The Wait Is Over

After a ten day wait, the TISD Board of Trustees made their decision. I wasn't chosen, but I feel they made the best choice. When I first expressed interest in the post, it was because no one knew who would fill the empty seat. I wanted to make sure it was filled with someone capable. While I feel I could do a fine job in the post, the chosen candidate has more experience within the district. I wish him well.

My ADD is one of the things I have going for me, at times.

Truth be told, I'm not sure what I even want to write about today. There are a number of topic spinning around in my head at the moment but none will stay in place long enough for me to figure it out. Like a saxaphone solo from a jazz player after a double espresso, I just can't pull out a true theme.

1. First date anniversary
2. John may not be so common any more
3. Almost too much football, almost
4. Instrumentals vs. vocals
5. Papa Murphy's Pizza makes me feel good
6. Woody Harrelson is everywhere
7. Thick neck shirts and no chicken on the rug

I just don't know which way to go, so if anyone has an opinion, let me know.

30 minutes later: Turned on my NPR podcasts

I think I will go with number 6. I have watched two movies in the past five days that have Woody Harrelson in, "The Battle in Seattle" where he played police officer during the riot of the WTO meeting in 1999. It was a very serious and believable roll.

Last night I saw him with a part in "Seven Pounds" playing a blind pianist who also worked as a phone salesman for a steak company. He was very humble and kind in this roll.

But, the one I am looking forward to seeing him in is "Zombieland." I think anyone who has read my blog knows how I feel about zombies. This movie should be a hoot. I love comedies and zombies just need to be hunted and killed, because they are pure evil because they just want to kill you and make you a zombie.

I also saw him in a movie last month called, "The Grand." He played a poker player who had been married more than 70 times and was actually thrown out of his own casino. It was a great movie. 4 1/2 stars out of 5.

#2 - The original title of my blog was, "John is a common name." Well, this weekend while playing a game with Amanda I read out loud every name from her school yearbook. Out of 700 students, about half of them boys, only two were had the name John. There were two Jonathan's, but they just don't count. Other names that were noticeably missing were: Chris, Robert, Tony, Allan, and a lot of other names that I grew up with. I guess my generation just didn't want to carry on the tradition.

Well, that's it for the blog now. I'll have to attack the rest of the list this week. That is, if I can remember them.

9-11

September 11th, 2001 I was in Sacramento, CA on business. It was early on the west coast and I was preparing for my day and listening to NPR. Like everyone else, I instantly turned on the news to see what was happening.

I won't go into the particulars about how I felt at that time other than extreme sadness for all of the victims of our terrible enemy. People I could easily identify with because I to am a business traveler, noncombatant, and simple citizen.

I know how the airline industry works. So as soon as I heard flights were grounded, I rented a car. The first day I made it to Flagstaff, AZ. The next day I was in Amarillo, TX. The third day brought me home.

It was a lonely drive, filled with talk radio and an audio book book I purchased for distraction, "The Third Hand." Not a particularly good story, but it was something to listen to other than the radio.

Bruce Springsteen went onto do a great album about the attack, The Rising. One song in particular caught the essence of my drive, "Empty Sky." I've been on so many planes I instinctively look up and count the airplanes when I am outside. There were none on my drive and it made me feel very lonely. I don't mind being alone, and sometimes I crave it, but that is different than feeling lonely. The world was different that week.

It has tried to get back to normal, but it never will be. The bar for evil has been raised to an all time high. Anxiety is founded on reality, and just leaving on a business trip or vacation has added stresses that we never thought of before this date in 2001.

I still travel, as do countless other people. But isn't it more than just sad to think that your fellow passengers and crew are so similar to all the people we lost eight years ago, as well as the people working in the Twin Towers and Pentagon.

The brave firefighters and police who ran into the carnage are heroes of unmatchable courage, and I will always admire them.

Flight 93 in western PA was full of selfless people who saved possibly hundreds if not thousands of lives, and the will always be heroes.

