The last few days have offered a chance to be quiet, think about how life's going, and what's on the horizon in 2010. One of the areas I found myself thinking about was the blog, and my reasons for writing. My hope was to use the blog as a forum to: 1) get a chance to write creatively 2) document a year of big change in my life and 3) to keep friends updated on my life as I made that transition. Here's where I stand in those three areas after six months of this project:
Topic 1: Writing) I have enjoyed writing about life, observations, and other random things over the past few months. There have been some poorly written entries (in terms of style, outline, etc) and a few I thought I did pretty well. Like most things, writing is a skill we continue to improve on, and I'd like to think blogging has helped me improve in some way.
Topic 2: The Story of My Life) The last six months of 2009 are pretty well documented, and at times like this (the end of the year) it is nice to look back on some of those fun moments to remind me its been a cool year. Photographs also serve the same purpose, but its nice to know the story behind some of the experiences. Its also not an entire picture of my life, since there are some topics I don't write about in a public forum.
Topic 3: Keeping folks abreast of my life) When it comes down to it, we all rely on technology to stay connected. Telephones, emails, facebook, blogs, etc., are all part of our lives and will be for as long as most of us are alive. The blog was originally a travel blog for folks in Seattle and Chicago (and elsewhere) to ride along as I made the trek across the country. I could reach a broad audience at once, and didn't have to re-tell the same stories to everyone in my life.
At some point, the blog morphed in to a combination of "here's whats going on" and "here's what I'm thinking about." In terms of keeping folks abreast of my life, I'm pretty sure folks have a general idea for what's going on in my life. And there will continue to be adventures and interesting moments along the way that I'll probably share with many of you--the question is whether I still need a blog to achieve that purpose.
So as you can tell, I'm a bit of a crossroads in terms of whether to continue writing the blog in 2010, or I should ditch it and spend my free time doing other things--like writing the book I've wanted to complete.
I'm not feeling compelled one way or the other to continue, but I figured this would be a good time to turn it around and ask if folks are even reading (I have no way to track) and whether you like it. I can achieve the same three objectives (Writing practice, documenting my life, keeping folks abreast) in non-public formats--the question I'm trying to answer is whether sharing my life for the world to see is worth the time and (potential) exposure.
If you've gotten this far into this entry, you've probably formulated an opinion at some point about the blog so do me a favor and drop me an email (dweber1212@yahoo.com) or post your comments below (anonymous is fine) about the blog. I'll make a decision after I've given it some time to swirl around between the ears, but any input/feedback would be really appreciated.
Hope all of you celebrating Christmas enjoyed it,
Delta Whiskey
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
2009: The Year in Review
Last Friday I had my work team's holiday party, which shaped up to be your typical office holiday party. Some awkward chit-chat, a secret santa thing, you know, the kind of thing you probably attended in the last week. Anyhow, I didn't realize until the morning of the party (it was a lunch) that we were supposed to bring our reflections on our year. Of course, these were only supposed to be reflections on our professional life, but I found myself reflecting on the bigger picture as I drove out to the suburbs.
The words I'd use to describe this past year were challenging, fun, and adventuresome. (Somaybe my blog's title wasn't so dumb after all). But in looking back on the past 12 months I've been able to accomplish most of what I set out to at the start of the year as well as a few added bonuses.
How do I know this? Well, as I've written about before, I sat down last January and began to think about what 'success' would look like at the end of the year. And for me a successful year would be one I could look back on as peaceful, so I set out with the belief that if I achieved success in the main areas of my life (career, finances, health, social/family, and hobbies) I'd have a shred more serenity in my life than I had on December 31, 2008.
So I set about doing my best to accomplish those goals, and tracking how I did along the way. As you can see from the photo, many of the goals were accomplished, and I've got a sense for where things can continue to improve as I look forward to 2010. Green = Good, Red = Needs Improvement.
But the question I've asked myself is, "despite all of these accomplishments, have I achieved peace of mind?"
I would like to think I'm at a good place today. Its a much better place than I've been in a while after having a few years that were anything but peaceful. So when I step back, things are pretty cool today--December 22, 2009. A few reasons:
I'm close to the people who matter most to me. My family and friends are what make Chicago so great, but its also an awesome city with endless possibilities for entertainment, fun, and adventure-seeking. Needs Improvement: Sports.
As much as I gripe (griped?), I have a job that gives me a chance to help patients avoid some of the chaos inside the hospital. It gives me a chance to grow and learn, help patients, and be creative which is all I can really ask for in a job.
