids showed up. We invited the 3 kids to join the leaders for ice cream sundaes/rootbeer floats and we just played games all night. Unfortunately I was supposed to do some work from home, so i have to get up early now...oh well, it's been SO long since I've played 4 on the couch that it was worth it! I have dusted off my camera and i've decided that i'm going to start taking pictures again. So expect at least one picture a week now. (fingers crossed)
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Sometimes you get what you ask for...
I have been wanting an adventure lately. Although I have been able to see some friends and play a few games, I really needed an adventure. To simplify a long story, I joined my roomate Charles for a hike up Mount Pilchuck. It was about a 3 1/2 mile hike and we slept in the fire lookout tower at the top of the mountain. There were 3 older guys who stayed there as well and they were like kids on vacation.
They had amazing cooking supplies and had steak, wine and all sorts of things you wouldn't think about bringing hiking. They were really nice guys and it wasn't a problem sharing the little space with 8 people over night (although we had a few snorers).
All in all i'm tired, i have tons to do, but when i had prayed about if i should still go, God told me "you asked for an adventure"...and he gave me one....the banner at the top of my blog is from the sunrise over the mountains. It was an amazing sunrise...one of the best i have ever seen. A picture doesn't do justice, but here's one shot:
They had amazing cooking supplies and had steak, wine and all sorts of things you wouldn't think about bringing hiking. They were really nice guys and it wasn't a problem sharing the little space with 8 people over night (although we had a few snorers).All in all i'm tired, i have tons to do, but when i had prayed about if i should still go, God told me "you asked for an adventure"...and he gave me one....the banner at the top of my blog is from the sunrise over the mountains. It was an amazing sunrise...one of the best i have ever seen. A picture doesn't do justice, but here's one shot:
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Weekend and such
So my roomate (Charles)is starting to get better. We're all happy about that. My plans for the weekend got a bit skewed. I had a great time hanging out with Timothy and Carlee playing one of my new games "Power Grid". I think it would be more fun with more players though. After that Timothy and I went to Smoketober fest at the Parson's. It was a delicious festivity in a garage full of food, people, and beer. (My brother said the Pumpkin beer was the best.) The evening was spent watching Die Hard with Charles since he hadn't seen it before while working on a project from work.
I had bought some of those foot detox thingies and I did day 1 last night. They turned some greenish color, so i guess it did something. I didn't notice anything though. I slept in and had a good wrestle with God about doing something. In my wrestling I realized that my prayers really have become repetitive and nothing is changing. I know that asking the same thing over and over doesnt' change God's mind, yet i was praying the same thing over and over. It appears that I have forgotten that we should be discussing these things instead of reading off a wish list.
In lieu of that convo, i finally went to the Bally's that is about 15 minutes north of where i live and just did a small workout. Luckly I'm not in as bad shape as i thought. I just need to do some cardio until i am able to get my heart stronger. i was impressed with myself for being able to run on one of the elliptical thingies for half an hour. I could have run longer, but i wanted to get some things done. I had other plans for the day, but instead, i went grocery shopping, did laundry, and worked on some more work files while watchign the hawks.
After church (I finally decided tonight that Bethany will be my church) i cooked italian and tonight likely another movie while working on my fun work file some more. It will be nice when we get all this work stuff straightened out....hopefully soon, but realistically.....not....
I had bought some of those foot detox thingies and I did day 1 last night. They turned some greenish color, so i guess it did something. I didn't notice anything though. I slept in and had a good wrestle with God about doing something. In my wrestling I realized that my prayers really have become repetitive and nothing is changing. I know that asking the same thing over and over doesnt' change God's mind, yet i was praying the same thing over and over. It appears that I have forgotten that we should be discussing these things instead of reading off a wish list.
In lieu of that convo, i finally went to the Bally's that is about 15 minutes north of where i live and just did a small workout. Luckly I'm not in as bad shape as i thought. I just need to do some cardio until i am able to get my heart stronger. i was impressed with myself for being able to run on one of the elliptical thingies for half an hour. I could have run longer, but i wanted to get some things done. I had other plans for the day, but instead, i went grocery shopping, did laundry, and worked on some more work files while watchign the hawks.
