Gone Running

I went running today for the first time in about a month and a half. 30 minutes, three miles on the treadmill at the UA rec center. I tweaked my right calf the start of November, in the same spot I hurt it last year. Pain free during the run, and there are plans to ramp up the mileage much more slowly this time. Running inside, even though it's gorgeous. For every June, July and August in Alabama, I'll take the late fall and early winter. Been really nice. But it still rains a lot more than what I'm used to.

Last trip report: left KC Monday morning, southbound. Thought about stopping in West Plains, but chose to Jonesboro, Arkansas instead. The roads in Arkansas are very winding, so it's difficult to make any kind of time on them. Good thing I didn't call games there, for how often I've been late to games. Made it home form Jonesboro a week ago, today. Ann and I were very glad to get home, after a week-and-a-half road trip. Glad to get back on a normal schedule, sleep in our own beds, stuff like that.

The last few days, I applied online for some... wait for it... Joe jobs (thank you very much). Pizza Hut, Office Depot, stuff like that. Something to get a little extra cash flowing while I lean further toward a career change. But my timing is off, since who's really looking at this stuff during the holidays. And I bought a GRE prep book tonight, with the thought of taking said test to get into grad school.

Year in review coming up next.

Merry Christmas

It's been a pretty special couple of days, what with that whole winter solstice holiday thing. Not our first Christmas together, for Ann and me, but it is our first as married folk. So it's very special for us. I'm happy to be done with traveling, and to be able to stay at home for the day. Especially since there's so much snow in the midwest. Reminds me of the times I drove in that stuff. Yuck.

Ann and I went to our first Alabama basketball game Wednesday night, against Mercer. They were selling five-dollar tix, so we went and had a great time, and we plan to go again next Wed, when they sell low-price tickets again.

Thursday, Christmas Eve, I just laid low, drank coffee, read some, helped pick up the house and stuff. I watched "It's a Wonderful Life" for the first time last night, and the Muppets equivalent today. Awesome stuff, and inspiring too. Haven't watched A Christmas Story, yet, but we're going to. And we went to Christmas Eve service at church, which is always special for me. Came home, listened to music, drank wine, and went to bed at 2 am. A very special time-- wished it could've gone on forever. Special times are what Christmas is all about now-- and I think it's terrific.

Also went and applied for a few jobs Wed while doing a little shopping. The first step toward going back to school. I just don't see a future in radio anymore. I can get a better-paying job and still dabble in it if I choose to. It's been, and will be, tough to let go emotionally of something I've always wanted to do, and have had the privilege of doing for the last 15 years. But my life is different now. I need to absolutely commit to this change, and I'm just about there.

And since Christmas/New Year's is a time of remembrance, I'm thinking about where I am now, where I was a year ago, and where I could go. It's pretty heavy, what with my being at a crossroads and all. I'll be starting a 'year in review' segment here pretty soon.

Road trip report: flew from KC to the Texas Hill Country via American Airlines, and the journey was free of incident, unlike the last time Ann and I flew the friendly skies, this past summer. Sean and Joanna are a great fit, and they were married at the Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg, where she's from. I was honored to stand with him as a new chapter in his life started. Another of his groomsmen was a radio guy and got out, and is doing well-- gave me something to think about. I was pretty wiped out by Sunday evening, and I was very happy to see Ann again. I'll wrap the trip next time out.

Wednesday

Getting some things done this morning, and more to do this afternoon.

What with all the road tripping we did in the last two weeks, it's been difficult for me to get in the Christmas spirit, which means for me, lots of music. Listened to a lot in the car, but with cars and highway signs going by, it's tough. I really like Santa Claus and his Old Lady from Cheech and Chong. My wife gets one Christmas CD every year. This year she got three, cuz of a snafu at Amazon.com. She likes the non-secular church Christmas music, same as me. It's awesome stuff. So I'm catching up on my Christmas music today.

Road trip report: We drove 12 hours from Tuscaloosa to Kansas City almost two weeks ago. Drove through Tupelo, MS and Jackson, Tennessee (so as to avoid Memphis and traffic and construction), before crossing into Missouri at the boot heel, and heading north on I-55 to St. Louis, then I-70 westbound. Heard the voice of a former co-worker on the air, I think out of Springfield, which was a pleasant surprise.

While in the KC metro, I visited the Truman Museum in Independence. Well worth the eight bucks. I'm about 3/4 through David McCullough's bio on HST, so I was kind of familiar with the topic going in. The museum can go places the book can't. I really enjoyed my afternoon, and more and more, I'm thinking of HST as truly a great American.

More to follow later on the trip.

K-State is up to number 12 in the polls, following a win at Alabama. The Miners won at Oklahoma Monday. Both of these teams have very special places in my heart, for different reasons, and this season could be really special for the both of them.