My health is great and I'm not worried about my next doctor appointment, procedure, or surgery.
I'm financially comfortable, and have more than enough to afford the things I need to be happy.
But despite all of these great things I have had a chaotic year in many regards. I've traveled to 23 states, moved across the country, left a job I loved (for a job I like), moved in with my sister and kids, then moved in to a place of my own. So as you can expect, it hasn't exactly been "peaceful" at times due to all the activity. I know these were changes I brought on myself, so I really am not complaining, just making the observation that all of the activities I spent time may have led to success in many regards--it just not may be success in terms of 'peace of mind.'
Looking forward I see 2010 as a year of continued learning about myself, and I'll spend the next few weeks thinking about what I'd like to accomplish in 2010....stay tuned, and don't be afraid to set a few goals yourself if there's something you're itching to accomplish.
The words I'd use to describe this past year were challenging, fun, and adventuresome. (Somaybe my blog's title wasn't so dumb after all). But in looking back on the past 12 months I've been able to accomplish most of what I set out to at the start of the year as well as a few added bonuses.
How do I know this? Well, as I've written about before, I sat down last January and began to think about what 'success' would look like at the end of the year. And for me a successful year would be one I could look back on as peaceful, so I set out with the belief that if I achieved success in the main areas of my life (career, finances, health, social/family, and hobbies) I'd have a shred more serenity in my life than I had on December 31, 2008.
So I set about doing my best to accomplish those goals, and tracking how I did along the way. As you can see from the photo, many of the goals were accomplished, and I've got a sense for where things can continue to improve as I look forward to 2010. Green = Good, Red = Needs Improvement.
But the question I've asked myself is, "despite all of these accomplishments, have I achieved peace of mind?"
I would like to think I'm at a good place today. Its a much better place than I've been in a while after having a few years that were anything but peaceful. So when I step back, things are pretty cool today--December 22, 2009. A few reasons:
I'm close to the people who matter most to me. My family and friends are what make Chicago so great, but its also an awesome city with endless possibilities for entertainment, fun, and adventure-seeking. Needs Improvement: Sports.
As much as I gripe (griped?), I have a job that gives me a chance to help patients avoid some of the chaos inside the hospital. It gives me a chance to grow and learn, help patients, and be creative which is all I can really ask for in a job.
My health is great and I'm not worried about my next doctor appointment, procedure, or surgery.
I'm financially comfortable, and have more than enough to afford the things I need to be happy.
But despite all of these great things I have had a chaotic year in many regards. I've traveled to 23 states, moved across the country, left a job I loved (for a job I like), moved in with my sister and kids, then moved in to a place of my own. So as you can expect, it hasn't exactly been "peaceful" at times due to all the activity. I know these were changes I brought on myself, so I really am not complaining, just making the observation that all of the activities I spent time may have led to success in many regards--it just not may be success in terms of 'peace of mind.'
Looking forward I see 2010 as a year of continued learning about myself, and I'll spend the next few weeks thinking about what I'd like to accomplish in 2010....stay tuned, and don't be afraid to set a few goals yourself if there's something you're itching to accomplish.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Always Look on the Bright Side
I'll cut to the chase and describe my week at work as crappy. As part of my orientation, I was asked to co-facilitate a week-long workshop with a team at one of my organization's hospitals. From the team's perspective, they were asked to improve how patients move through the first few steps of a visit to an Emergency Department. My role was to teach, coach, and help them put in place ways to improve the experience for patients and they did a great job solving some complex issues. Healthcare gets a lot of press in the media these days, and working with staff on the front lines you see how the chaotic nature of healthcare leads to a patient experience that is less than ideal. These are folks doing their best to help patients on what may be the worst day of their lives, and they're working in a system that is best described as 'controlled chaos.' But I'd like to think my work helps those folks do their jobs easier by using their expertise to put in place changes that should help.
On a personal level, I like my work for two main reasons: 1) I have a hand in improving healthcare for all of you (and myself as well) and 2)I get to help teams work together to solve problems they've been wrestling with for some time. But this week I had a hard time appreciating those things about my work. I won't go in to a ton of detail, but I'll say that the working relationship with my co-facilitator and 'teacher' didn't exactly go perfectly. There were a few times during the week when I felt really crappy about how it was going, and although we had a chance to discuss some of the challenges it was a very uncomfortable experience. At the end of the week, we accomplished what we needed to with the team, I just wish it was a little smoother getting there.