After church (I finally decided tonight that Bethany will be my church) i cooked italian and tonight likely another movie while working on my fun work file some more. It will be nice when we get all this work stuff straightened out....hopefully soon, but realistically.....not....
Friday, October 10, 2008
Work
Besides the normal abnormalities that occur while living in a house of guys, I've been mostly just working all week. Monday night was Young Life and I have unofficially been recruited as a leader. I am excited to give it a shot to see what Young Life is about and being plugged into something. My new roommate Charles was unable to make it due to his appendix inflating and after going to the hospital had it removed. He has had to wear a small diaper (Referred to by the guys as his willy warmer)since one of the nurses put his catheter in wrong. After a couple other trips to the hospital to get that fixed, we've all been trying to take care of him since that's gotta suck. He's been a good sport about it tho.
My boss has been overwhelmed at work due to the CEO giving a crunch on her....she basically said that 8 hour days are now a thing of the past. We've all got a lot more work to do. Luckily we have a new person (replacing a contractor) starting Monday and we hope she will be able to work faster than the contractor. We all have a lot of things to get done, and my responsibilities are constantly changing. I still am liking my job though. I'm happy about that.
I'm hoping to have some fun this weekend. I will let you all know sunday night.
My boss has been overwhelmed at work due to the CEO giving a crunch on her....she basically said that 8 hour days are now a thing of the past. We've all got a lot more work to do. Luckily we have a new person (replacing a contractor) starting Monday and we hope she will be able to work faster than the contractor. We all have a lot of things to get done, and my responsibilities are constantly changing. I still am liking my job though. I'm happy about that.
I'm hoping to have some fun this weekend. I will let you all know sunday night.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Seattle-ing in
So I must start by saying sorry for not updating in a long time. It has been crazy settling in here. i have most of my things here in Ballard now and although most everything is still in boxes, I have done all my laundry and have most of my things i use regularly unpacked.
Since I last posted, I:
-Went for a brief hike up rattlesnake ridge(a cool short hike on a nice day)
-Played a pick up game of soccer
-Helped out at the missions' weekend at Lighthouse
-Got the best time at the obstacle course at the men's lunch at Lighthouse
-Made jam with my parents
-Started my "Bucket List" (Posted on Facebook)
-Cleaned out both of the fridges here(that was a gruesome task, let me tell you!)
-Finally tried playing the new games I bought like 2 months ago when i first got this job(and i like them!)
-I think I decided on a church (http://churchbcc.org/) I'm going to sign up for a small group through them soon.
-Tonight was the Young Life meeting for the Ballard area and I think I'm going to join the guys in the house and help lead Young Life in the area.
So that's basically the update with what has gone on. Mostly work and settling in, but now I feel like it's time for me to be able to do some things like actually living my life and doing things outside work/home. I will do the misc. unpacking/cleaning once a week and besides that, i want to start doing things.
Welp I decided that 11:00 is my new bedtime and it's 11:16, so i need to go to bed and try to finally finish the Shack.(2 chapters left) I highly recommend it for anyone who wants a fresh perspective on a conversation with God. More to come once I'm done. (I'm open to book ideas as well, let me know of books that changed your life and I'll add it to my queue).
Since I last posted, I:
-Went for a brief hike up rattlesnake ridge(a cool short hike on a nice day)
-Played a pick up game of soccer
-Helped out at the missions' weekend at Lighthouse
-Got the best time at the obstacle course at the men's lunch at Lighthouse
-Made jam with my parents
-Started my "Bucket List" (Posted on Facebook)
-Cleaned out both of the fridges here(that was a gruesome task, let me tell you!)
-Finally tried playing the new games I bought like 2 months ago when i first got this job(and i like them!)
-I think I decided on a church (http://churchbcc.org/) I'm going to sign up for a small group through them soon.
-Tonight was the Young Life meeting for the Ballard area and I think I'm going to join the guys in the house and help lead Young Life in the area.
So that's basically the update with what has gone on. Mostly work and settling in, but now I feel like it's time for me to be able to do some things like actually living my life and doing things outside work/home. I will do the misc. unpacking/cleaning once a week and besides that, i want to start doing things.
Welp I decided that 11:00 is my new bedtime and it's 11:16, so i need to go to bed and try to finally finish the Shack.(2 chapters left) I highly recommend it for anyone who wants a fresh perspective on a conversation with God. More to come once I'm done. (I'm open to book ideas as well, let me know of books that changed your life and I'll add it to my queue).