Okay, off to lunch and more chores.

Sweet Home Alabama

Ann and I are finally back in Tuscaloosa after a road trip of a week and a half. We saw Ann's mom, plus her brother and his family... Went back to Manhattan, flew to Austin and drove to Fredericksburg to watch a good friend get married... flew back to KC, then drove back to T-Town, breaking it down into two days by stopping in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

I'll try to break the trip down over the next several days.

I got two fantasy football teams into the semifinals... Energy Corporation lost by three points last night and drops to the third-place bracket... and Sean's Goat Farm is into the semis, as it was an 8-team bracket.

And I spent a lot of drive-time on the way up thinking on things, such as a complete career change. Getting *out* of radio. It's all I know, all I ever wanted to do, all I ever trained for and all I've ever done. But I just can't see a future in it. So I'm really looking at doing something else, something that I can enjoy, and something that pays. I told a friend of mine that I was (and still am) thinking about going back to school, and he slid into character (he's a career coach). Sent me a book and everything.

I'm gonna get a part-time job here very soon. I've been enough of a drain on my wife. I can still do the schooling.

Just really glad to be home-- been pretty wiped out for a while. Sleep in our own bed and all that. It's not to be underestimated.

And Christmas is coming. So is the Christmas Eve midnight service. I can't wait. This service is my absolute favorite of the whole year.

Manhappiness

My wife Ann and I are back in Manhattan, KS as she spent Tuesday defending her dissertation. They have some changes and revisions and additions and what not, but she's answering to Dr. Woodyard now, and I don't have words to express how proud I am of her. For putting in the effort on getting her phd, and for holding her tongue when necessary.

I've had some time on my hands, and I've spent it drinking coffee (Caribou and Starbucks-- both are excellent) and reading my book about Harry Truman. I'm on page 675 or so, and am about 2/3 of the way through. But it's a great read, and I am becoming more and more of a fan of HST, who seems to be truly a great American.

We love and miss Manhattan-- we courted, had lots of fun and married here, and a lot of our friends are in the neighborhood. It just doesn't feel like home anymore. Not their fault-- it's ours, for moving away. We both try to look forward and not backward, and our lives are in Tuscaloosa now. But it's been great seeing the sights and catching up with old friends.

So we'll leave town tomorrow and head back to Kansas City. Then first thing Friday morning, I fly to Austin for my friend Sean's wedding. He's been through a lot the last seven years or so, but he's a survivor, and I'm so proud of him for being a man and doing the right thing when it would be easy not to. He's met a wonderful gal, and they'll be married the 19th. They seem like a terrific match, and I'm honored that he's asked me to stand with him and share in their joy.

Thinking more about going back to school, though a conversation I had Saturday suggests I look at the gifts I have. And a career change seems like a greater possibility. I like sports, but radio, not so much. Doesn't pay well, and I have Ann to think about now. It's been hard the last few days, having this on my mind-- knowing that what I was trained and went to school for and spent my entire life wanting could be coming to an end. It's been my identity, and it feels like it's being taken away. Having all these options is good in a way, but bad in a way, also, since I don't really have any direction right now.

And K-State is ranked 17th this week. I think this could be a special year for Cats basketball. And my Miners lost to the Aggies at home, after blowing them out of the Pan Am Center last week. UTEP is at Ole Miss tonight. I loves me some UTEP basketball.

road trip!

So we drove 12 hours Friday from Tuscaloosa to Kansas City. Went to the Truman museum (finally) and saw some of the sights in KC. Heard some really great music.

Also did some soul searching. Much to think about.

And off to Manhattan Monday.

More to follow.

Pushing and Pulling

In the last six months, I've started a new life for myself and for my wife Ann. There has been some angst inside of me as to what I want to do with myself and what I should become.

It ties in directly to the 'change' factor, and how poorly I respond to change, even if it's something I know I need. I don't really want to change, since it kind of feels like 'selling myself out,' like who I was before was wrong somehow. Or feeling like I'm doing something because others want me to do it. That's not the reason to do things, I know, but for me, it's there.

I know these are things I need to do, that people shouldn't just stop growing and trying to get better and learn new things. Being single and spending a lot of time alone, I didn't feel a need to expand my horizons and learn more. I had a job and could support myself-- life is good, right?

But I was also a bit of a closed person before. I played video games a lot and did things that didn't really challenge me. I wasn't learning or trying to become a better man. And I didn't like having things pointed out to me that I liked doing and were safe and kept me from getting hurt(ie video games) but kept me from moving forward.

It's something my marriage is teaching me. So much more is different now from before. New town, new people, no job, no contacts and having to learn my way around. I'm having to basically reinvent myself, and evaluate whether what I was doing (radio play by play, which I loved) is a good thing long-term, since I have a wife and our futures to think about. But I also think that a lot of people would love to stop and change direction midstream.