So feeling a little down, I left work yesterday and turned on AM Sports Talk Radio, which has become my default coming to and from work. I know, very meatheady of me, but I love Chicago sports and 30 minutes in the car helps me get my finger on the pulse of the sports scene here in Chicago. During a commercial break, I hopped over to WGN-AM (radio home of the Cubs) and caught a bit by one of the DJs where listeners call in and describe what the "bright side" was of their week and it was exactly what I needed to snap life in to perspective.
In the background, you can hear the Monty Python "Always Look on the Bright Side" and it was really uplifting to hear everyday people call in and describe the little (and sometimes big) things they could be happy about. Having had very little to be upbeat about in my world, it gave me a nice pickup hearing about soldiers returning from war for the holidays, fun events people attended, and even shopping specials they found for holiday gifts. So maybe listing a few things I can be happy about will help some of you as well look at what's good in life, instead of what's not so good:
Brightside #1: My name is not Tiger Woods. I had a crappy week, but nothing in comparison to what is going on with he and his family. I'm an avid golfer, and pretty lukewarm about Tiger--mainly because I'm a big fan of underdogs and he never captured my heart. I certainly appreciate his talents, but wouldn't describe myself as a "fan." I don't need to recount the details of his week, but my challenges are nothing compared to what he's sorting through.
On a side note, I do have a minor conspiracy theory that some friends suggested I post, which is pure speculation on my part and not based on anything factual. In fact I feel creepy speculating on it, but it might merit some investigation if we really care about what happened that night. My guess is he and his wife got in to it physically the night of Thanksgiving and he was injured in the house during their encounter. They knew a domestic violence situation would be very ugly in the media, so the 'accident' was made up to make it seem like he wrecked his car rather than had his wife open up a can on him. Again, I'm not a policeman and don't know if that's got any weight, but it seems awfully fishy that he would run in to a fire hydrant, and a tree, and sustain an injury that led him to being passed out in the street. Chew on that one. Either way, I'm with Elin on this one. You go girl, and feel free to call me next time you're passing through Chicago and want to hang out.
Brightside #2: I got to a blackhawks game last night. There isn't much to be excited about in the Chicago sports scene these days. The Bears are a collosal disappointment, the Bulls are an average team, and the Cubs are sitting on the same roster they had at the end of last year's waste of a season. But the Blackhaws are HOT and the city is behind them after they revamped their marketing approach, got some exciting young talent, and a coach that knows what he's doing. I was a big hockey fan in high school and its nice to be following the sport once again. Yeah, I know that makes me a bandwagon jumper, but I really don't care. Winning is fun, and I'll support any Chicago sports team (outside of the White Sox). My official step on to the bandwagon was commemorated with the purchase of a blackhawks hat, with the coolest logo in professional sports.
Hockey is a sport that gets a bad wrap for being too rough, but it is actually a very peaceful sport to watch. There are very few whistles, and a really cool play in hockey is something special to watch. And Hawks games are unique for many reasons, but my favorite parts are:
-the national anthem (watch this to see what I'm talking about if you've never been...yes, they do this for every game although this was one of the most memorable renditions from the old Chicago Stadium)
-a really well-executed goal. Jonathan Toews, one of the Hawks young studs (and Pearl Jam fan...I saw him backstage earlier this summer with his crew) had an electrifying goal you can watch here.
-the crowd. Die Hard Hawks fans are a unique breed and very Chicago. Compared to the other 'die hards' in Chicago, they're just as charismatic and way tougher than any other fan base. Most of them wear jerseys and live and die with every possession, which I respect as an avid sports fan.
-the music during timeouts. If you populated a Venn diagram of Heavy Metal fans and Hockey fans you would find many in both groups, and as a lover of loud, obnoxious arena-rock I really dig the entertainment during hockey games....
Brightside #3: Annie getting to run along the lakefront. In addition to my week being crappy, Annie's was equally as bad. She had to wait nearly 14 hours between walks and really didn't get a chance to be much of a dog. Despite temps in the high 20's (remember, I have a policy on ADW not to bitch about weather) we headed out early Saturday morning to walk along the lakefront and take in some scenery. There are a few pictures in this album, and it was a really calm morning walking with Annie along Lake Michigan as we took in a skyline I yearned to see over the past few years. For Annie, I was happy to see her running in the leaves, mixing it up with a few other dogs, and being her usual goofball self. For me, it was a visual reminder of all the different places she and I have taken our morning walks since I've had her and how far both of us have come.