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Finally moved!
Today I finally had the ability to move in and I am mostly moved in to my house in Ballard. I also finally was able to move into my cubicle on Friday. So a lot of moving is going on and I finally am able to start settling in. I feel like my life has been on hold for the last who knows how long. It will be nice to have one home where i have my things and all. Just like every other time I move I plan on getting rid of all the stuff i haven't used in the last year...hopefully it's a lot because I'm tired of having all the crap to lug around every year.
I went to church with Matt tonight and I talked a little with my new roommates a bit. I still have a lot of settling in, but in the next few weeks I should be good to go.
I went to church with Matt tonight and I talked a little with my new roommates a bit. I still have a lot of settling in, but in the next few weeks I should be good to go.
Monday, August 25, 2008
The godfather, the olympics an a lot of parties
I'm going to try a new format this week. Let me know if you like it.
Watching The Godfather for the first time
Reading Velvet Elvis
Watching the Olympics
Madison's Birthday
Youth Group Reunion
Moving - Status
Work - Status
The Godfather
I saw the godfather part I and II this last week. I must say that most of the shocking twists in it weren't all that shocking at all due to all the references that people make to the movies. They were gruesome and really long, but I did enjoy them. Hopefully I'll be able to watch the third one this week.
Velvet Elvis
I was flipping through my ipod and noticed i had somehow acquired a book on 'tape' that i had heard of before, but not much beyond that. It was called 'Velvet Elvis' by Rob Bell(I think). Although after talking with a friend or two about his theology it might not be a book I would recommend to many people, love to hear the stories of people who are honestly seeking after God. That is why I loved Blue Like Jazz, and that is why i loved this book.
Watching the Olympics
First off, I wasn't all the impressed with the closing ceremonies. The opening ones were fantastic. Basically I am happy they're over. I have been glued to the tv and sick of it!! It was amazing to see all that I got to see from Michael Phelps, to Walsh/May to the 'Redeem team' and many more. However I'm pretty sure I haven't done any real exercising since the Olympics started, and watching Bolt run so fast and thinking It would take me twice as long to run 100m(at least)...yeah, time for exercise!
Madison's Party
Saturday Morning it was a beautiful day and we had a great time at Madison's party. it was the first time I had ever seen madison with her friends, and that was fun. At first she didn't like THAT much attention, but she got used to it....maybe too much! :-) Jeremy's mom made the most amazing little cupcakes I wish i took a picture of so i could post. They were amazing! They looked just like the sesame street characters! Madison loved it all!
Youth Group Reunion
Sunday we did a youth group reunion and just met up with a bunch of the people I grew up with...and we're all growing up. Real jobs, married, kids(or on the way). It was good just to catch up and to see everyone, but by the end of the day the weekend had worn me out and i was ready for bed. (this is also why i didn't post last night)
MOVING
Well as of now it looks like I'm going to try to move next weekend. My cell phone died and I haven't been able to charge it since my charger is here or there...it will be nice to have a home again.
Work
With the renovation my work is going under, my Boss and I have been sharing a corner conference room as our offices and will do so for a few more weeks. This last week my boss was on vacation, so it was just me. The first 2 days I was really productive, but come Thursday and Friday, I was getting a little lonely in the corner. It will be nice for my boss to return. So far i'm really enjoying my job.
Speaking of which....i need to shower and get to work!
Watching The Godfather for the first time
Reading Velvet Elvis
Watching the Olympics
Madison's Birthday
Youth Group Reunion
Moving - Status
Work - Status
The Godfather
I saw the godfather part I and II this last week. I must say that most of the shocking twists in it weren't all that shocking at all due to all the references that people make to the movies. They were gruesome and really long, but I did enjoy them. Hopefully I'll be able to watch the third one this week.
Velvet Elvis
I was flipping through my ipod and noticed i had somehow acquired a book on 'tape' that i had heard of before, but not much beyond that. It was called 'Velvet Elvis' by Rob Bell(I think). Although after talking with a friend or two about his theology it might not be a book I would recommend to many people, love to hear the stories of people who are honestly seeking after God. That is why I loved Blue Like Jazz, and that is why i loved this book.