So is radio pbp my future? Don't know. And if it's not, what direction do I choose? And will I be happy doing it? What will be my reaction to the change? Can I do my part to support us? Who knows.

But I do have a sense of urgency now that I didn't have before. I have to get off my butt and advance the ball, give effort and press on and stay positive.

In the news... the Chiefs still suck rocks and looking to put up my first married person Christmas tree tonight. And I've not gone for a run in two weeks. Calf trouble, just like last year at this time.

Weekend review

I know it's still Sunday, but the last three days have been pretty full for me, so we'll catch up a little.

Thursday and Friday, I hung out in the press box at Bryant-Denny stadium, watching the Alabama Super Six Championships. All six classes played their state title games. Three games Thursday and three Friday. I sat in the public address booth, helping the PA guy with spotting duties. Ball carrier, tackler, receiver, etc. Pretty much what I did at the UAB football games, so it was pretty easy. Watching three games back-to-back-to back can also be exhausting. Sounds funny, I know, but it gets a little cumbersome after a while. It reminded me of the times when I'd broadcast four or five HS basketball games in a day. It's ball and it's fun, but you're ready for it to end after a while.

It was also a chance to network. I wrote a :60 ad that played on the jumbotron at the stadium, and this was my 'payment.' Well worth it, I think... I met a lot of really nice people and passed out a lot of business cards. Hopefully it'll lead to something. Definitely a chance to enjoy a side of football I don't get to see very often. Great times.

Saturday, it was UAB women's basketball, where I do some PA work. They beat Mississippi Valley State by 20+, but didn't really open things up until they got some three pointers to drop. I find that I kind of enjoy being Mr. Big Voice Guy. More than I imagined. Emceeing the halftime contests is something I'm learning about.

Driving back from Birmingham, I listened to the Alabama-Florida game on the radio, and watched the second half at a watch party with Ann and some friends. Good people, and more good times. Especially cuz the Tide won, and won big. So Bama plays Texas for a national title. So I get to root for Alabama and against Texas all at the same time. Handy, one-stop shopping.

And there's much to think about. What to do with myself, and how to grow and get better as a person. Learning new things, despite every inclination to stay where I am. I know I need to improve, and I'm finally ready mentally and emotionally to get after it.

And there's a road trip in our future. Details to follow.

Giving thanks

One of the nice things I've seen in the last several weeks is that people on Facebook have spent time talking about things they are thankful for. So many things, so little time. But it doesn't stop us from sharing a few of those things.

One thing I'm thankful for (and I could go on, of course) is the new family I've married into. Ann and I drove off from Tuscaloosa last Tuesday afternoon about 4 and drove as far as Bainbridge, Georgia. Wednesday morning, we drove the rest of the way to Tampa, where her cousin Ellen and husband George and two munchkins live. Another cousin lives in Ft. Myers and came up for the occasion. Ann's mom flew in from KC, as did Ann's uncle. So the clan was all there. I'd never been to Florida, so I was eager to check it all out. The only down side is that it was a short trip. Got to Tampa Wed early afternoon and ran back to Tuscaloosa Friday.

It was a good chance to bond with these people, since there wasn't much time at the wedding. And we had a great time. Lost my shirt to an 8-year old nephew in hold-em poker. I swear, the kid kept drawing flushes and straights against my pair of fours. We sat and talked, I talked some, listened a lot. I like listening to people tell stories, so I could've sat there all night. We ate a terrific Thanksgiving feast, courtesy of Ellen and many extra hands. And we saw some of the Sunshine State. Walked along Tampa with family and two border terriers (Fred and Ginger).They live close to Raymond James Stadium, so they know whenever the Buccaneers score, cuz they can hear those cannons boom. Lots of weird and different stuff down there. But it was a great time. And I can't wait to go back.

Ann, her mother and I drove back up Friday, listening to the Alabama-Auburn game. A and I obviosuly had a vested interest and it was our first Iron Bowl, and Mumsie loves a good ball game. So we drove through the Florida panhandle and southern Alabama listening to Uncle Eli get Bama a win. I really like listening to him call a football game. I swear nobody spoke in that car for maybe an hour, hour and a half-- we were that into the game. I think we were driving through Montgomery when the Tide scored in the last minute to win.

The reason we hauled buns back is because I had UAB women's basketball duties. I do the public address. It's harder than it looks, but it's kinda fun, and it's *definitely* outside the box.

So I'm thankful for safe travels, new family, old family, new friends, old friends, great times, new opportunities, and so much more.

Weekend recap

Monday morning means the start of a new week, and the end of the old one. So it's a good place to take a quick look back and also look forward.