Brightside #4: I've been able to hang with many of my oldest friends at the end of a crappy week of work. That's not to say I didn't have great friends to hang with out in Seattle or elsewhere to chat about what's going on in life, but there's something very cool about hanging with your closest friends who can help keep what's important in its proper perspective.
Life isn't always about big 'events' to be happy or sad about and sometimes we've gotta remember the little things that put a smile on our face. For me, that's much easier said than done, but thanks to some radio karma I got that reminder I needed to always look on the bright side and hope you're doing the same....
On a personal level, I like my work for two main reasons: 1) I have a hand in improving healthcare for all of you (and myself as well) and 2)I get to help teams work together to solve problems they've been wrestling with for some time. But this week I had a hard time appreciating those things about my work. I won't go in to a ton of detail, but I'll say that the working relationship with my co-facilitator and 'teacher' didn't exactly go perfectly. There were a few times during the week when I felt really crappy about how it was going, and although we had a chance to discuss some of the challenges it was a very uncomfortable experience. At the end of the week, we accomplished what we needed to with the team, I just wish it was a little smoother getting there.
So feeling a little down, I left work yesterday and turned on AM Sports Talk Radio, which has become my default coming to and from work. I know, very meatheady of me, but I love Chicago sports and 30 minutes in the car helps me get my finger on the pulse of the sports scene here in Chicago. During a commercial break, I hopped over to WGN-AM (radio home of the Cubs) and caught a bit by one of the DJs where listeners call in and describe what the "bright side" was of their week and it was exactly what I needed to snap life in to perspective.
In the background, you can hear the Monty Python "Always Look on the Bright Side" and it was really uplifting to hear everyday people call in and describe the little (and sometimes big) things they could be happy about. Having had very little to be upbeat about in my world, it gave me a nice pickup hearing about soldiers returning from war for the holidays, fun events people attended, and even shopping specials they found for holiday gifts. So maybe listing a few things I can be happy about will help some of you as well look at what's good in life, instead of what's not so good:
Brightside #1: My name is not Tiger Woods. I had a crappy week, but nothing in comparison to what is going on with he and his family. I'm an avid golfer, and pretty lukewarm about Tiger--mainly because I'm a big fan of underdogs and he never captured my heart. I certainly appreciate his talents, but wouldn't describe myself as a "fan." I don't need to recount the details of his week, but my challenges are nothing compared to what he's sorting through.
On a side note, I do have a minor conspiracy theory that some friends suggested I post, which is pure speculation on my part and not based on anything factual. In fact I feel creepy speculating on it, but it might merit some investigation if we really care about what happened that night. My guess is he and his wife got in to it physically the night of Thanksgiving and he was injured in the house during their encounter. They knew a domestic violence situation would be very ugly in the media, so the 'accident' was made up to make it seem like he wrecked his car rather than had his wife open up a can on him. Again, I'm not a policeman and don't know if that's got any weight, but it seems awfully fishy that he would run in to a fire hydrant, and a tree, and sustain an injury that led him to being passed out in the street. Chew on that one. Either way, I'm with Elin on this one. You go girl, and feel free to call me next time you're passing through Chicago and want to hang out.
Brightside #2: I got to a blackhawks game last night. There isn't much to be excited about in the Chicago sports scene these days. The Bears are a collosal disappointment, the Bulls are an average team, and the Cubs are sitting on the same roster they had at the end of last year's waste of a season. But the Blackhaws are HOT and the city is behind them after they revamped their marketing approach, got some exciting young talent, and a coach that knows what he's doing. I was a big hockey fan in high school and its nice to be following the sport once again. Yeah, I know that makes me a bandwagon jumper, but I really don't care. Winning is fun, and I'll support any Chicago sports team (outside of the White Sox). My official step on to the bandwagon was commemorated with the purchase of a blackhawks hat, with the coolest logo in professional sports.
Hockey is a sport that gets a bad wrap for being too rough, but it is actually a very peaceful sport to watch. There are very few whistles, and a really cool play in hockey is something special to watch. And Hawks games are unique for many reasons, but my favorite parts are:
-the national anthem (watch this to see what I'm talking about if you've never been...yes, they do this for every game although this was one of the most memorable renditions from the old Chicago Stadium)
-a really well-executed goal. Jonathan Toews, one of the Hawks young studs (and Pearl Jam fan...I saw him backstage earlier this summer with his crew) had an electrifying goal you can watch here.