Watching the Olympics
First off, I wasn't all the impressed with the closing ceremonies. The opening ones were fantastic. Basically I am happy they're over. I have been glued to the tv and sick of it!! It was amazing to see all that I got to see from Michael Phelps, to Walsh/May to the 'Redeem team' and many more. However I'm pretty sure I haven't done any real exercising since the Olympics started, and watching Bolt run so fast and thinking It would take me twice as long to run 100m(at least)...yeah, time for exercise!
Madison's Party
Saturday Morning it was a beautiful day and we had a great time at Madison's party. it was the first time I had ever seen madison with her friends, and that was fun. At first she didn't like THAT much attention, but she got used to it....maybe too much! :-) Jeremy's mom made the most amazing little cupcakes I wish i took a picture of so i could post. They were amazing! They looked just like the sesame street characters! Madison loved it all!
Youth Group Reunion
Sunday we did a youth group reunion and just met up with a bunch of the people I grew up with...and we're all growing up. Real jobs, married, kids(or on the way). It was good just to catch up and to see everyone, but by the end of the day the weekend had worn me out and i was ready for bed. (this is also why i didn't post last night)
MOVING
Well as of now it looks like I'm going to try to move next weekend. My cell phone died and I haven't been able to charge it since my charger is here or there...it will be nice to have a home again.
Work
With the renovation my work is going under, my Boss and I have been sharing a corner conference room as our offices and will do so for a few more weeks. This last week my boss was on vacation, so it was just me. The first 2 days I was really productive, but come Thursday and Friday, I was getting a little lonely in the corner. It will be nice for my boss to return. So far i'm really enjoying my job.
Speaking of which....i need to shower and get to work!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Heat, moving, and defying death
Been a hot and busy week. Spent most of my time either at work, watching to Olympics and/or at Carlos and Jenn's, and packing. I am still flowndering at work trying to get things done, but i am slowly getting better. I decided to type out by day because it was getting confusing as i originally typed it. :)
Monday- Watched the Olympics and just hung out at Jenn and Carlos' house.
Tuesday- Drove up to Tony and Katie's house to see Scott and Abby before they leave for Vermont. Katie made a delicious meal(which she gave full credit to 'trader joe'). Besides that we just played a game and just hung out. It was a awesome evening.
Wednesday- Went to small group with Timothy, Carlee, Tony and Katie. It seems like a good group. Everyone made pizzas and just hung out for the night. At the end they shared prayer requests and it dawned on me how long it's been since I've prayed in a group. I've prayed alone, and with a person or two, but not in a group for a long time. It was good. Spent the night at Timothy and Carlee's house since I was already there.
Thursday- Scott and Abby came over to Carlos and Jenn's for the evening and we had some dinner and just hung out/watched the Olympics. Low key but fun night.
Friday- Got off work about 2 hours early just because I asked. My boss seems pretty cool about that as long as i get my job done. Went to buy some small rafts at Fred Meyer's then swung by to see Carlos before heading back to Puyallup to watch Phelps win his 7th Gold metal while sitting on Brooke and Jeremy's nearly finished deck.
Saturday- With rafts and oars and enough gear that made Adam comment he felt like he was going camping for 4 hours, we (and Matt) went to go conquor the Puyallup River. We were just in these little tiny rafts that we got for 20 bucks, but at the time they seemed perfect. After taking about 30 minutes to actually get to the river, we flew down the river. Roughly 1/2 mile down the river Adam and Matt flip(losing virtually everything they brought. Matt swam down river trying to recover as much as he could, while Adam held on to a small tree doing what he described as "clinging on for dear life like something you see on Rescue 911". We lost 1 boat, 4 oars, 2 flip flops, 1 t-shirt, 1 gallon unopened water, and a lot of dignity. Everyone made it out okay, and we just walked the 1/2 mile on the levy road dragging our rafts in defeat. We ended up going to the Orting city fair, or whatever it really was, but they had the whole downtown area blocked off for it. It was a pretty rough morning.