It's 9-11 again, and that is how I feel.

The Towel Is Out!

When I was five years old my family moved from the San Francisco Bay area to Pittsburgh, PA. We lived there only a couple of years, but it was during that time became a Steeler fan. In 1976 we moved to TXK where if you don't watch the Cowboys you don't watch anything. And while I do admit a fondness for the Cowboys, I believe in the Steelers. Their ownership is the best in football, their coach is carrying on the tradition of greatness and tough guy class, and the team speaks for itself.

Waiting and waiting

Ten days ago I interviewed for a position on our local school board. A seat had become vacant do to the board member moving out of the area and the board will appoint someone to that seat until May of next year when there will be an election for a full three year term.

I sent in my letter of interest the first day as did five other people. I feel the interview went well.

I had reviewed the documentation provided to all candidate and knew the budgetary facts of the district. When asked what my agenda was, my reply is I don't have a specific agenda at this time. I am simply volunteering my time, passion for education, and expertise from the business world to fill this spot. I don't believe a singular agenda makes for good management, particularly in a large organization.

This last week I have been waiting, the announcement will be made Tuesday evening at the board meeting. If I am appointed I will give it my best effort, if the board chooses someone else I guess it is back to the bench and that is not such a bad place to be.

Second on the list

Amanda doesn't say, "next," she uses the phrase "second on the list." That is because her mother is a highly organized person who always has a list. I know what is going to happen today when I look at the list the night before. If I ever read, hit John on the head with a shovel I will make sure to wear a helmet that day.

This last weekend I actually dealt with the list pretty well. But the thing about a list is this, it is very easy to write three words, "fix the shed." Actually fixing the shed requires a lot more blood, sweat and tears. But for those of us who don't use lists as effectively as people like my wife, then it is easier to just fix the shed than it is to keep up with a list reminding us to fix the shed.

But I know the secrete to the list. The lists are never more than three days out, so if you want to know what is coming, you have to check the calendar. That is where I saw the item, "wash the eaves." That wasn't for three weeks but I knocked it out this last weekend. Therefore, it will never be on the list. And while I may have actually had to do the work, it was never on the list, which means I am getting ahead of the game.

Will Tina put something on the list just to fill the space? The answer is no. Tina plays fair. That is one of her many beautiful qualities. And the list today didn't have me doing anything but going out to dinner with a friend passing through town. The list is for her benefit, not mine. She needed the shed fixed so she put it on the list knowing I would do it, but it wasn't on her list to nag me. That is what the list is for. I just make a point to write my name on the list from time to time to make sure she is still reading it.

Hence the name

Another three day weekend like this last one I will just go ahead and get a second job.

Saturday I helped a couple of friends move and remove furniture. The moving was pretty easy. The removing had some effort involved but was also a lot of fun. We took an old three cushion sofa to a dumpster at my factory. Now, a three dumpster sofa will not fit in a dumpster so it has to be modified with extreme violence by two large men with crowbars. By the time we were done the sofa could have fit in a garbage can. The old roach infested sofa will no longer be a threat to my friend's carport.

Later in the day I mowed the yard. I may have mentioned this about my yard, but when I am in the back corner with my push mower, this yard is as big as the Ponderosa of Bonanza fame.

Sunday was the real work day. My brother and I installed a new door on my shed. We had the frame fabricated at work but we had to router the hinges, and drill eleven holes through steel, each hole requiring three drill bits. Quick math says that is 33 drillings. There was some other parts of the construction that went on and the door swings perfectly for the first time in years.

That night I did a cook out for my brothers family and our parents.

Yesterday I finished the trim work on the shed and washed the soffit on the front of the house.

On all of the jobs Amanda was close at hand with the exception of the sofa violence. I don't like her in the area when I'm swinging a crowbar. I think it is caring on the side of caution.

She was a total little trooper all weekend, but we both agree that we need to get back to work and to school to get some rest.