-the crowd. Die Hard Hawks fans are a unique breed and very Chicago. Compared to the other 'die hards' in Chicago, they're just as charismatic and way tougher than any other fan base. Most of them wear jerseys and live and die with every possession, which I respect as an avid sports fan.
-the music during timeouts. If you populated a Venn diagram of Heavy Metal fans and Hockey fans you would find many in both groups, and as a lover of loud, obnoxious arena-rock I really dig the entertainment during hockey games....
Brightside #3: Annie getting to run along the lakefront. In addition to my week being crappy, Annie's was equally as bad. She had to wait nearly 14 hours between walks and really didn't get a chance to be much of a dog. Despite temps in the high 20's (remember, I have a policy on ADW not to bitch about weather) we headed out early Saturday morning to walk along the lakefront and take in some scenery. There are a few pictures in this album, and it was a really calm morning walking with Annie along Lake Michigan as we took in a skyline I yearned to see over the past few years. For Annie, I was happy to see her running in the leaves, mixing it up with a few other dogs, and being her usual goofball self. For me, it was a visual reminder of all the different places she and I have taken our morning walks since I've had her and how far both of us have come.
Brightside #4: I've been able to hang with many of my oldest friends at the end of a crappy week of work. That's not to say I didn't have great friends to hang with out in Seattle or elsewhere to chat about what's going on in life, but there's something very cool about hanging with your closest friends who can help keep what's important in its proper perspective.
Life isn't always about big 'events' to be happy or sad about and sometimes we've gotta remember the little things that put a smile on our face. For me, that's much easier said than done, but thanks to some radio karma I got that reminder I needed to always look on the bright side and hope you're doing the same....
Saturday, November 28, 2009
....and this is why I moved here.
I must admit, as cool as things have been of late I've been struggling to motivate to get on the blog. As much as I enjoy the mundane, I've just felt like there hasn't been much outside of work and moving that's been "newsworthy." And frankly, I'm not sure how interested I would be in reading about another person's encounters with things like botched furniture deliveries, used DVD players with adult films left behind by the previous owner, or the new variation on a classic card game my friends and I created last Wednesday. I guess that's why people use things like Twitter, and I guess I see the blog as a way to provide a little more context.
But this past Friday night I was out with friends celebrating the engagement of two friends--Alpha Tango and Mike Hotel. Before I get on with last Friday, a shout out/mazel tov from yours truly to Alpha and Mike on the engagement!
(Side note: Alpha has been a friend since kindergarten and we've hung out a bunch since my return--playing lots of golf, checking out a few concerts, and general dude-hanging-out kind of stuff. He reads the blog and is the #1 karaoke performer I know. He belted out Sister Christian last Friday which conjured memories of this classic performance. Just forward ahead to 2:00 to see what I'm talking about.)
So anyhow, a bunch of friends were out celebrating the big event, and I ran in to two friends (Sierra and Mike Delta) who were living out in San Fran and mentioned they actually enjoyed the blog. And maybe it was the kick in the pants I needed to get back on here.
Now that we've got that out of the way, the title of today's entry is "...and this is why I moved here." This is a phrase I've continued to hear between my ears as I've had a fun few days since moving in last Saturday. Maybe it was all of the thanksgiving spirit, but I really have a lot to be thankful for this year and this week I found myself really appreciating the good fortune I've had this past year. I'm not saying life is perfect, but I've had a little bit of luck, a lot of support, and a little bit of kismet that have made this move work out pretty well.
Some funny/cool moments over the past few weeks:
-Watching Bears games. This sounds very mundane, and I know the Bears absolutely suck, but living in another city makes you really miss your sports teams. And its not just the teams you miss, its the chit-chat with buddies (or family) about the reasons for the suckitude that only a bear fan can appreciate.
-Spending thanksgiving with my family. We had a little bit of a hiccup with the T-giving schedule and ended up having our dinner on Friday instead of Thursday. But everyone was around (my brother and sister live outside of Chicago) and we had a lot of fun catching up, playing BINGO, and getting our fill of all that food. I cooked (on the BBQ) and carved my first turkey, which I have to say is highly overrated. Its really not that difficult to cook, and it always seemed like such a chore/task.....but I figured since a few million people cook turkeys safely every year I could do the same. I'd have 100% confidence in my ability to do it again and I think the bird was pretty good. I also think we might want to consider moving Thanksgiving to the fourth Friday of November (screw black friday), but I'll wait 'til I'm in elected office to campaign for the Friday Thanksgiving.