Sunday- Packing, cleaning, Packing, preparing to move to Seattle(Ballard). That's what i did the rest of Saturday and Sunday. Then i found out it could be 2 weeks before I could move into my room. There are other rooms that are available, but they are half the size, so I just moved 1 truckload of things that are not my high priced items like my camera or computer and then just came to jenn and carlos' place because i can't really move in yet. It is frustrating, because i did take 2 days off work to move, and now i have to wait another 2 weeks. I guess I will just have to use my labor day weekend to move instead of using it to play like i had hoped. :( Such is life.
Monday- Watched the Olympics and just hung out at Jenn and Carlos' house.
Tuesday- Drove up to Tony and Katie's house to see Scott and Abby before they leave for Vermont. Katie made a delicious meal(which she gave full credit to 'trader joe'). Besides that we just played a game and just hung out. It was a awesome evening.
Wednesday- Went to small group with Timothy, Carlee, Tony and Katie. It seems like a good group. Everyone made pizzas and just hung out for the night. At the end they shared prayer requests and it dawned on me how long it's been since I've prayed in a group. I've prayed alone, and with a person or two, but not in a group for a long time. It was good. Spent the night at Timothy and Carlee's house since I was already there.
Thursday- Scott and Abby came over to Carlos and Jenn's for the evening and we had some dinner and just hung out/watched the Olympics. Low key but fun night.
Friday- Got off work about 2 hours early just because I asked. My boss seems pretty cool about that as long as i get my job done. Went to buy some small rafts at Fred Meyer's then swung by to see Carlos before heading back to Puyallup to watch Phelps win his 7th Gold metal while sitting on Brooke and Jeremy's nearly finished deck.
Saturday- With rafts and oars and enough gear that made Adam comment he felt like he was going camping for 4 hours, we (and Matt) went to go conquor the Puyallup River. We were just in these little tiny rafts that we got for 20 bucks, but at the time they seemed perfect. After taking about 30 minutes to actually get to the river, we flew down the river. Roughly 1/2 mile down the river Adam and Matt flip(losing virtually everything they brought. Matt swam down river trying to recover as much as he could, while Adam held on to a small tree doing what he described as "clinging on for dear life like something you see on Rescue 911". We lost 1 boat, 4 oars, 2 flip flops, 1 t-shirt, 1 gallon unopened water, and a lot of dignity. Everyone made it out okay, and we just walked the 1/2 mile on the levy road dragging our rafts in defeat. We ended up going to the Orting city fair, or whatever it really was, but they had the whole downtown area blocked off for it. It was a pretty rough morning.
Sunday- Packing, cleaning, Packing, preparing to move to Seattle(Ballard). That's what i did the rest of Saturday and Sunday. Then i found out it could be 2 weeks before I could move into my room. There are other rooms that are available, but they are half the size, so I just moved 1 truckload of things that are not my high priced items like my camera or computer and then just came to jenn and carlos' place because i can't really move in yet. It is frustrating, because i did take 2 days off work to move, and now i have to wait another 2 weeks. I guess I will just have to use my labor day weekend to move instead of using it to play like i had hoped. :( Such is life.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Adjusting
Well I have worked at TTM now for 2 weeks officially. I have had a good feel for the company now and i think i'm going to like working here. Now i don't say this just because i know some of you are really concerned about me getting a good job, or the fact that the ladies at my work somehow found my blog. (Nicole if you're reading this, I'm going to steal your chair when you're not looking). I think i'm going to like this job because my boss cares about me and my company cares for it's employees.
At Holland America, my boss cared about me, but couldn't do anything about doing anything about it because the company doesn't care about it's employees. The exact opposite was true at the CPA firm. They cared about their employees, but didn't care about me. I am really excited to have both at my company. My boss also seems to be extremely intelligent (albeit extremely sarcastic). We get along really well. I feel like i have a lot i can learn from her.
Last week i spent some time with justin and suzanne and we played tennis, and they fed me a nice dinner of fajitas, then spent the rest of the week doing our monthly close and staying at Timothy and Carlee's. They were really good hosts. :-) This week i'm going to be staying at Carlos and jenn's in west seattle, and hopefully i'll be moving to ballard with matt starting this saturday.
At Holland America, my boss cared about me, but couldn't do anything about doing anything about it because the company doesn't care about it's employees. The exact opposite was true at the CPA firm. They cared about their employees, but didn't care about me. I am really excited to have both at my company. My boss also seems to be extremely intelligent (albeit extremely sarcastic). We get along really well. I feel like i have a lot i can learn from her.