Friday night, I just laid low. I spent football Fridays helping the local TV station with their high school football coverage, but that ended a few weeks ago. So I watched Project Runway with my wife. Actually, she watched, and I watched KSU basketball on the computer. Our Cats lost to Ole Miss, who's supposed to be pretty good in the SEC West.

Anyhow, on to Saturday. My assignment, through the UAB Media Relations Office, was to handle the public address at Bartow Arena for the women's basketball team, as Miami, Fla. visited. So I drove from Tuscaloosa into Birmingham for the game. But the other guy was already there. With every other job covered, I came back home.

I knocked out a few things around the house, then sat down for the UTEP football game, at Rice. I love my Miners more than any other team on the planet. I guess you could call me a long-suffering fan. Well, the suffering continued with six lost fumbles and a 30-29 loss, moving their record to 3-8. This kind of thing has happened a lot this season, and we've stunk it up for decades, so we're used to it. Yet we keep coming back. Go figure.

Sunday was church, and some pretty awesome church music. Wife Ann was under the weather, so it was a solo voyage. Going to church together is a great joy of our lives, so it wasn't the same without her. But normally, I'd just punt it and stay home and drink coffee. I also went back to church at 3:30 for Dave Ramsey's Financial Planning University. Very useful info. Hopefully I'll have some money to manage at some point. Got home, watched more football and more Cats hoops.

There's a Thanksgiving trip to Tampa starting tomorrow afternoon, so today will see preparations for that, like straightening the house a little, because Ann's mother is staying with us this coming weekend. I've never set foot in Florida before, so I'm looking forward to seeing just how much Florida there is.

New Guy!

A good friend of mine recently offered me a chance to write/post on his blog, so as to maintain and sharpen my writing skills. I posted, once, but it kinda felt out of place, so that's why I'm here.

This is my first attempt at blogging... I'd thought about it before, but wondered whether I'd stay with it for more than 20 minutes before losing interest. I still may, but I decided (thanks to Dr. Emmet Brown) 'what the hell.'

I don't want to share everything all at once, but here are the basics: I live in Tuscaloosa, Alabama with my wife Ann, who is my best friend on the planet. We were married in June and moved to the Deep South the first of August. She works at UA, and I'm knocking on a lot of doors, shaking a lot of hands and meeting a lot of people as I try to find a job. I've got a lot of things going on, and those, too, will come out over time.

So thanks for stopping by, and welcome aboard.

My post from Sean's blog...

From October 28, 2009. This was the post I left on his site before deciding to branch out on my own.

This reminds me of a bit George Carlin did, where he talked about Mike Douglas having a guest host on his show. Either you’re a guest or the host…

Anyhow, I guess Sean is holding you all hostage while helping his friends at the same time. He has this uncanny knack for knowing what’s best for me without my really knowing it. There are two people who have this skill, and I married the other one.

My wife and I started down many new paths this summer. It’s been four months since we got married, three months since we moved to Alabama, and 2 1/2 months since she started her job and I started looking for a new one. One of my favorite sayings is ‘get out of the box,’ meaning to break out of old habits/ruts and find new, creative ways of learning or doing things. I always say I like it in my little box. It’s cozy, all my stuff is in here, and there’s always a rerun of Bull Durham on the TV.

But these life changes pretty much forced me out of the box. For 7 1/2 years, I had a stable job with decent pay, doing a lot of what I wanted to do at a radio station in Kansas. Now I’m starting over in Tuscaloosa, which is nice in a way, since it lets me reinvent the wheel and go in a completely different path if I want to. I’ve done the exercises in Bolles’ “What Color is your Parachute” job-hunting book, and I’ve learned a lot about who I am and the things I like to do. I’m using this information to plan my next job. The challenge here is how to best use the information. Job ideas pretty much run the gamut, and many of them I’d never dreamed of or considered. Like teaching. The people I consider my inner circle all think I’d be a great teacher. I’d never imagined myself doing that. Going back to school? I’m a broadcaster, I don’t need any more schooling… But since I’m outside the box, nothing is off limits.

I’ve even accepted a part-time job running the control board at the sports talk station here in town. Basically doing the same thing I did in Lubbock in 1995 when I first started– Texas Rangers baseball, Houston Rockets basketball, Dallas Cowboys football, etc. Entry-level stuff. But it’s a foot in the door, it’s a start. I did good work in Kansas, and two people I worked for have kindly lent their names as references. But nobody in Alabama knows them, so we have to get back in on the ground floor. You never know where these things will take you.

Wife Ann and I are pretty much settled, and we’re getting used to life in the South. Still much swirling around us. Many questions for her and for me. Maybe when we get these things figured out, we can relax. But then there’ll be other stuff to figure out… and then, well… who knows?

There will always be something to learn/do/figure out. There is no destination. Only a journey. We continue to grow, to learn, to get a little better every day. And we do the best we can.