-Having the family over to my new place. Saturday morning, my folks, sisters, and the little ones took the train to the city to see the new digs and have some lunch. It really wasn't anything special, but it was a pretty cool feeling to have my family visit my house and not need them to get on a plane to do so. They all enjoyed seeing the new place, and can rest assured knowing Annie and I live in a building that has all sorts of cool things.
-Watching Annie play in a Chicago city park. Yesterday afternoon, Annie and I had a playdate with some friends and dogs at Humbolt Park that was fun for me and equally as fun for Annie. This move probably hasn't been easy on her, but she's handled it like a trooper and it felt nice to give her something to enjoy amidst the chaos. My neighborhood has some greenspace, but it was fun to watch her roll around in some dirt with some other dogs without all of the noise and congestion that comes with my neighborhood.
-Seeing close friends on a regular basis. When I lived in Seattle I certainly stayed in touch with my friends via email/text, and whenever we had time to catch up during my visits we'd get together. But those conversations were always too short, and with most of my friends less than 10 minutes from my place it really feels like home once again.
Before I sign off I have a homeroom announcement:
First, the Rory David Deutsch foundation is a cause very near and dear to ADW follower and close friend Roger Daltrey. On December 10, Jackson Browne will perform a benefit concert at the North Shore Center for Performing Arts. If you're interested in good causes, good music, or a good time you're bound to have fun. You can purchase tickets on the website via the link provided. I'm sure you'll get to hear things like "runnin' on empty" and "doctor my eyes" but no guarantees on setlists!
Finally, I'll do my best to post something up here once a week so you'll get a somewhat consistent ADW fix....I'm not entirely sure what I'll be writing about but, I'll do my best to make it worth your while to check the blog during your downtime at work.
But this past Friday night I was out with friends celebrating the engagement of two friends--Alpha Tango and Mike Hotel. Before I get on with last Friday, a shout out/mazel tov from yours truly to Alpha and Mike on the engagement!
(Side note: Alpha has been a friend since kindergarten and we've hung out a bunch since my return--playing lots of golf, checking out a few concerts, and general dude-hanging-out kind of stuff. He reads the blog and is the #1 karaoke performer I know. He belted out Sister Christian last Friday which conjured memories of this classic performance. Just forward ahead to 2:00 to see what I'm talking about.)
So anyhow, a bunch of friends were out celebrating the big event, and I ran in to two friends (Sierra and Mike Delta) who were living out in San Fran and mentioned they actually enjoyed the blog. And maybe it was the kick in the pants I needed to get back on here.
Now that we've got that out of the way, the title of today's entry is "...and this is why I moved here." This is a phrase I've continued to hear between my ears as I've had a fun few days since moving in last Saturday. Maybe it was all of the thanksgiving spirit, but I really have a lot to be thankful for this year and this week I found myself really appreciating the good fortune I've had this past year. I'm not saying life is perfect, but I've had a little bit of luck, a lot of support, and a little bit of kismet that have made this move work out pretty well.
Some funny/cool moments over the past few weeks:
-Watching Bears games. This sounds very mundane, and I know the Bears absolutely suck, but living in another city makes you really miss your sports teams. And its not just the teams you miss, its the chit-chat with buddies (or family) about the reasons for the suckitude that only a bear fan can appreciate.
-Spending thanksgiving with my family. We had a little bit of a hiccup with the T-giving schedule and ended up having our dinner on Friday instead of Thursday. But everyone was around (my brother and sister live outside of Chicago) and we had a lot of fun catching up, playing BINGO, and getting our fill of all that food. I cooked (on the BBQ) and carved my first turkey, which I have to say is highly overrated. Its really not that difficult to cook, and it always seemed like such a chore/task.....but I figured since a few million people cook turkeys safely every year I could do the same. I'd have 100% confidence in my ability to do it again and I think the bird was pretty good. I also think we might want to consider moving Thanksgiving to the fourth Friday of November (screw black friday), but I'll wait 'til I'm in elected office to campaign for the Friday Thanksgiving.