Last week i spent some time with justin and suzanne and we played tennis, and they fed me a nice dinner of fajitas, then spent the rest of the week doing our monthly close and staying at Timothy and Carlee's. They were really good hosts. :-) This week i'm going to be staying at Carlos and jenn's in west seattle, and hopefully i'll be moving to ballard with matt starting this saturday.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Workin Man
So my first week of work was not too bad. I must admit it is quite an adjustment working a 40 hour work week after being unemployed for 3 1/2 months. This next week is our full week of close, so I will see what it really is like when there is a deadline, but I think that I will like this job.
Currently I am couchsurfing at a number of places until i move to Ballard with my buddy Matt Gebheart. Next weekend I'll be returning to Puyallup and then I should be moving from the 16th-19th of August. What I just realized is that I'll be back the following weekend as well for Madison's birthday party. So basically every weekend in August I will be around in Puyallup, but at the same time i'm going to be needing to find a church, so it'd be good to be in Seattle on a weekend when i can.
I think I'll post my blog on Sundays and possibly other random times as well.
Currently I am couchsurfing at a number of places until i move to Ballard with my buddy Matt Gebheart. Next weekend I'll be returning to Puyallup and then I should be moving from the 16th-19th of August. What I just realized is that I'll be back the following weekend as well for Madison's birthday party. So basically every weekend in August I will be around in Puyallup, but at the same time i'm going to be needing to find a church, so it'd be good to be in Seattle on a weekend when i can.
I think I'll post my blog on Sundays and possibly other random times as well.
Friday, July 25, 2008
On a mission
Currently it looks like I will not be able to do all the things I had hoped, but that's fine. Last night Brooke and Jeremy invited me and adam over for an outdoor movie night. It was a perfect night outside for it!
Today I'm going to Fremont looking for a place to live. It appears I do have options, although living alone wasn't one i wanted to consider. We shall see what today brings. :-)
Today I'm going to Fremont looking for a place to live. It appears I do have options, although living alone wasn't one i wanted to consider. We shall see what today brings. :-)
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Employed!
After 3 months of being unemployed and 2 months of actually looking for a job, I was offered my first job! The only part that perplexes me: It's in Fremont. I was really praying about if this is where I'm supposed to be and for them to not offer it to me if God didn't want me there. Long story short: They offered me a job. The company is a startup wireless company called TTM. All in all it looks like a good job with room to grow.Although I'm nervous about where I'd go to church and where I'd live, God will take care of the details. I officially start Monday with my orientation, but they said they'd give me a few days to move into a place. So my last week(ish) of irresponsibillity is upon me! Here's my list of things I want to do before I start working, so let me know if you want to join in on anything!
1) Drive In movie (Auburn - likely Friday)
2) Float down the Puyallup River (likely Saturday/Sunday)
3) Miniature Golf (Anytime, anyplace)
4) Day Hike (Anytime, anyplace)
5) Bon Fire (Anytime, anyplace)
Oh, and I've been convinced I need to Blog more, so I will try to blog weekly at the very least. My Gmail and Facebook status will be the title of my recent blog, so you will know when it's been updated.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
The wrong question
I went mountain biking this weekend with some bellingham buddies. I got my butt kicked. On top of the 90+ degree weather and being in awful shape, we had a bike break down and someone was going to have to go down the mountain on foot. After making it up most of the mountain, i decided that I wasn't going to make it. I pulled back and decided to be the one to walk. It was a rough day.8 hours after they proceeded, I met up with them at the bottom of the mountain. Nothing seemed to go right for me. Too hot, not enough water, the gatorade i buried under rocks at the trail head was washed away by the river which rose about a foot that day due to the extreme heat, and of course when i get to bellingham I noticed my keys were missing.
Of course the 7 hours waiting were dreary with the mosquito's and heat and of course the fatigue of having hiked all day. It was good to be outside nonetheless. The beauty of the outdoors and the forced alone time started stirring something in me that helped me to change my perspective.
I had been asking God what I'm supposed to do with my life. What am i supposed to be? An accountant? Missionary? Something else? I'm not sure. Why am I asking? Not sure of that either. I have never known the answer to that question, so I don't know why i need to know the answer now. The right question is what do I want to accomplish with my life?
