Weekend In Motion

Well...... Like any parent with an active family, spent a really busy weekend. Saturday drove forever for my youngest two day soccer tournament. Sunday drove to NYC to run the NYC half marathon then drove back to gods country for the rest of my daughters tournament then went home. My wife and I figured we drove about 300 miles that day... OOOOOOFFF!!
Anyway I wanted to touch on something that I noticed as the good and bad about athletics and competition. One of the things I love about major running events is the atmosphere. Everyone is there for a common goal, to finish and do their personal best, We are all very supportive of each other and the cheering from the crowd is wonderful and very motivating. Especially at the end of the run when you're in pain and really don't want to do this anymore the support and energy is remarkable.
On the flip side... at my daughters soccer tournament even though we try to encourage good sportsmanship. I've noticed that the opposite is promoted. Parents yelling and arguing, coaches teaching their young players tactics that aren't ethical. You don't really get a good feeling when it's over.. Even when you've won. I even find myself geting pulled into it. There was a player who fouled one of my players and I noticed the other coach giving the offendor a encouraging pat. This if course got my juices pumping. The team did well and the girls learned allot from the tournament and the team will move forward. But I often wonder what we're really teaching them or if it's worth it.

A fathers pride

I took my 12 year old daughter to someone's farm today so she could help rehabilitate horses for adoption. She loves animals, especially horses. I am very proud of her because she took initiative and did this all on her own. She searched on line for days trying to find people who wanted volunteers. Once she did she communicated with them to confirm a time and place. All I did was give her the ride. She's the middle child of my three and she has really experienced difficult times. She's had a hard time in school and a hard time with kids picking on her. So much so that she shut out the world and isolated herself. My wife and I have worked really hard and continue to experience rollercoaster days as we all try to work with this. But today is a special day. I cannot emphasize enough how proud I am of her and how happy I am for her. I love all my children and work very hard to help them to recognize how special they all are. I can go on and on on like this but I will be good and not do that. I just wanted to let the world know that it's days like this that help me to recognize how wonderful it is to love and be loved.

Back in PA !!!!!

Well, I'm back at home sweet home!!! Arizona was beautiful and the interviews went really well. Actually it was one interview that went for 4 hours with different people coming in every hour. Really intense!!! OOOF! After the interviews I met my wife over her cousins house and enjoyed the rest of the day and sun. It gave me time to relaxe and reflect on the day and wonder how my kids would like Arizona. I have three and they're my biggest blessing and biggest worry in the world. Like I said I'm home and as I'm writing this I have allot I want to say but I'm really tired and trying to readjust to the time difference. My prsopective employer told me they would inform me after the Labor Day Weekend but I'm thinking I might hear sooner than that.

Running wild in Arizona

Woke up at 2:30 AM AZ time this morning. I think that's 5:30 AM eastern which is about right for me. I have an interview today and I'm starting to get myself ready for it. When I run I use this method where you relax and imagine yourself achieving your personal best time. I'm also doing it for my interview today. It is sooooooooo important to keep a positive attitude during situtations like this.

If anyone has been to AZ it's really beautiful out here. I'm really impressed.
Anyway my dau yesterday was intense and stressed to the max. We wen to newark early, ended up on line for 1.5 hours and missed our flight. AARRGGGHHH!!! We managed to get stand by and pick up another flight 5 hours later. What added to the stress was that I had scheduled and appointment according to my first flight. Fortunately the plan landed in time and I had my meeting via my cell phone in a rental car pulled over at the side of the road. That's been my last 24 hours. I'll let ya know how things go.

Bad Dream

Good Morning. It's 12:49 in the morning and I just woke up because of a bad dream. I usually don't have bad dreams and if I do they usually don't wake me up like this one did. The ending of the dream is what's disturbing to me and I have had this type of dream before. Since it doesn't happen often, I usually let it go over time. Someone once told me it was a "Night Tremor" but I think it's someting more. Well... here it is.

I'm in a school or orphanage and I'm a young boy; It's designed like a school but has allot of orphan kids. I'm walking around with another boy I know and we're sneaking around the dark hallways looking for something. What we're looking for I really don't know. We meet up with an older boy who has a smile I don't like. He and the boy I was walking with go into the boys bathroom to talk. I go to walk in with themn but they won't let me in. I feared something was wrong and started walking the dark hallways to try to find my way back. I was walking counterclockwise always making a left turn. The hallways were like one big square. AS I was walking I noticed there were other kids sleeping on the floor. They were sleeping on the left side of the hallway as I was walking. Everytime I would accidently brush up against one of them I felt the need to hurry up. Like somone would find out I'm there. The scene changes and I'm lying next to my wife with my arm around (I actually thought I woke up). I feel something behind me and I try to turn my head and look but I can't. My heart starts to race and I try not to panick as I notice that I can't move or talk. I try to shake my wife awake but again I cannot find the strength in as hard as I try. As I fight to move and turn I am lying on my side facing my wife. I notice a shadowy figure above my wife. (here's one of the really bizarre parts) The shadowy form is changing shape, first it looked like a rabbit and then it changed. Anything shadowy I don't consider friendly. I tried to yell but could only manage a moan. Like a deaf mute trying to depserately talk. I finally manage to wake myself and find myself in the same position as in my dream holding my sleeping wife. I wonder if I was actually moaning then I realize it wouldn't have mattered. My wife could sleep through a rock concert. Out of curiosity I feel my pulse and its normal.
That's my dream. The part about where there's something around and I can't move is the one I have experienced before. I know I experienced fear in the dream but I think it's more frustration.
I'm initially fearful becuase there's something behind me but when I decide to turn and face it I discover I can't move. This brings about more fear and frustration because I can't move.

Getting a hang of things

I've been looking at other blogs and discovered that so far, mine is pretty plain (boring). So I'm trying to get a handle on all the different options that are offered. It took me almost an hour to post my pic. Pretty sad for an IT guy huh?

Day one

Like I said, I just quit my job. Feeling pretty stressed but at the same time feeling like a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Been at odds with management ever since there was a change two years ago. Went from being employee of the month to Mr. Poor performer regardless of how hard I worked or what I accomplished. But I have to say....I learned allot. It forced me to look at myself and my values. I asked " Does my job define who I am?" and learned that there's more to life than work. In any case I be keeping ya posted as things develop