God also pointed out yesterday that I've been grasping on tightly to some of the promises He has made to me....as if i have the power to accomplish them on my own. Instead God just wants us to enjoy the life we have been given and worship Him along the way.
Realizing how thirsty I was that night I decided I want to do more with giving water to those without. It's one of those luxuries that we all take for granted when we have it and forget about others without. I don't know what i'm going to do yet, but considering how little it costs to do so much, I am going to seek out what I can do.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Weathered Tree
Verse 1:
Weathered tree
It's leaves all scattered
It's branches seem
So tired and battered
Winter's here
The sky's turned gray
The bright frontier
Is gone 'til May
Chorus:
My leaves all decompose
I slowly am exposed
The wind and rain appear
It's here to stay i fear
Verse 2:
The birds are gone
The skies are bare
Of morning songs
They used to share
They will return
Again in spring
So why be concerned
About these things?
Chorus:
My leaves all decompose
I slowly am exposed
The wind and rain appear
It's here to stay i fear
Bridge:
But the wind and the rain have songs to sing themselves
They must praise their God above with everything as well
Though they are ferocious,
Though they are relentless,
And unpredictable,
They continue pressing,
And addressing
Their God as they're able
Verse 3:
The ground will thaw
My branches will bloom
Singing their song
In colorful tunes
Until then
I'll stand my ground
Hearing the wind
Make glorious sounds.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
A change of direction
I started working for a small CPA firm in December. They are really nice people and they take really good care of their employees. My old job offered 5k more per year when i took this job, but I quit my other job anyways because this job seemed like it would be a great opportunity.
They did very little training because small firms do not have the capacity of training to the degree that big frims do. They threw me right in with everything and I had a rough time learning from the start. Eventually i caught on and I learned how to manuver through the software fairly fluidly and then i got a few big projects that were tremendously large. Still no training.
Hours got long and soon my days began at 4:55am to arrive at work at 6am and i would leave work around 7-8pm. Of course to get up so early i had to go to bed around 9-10pm. This was my day Monday thru Saturday...and on the occational Sunday i'd throw in a few hours.
Not being trained and having high expectations of me in the workload added stress on me. My heart started to sieze up on occaation. It would cramp and i couldn't inhale for 3-5 seconds. This happened about every other week, but it became more frequent. Last week It happened twice in a day and i went to the hospital.
I arrived at the hospital just before 6pm and waited until 11:30 to get in. I waited and waited in the ER until i finally was able to leave at 2am. They said my tests showed that I was in "Pristine condition" but due to my stress i should take a few days off work.
I didn't.
I kept loyal to my work because when i was hired I was told that they would take care of me. Not to mention the sermon at church that sunday was about serving your boss and being loyal to your work so that through your work Christ might shine.
Well it appears i didn't do that either. I kept working from sunrise to sunset and beyond. Yesterday was surreal that it was over. My desk cleared. I finished my work that was there, and I was looking forward to working an 8 hour day. Secretly i hoped to go home early....however not like this.
I did a few small projects and enjoyed the low key atmosphere at work and about 9:30 my boss came to me and asked to talk with me. Lightheartedly i said "sure" and walked into the office with him and one other partner.
Without a moment of hesitation "We're going to let you go" he said with no remorse. "This is strictly a business decision. We wish you well in the future. You just haven't kept up with the learning curve."
"do you think you trained me well enough to keep up?" I asked perplexed
"We are not a training firm. We expect our employees to take charge of their own training....." and he trailed off on a long drawn out explanation of his expectations of employees that would have been better to hear upon being hired than fired.
They walked me to my desk let me gather my things and escorted me out. They will pay me out through the end of the month but will not offer COBRA or any sort of medical compensation(as they are not required being such a small company).
Being fired after devoting around 80 hours a week for so long isn't the hard part for me. It is being fired. I failed. I have never been fired. I don't think I deserved to be fired. ESPECIALLY not the DAY after tax season was over.
Now I am absolutely boggled. I didn't think that is what I would do the rest of my life, but I expected it to last at least a little longer. It turns out that most CPA firms don't need accountants as much on April 16th as they do before the 15th.
I don't know what I'm going to do. I had made plans with many of you. I had promised to get in touch with virtually all of you. Now i have time, but unfortunately circumstances have changed a bit.
Pray that God leads me where He wants me. Ask Him that nothing will go wrong with my health and that I go where He wants me and not just find the first job that opens up. I guess i have more to learn about surrendering everything to Him.
I know I don't say it enough, but I love you all more than words can describe.
His,
Joel
"The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."
They did very little training because small firms do not have the capacity of training to the degree that big frims do. They threw me right in with everything and I had a rough time learning from the start. Eventually i caught on and I learned how to manuver through the software fairly fluidly and then i got a few big projects that were tremendously large. Still no training.
Hours got long and soon my days began at 4:55am to arrive at work at 6am and i would leave work around 7-8pm. Of course to get up so early i had to go to bed around 9-10pm. This was my day Monday thru Saturday...and on the occational Sunday i'd throw in a few hours.
Not being trained and having high expectations of me in the workload added stress on me. My heart started to sieze up on occaation. It would cramp and i couldn't inhale for 3-5 seconds. This happened about every other week, but it became more frequent. Last week It happened twice in a day and i went to the hospital.
I arrived at the hospital just before 6pm and waited until 11:30 to get in. I waited and waited in the ER until i finally was able to leave at 2am. They said my tests showed that I was in "Pristine condition" but due to my stress i should take a few days off work.
I didn't.
I kept loyal to my work because when i was hired I was told that they would take care of me. Not to mention the sermon at church that sunday was about serving your boss and being loyal to your work so that through your work Christ might shine.
Well it appears i didn't do that either. I kept working from sunrise to sunset and beyond. Yesterday was surreal that it was over. My desk cleared. I finished my work that was there, and I was looking forward to working an 8 hour day. Secretly i hoped to go home early....however not like this.
I did a few small projects and enjoyed the low key atmosphere at work and about 9:30 my boss came to me and asked to talk with me. Lightheartedly i said "sure" and walked into the office with him and one other partner.
Without a moment of hesitation "We're going to let you go" he said with no remorse. "This is strictly a business decision. We wish you well in the future. You just haven't kept up with the learning curve."
"do you think you trained me well enough to keep up?" I asked perplexed
"We are not a training firm. We expect our employees to take charge of their own training....." and he trailed off on a long drawn out explanation of his expectations of employees that would have been better to hear upon being hired than fired.
They walked me to my desk let me gather my things and escorted me out. They will pay me out through the end of the month but will not offer COBRA or any sort of medical compensation(as they are not required being such a small company).
Being fired after devoting around 80 hours a week for so long isn't the hard part for me. It is being fired. I failed. I have never been fired. I don't think I deserved to be fired. ESPECIALLY not the DAY after tax season was over.
Now I am absolutely boggled. I didn't think that is what I would do the rest of my life, but I expected it to last at least a little longer. It turns out that most CPA firms don't need accountants as much on April 16th as they do before the 15th.
I don't know what I'm going to do. I had made plans with many of you. I had promised to get in touch with virtually all of you. Now i have time, but unfortunately circumstances have changed a bit.
Pray that God leads me where He wants me. Ask Him that nothing will go wrong with my health and that I go where He wants me and not just find the first job that opens up. I guess i have more to learn about surrendering everything to Him.
I know I don't say it enough, but I love you all more than words can describe.
His,
Joel
"The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Refreshing
After a long year at Holland America in Accounting, my busy season is over. This last year has been really hard on me but i learned a lot. There have been about a dozen people who have seen me more than twice a month because i have worked so much. I write now from Honolulu, HI at my friends' house. I finally get a chance to rest and reflect and most importantly...to play.
I have done a good job seperating from work so far. I'm not sure what i'm doing this week yet, but i'm going to NOT do work and love every minute of that. I'll go for a few hikes, sit on a few beaches, and do whatever else I feel like. I am so excited. i'll post pictures later...even though i'm almost certain that nobody checks this anymore. It is nice that I have something worth writing about :-)
I have done a good job seperating from work so far. I'm not sure what i'm doing this week yet, but i'm going to NOT do work and love every minute of that. I'll go for a few hikes, sit on a few beaches, and do whatever else I feel like. I am so excited. i'll post pictures later...even though i'm almost certain that nobody checks this anymore. It is nice that I have something worth writing about :-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