-Having the family over to my new place. Saturday morning, my folks, sisters, and the little ones took the train to the city to see the new digs and have some lunch. It really wasn't anything special, but it was a pretty cool feeling to have my family visit my house and not need them to get on a plane to do so. They all enjoyed seeing the new place, and can rest assured knowing Annie and I live in a building that has all sorts of cool things.
-Watching Annie play in a Chicago city park. Yesterday afternoon, Annie and I had a playdate with some friends and dogs at Humbolt Park that was fun for me and equally as fun for Annie. This move probably hasn't been easy on her, but she's handled it like a trooper and it felt nice to give her something to enjoy amidst the chaos. My neighborhood has some greenspace, but it was fun to watch her roll around in some dirt with some other dogs without all of the noise and congestion that comes with my neighborhood.
-Seeing close friends on a regular basis. When I lived in Seattle I certainly stayed in touch with my friends via email/text, and whenever we had time to catch up during my visits we'd get together. But those conversations were always too short, and with most of my friends less than 10 minutes from my place it really feels like home once again.
Before I sign off I have a homeroom announcement:
First, the Rory David Deutsch foundation is a cause very near and dear to ADW follower and close friend Roger Daltrey. On December 10, Jackson Browne will perform a benefit concert at the North Shore Center for Performing Arts. If you're interested in good causes, good music, or a good time you're bound to have fun. You can purchase tickets on the website via the link provided. I'm sure you'll get to hear things like "runnin' on empty" and "doctor my eyes" but no guarantees on setlists!
Finally, I'll do my best to post something up here once a week so you'll get a somewhat consistent ADW fix....I'm not entirely sure what I'll be writing about but, I'll do my best to make it worth your while to check the blog during your downtime at work.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Making Chicago Home
Although I've been in the Chicago area for about six months, I've had this feeling that I still hadn't settled in. I realize there are no finish lines in life, but moving in to my own place feels like a bit of a finish line to the journey I've been on over the past six months. My sister (and her kids) have made my return to Chicago fun and easy as possible, by giving me a great place for Annie and I to stay while I looked for work. So after I made it to Chicago and found work, I turned my focus towards the next step on the Chicago journey: establishing a home of my own.
I knew I needed a few paychecks to cover rent and some furnishings (I sold everything I owned when I left Seattle) and targeted December 1 of this year for a date to move in. And although I know the city pretty well, I called in the help of an apartment finder to sort through the rentals and steer me in the direction of places that would fit with my lifestyle. I can't believe I never used an apartment finder for previous searches, but it made a world of difference having someone's help.
So Echo Victor (the apartment finder) and I set out this past Saturday to find a place for Annie and I to call home. As I mentioned to Echo, I really don't do the whole "shopping" thing very well and am the kind of guy who doesn't spend time shopping for things--regardless of cost or importance. My main criteria for the apartment were proximity to the expressways (since I drive so much for work), and a dog-friendly building. I gave her a few other cost parameters, and we were off.
We looked at a few places that seemed "OK", but were located over near Millenium Park/Navy Pier and although one of the places was nice I had a feeling I'd go nuts with the traffic coming in and out of that area for events. So we headed to my old neighborhood, which for those who don't know was just west of the loop. I had some initial reservations about being back in the same neighborhood, but after seeing the place I was sold.
The place is in a high-rise building that was completed about a year ago, and my apartment has only been lived in for three months of that year. The building has a ton of amenities which is a little different from my past apartments, but something I can definitely get used to. And there's even a dog park in front of the building where Annie can run off leash. Tons of other cool stuff, but you can read apartment listings elsewhere on the internet.
As I mentioned earlier, I sold just about everything I owned when I left Seattle (other than clothing, my car, and Annie) so my focus today turned to things like furniture to fill up the apartment. Furniture shopping is another one of those things I don't love spending my time to do, so much like the apartment search it took me about 30 minutes to find a couch and table to deck out the new living room. The only challenge I had was deciding the delivery date for the furniture (and ultimately my move in date), but I settled on November 21 as my first day in a 606XX zip code.
I knew I needed a few paychecks to cover rent and some furnishings (I sold everything I owned when I left Seattle) and targeted December 1 of this year for a date to move in. And although I know the city pretty well, I called in the help of an apartment finder to sort through the rentals and steer me in the direction of places that would fit with my lifestyle. I can't believe I never used an apartment finder for previous searches, but it made a world of difference having someone's help.
So Echo Victor (the apartment finder) and I set out this past Saturday to find a place for Annie and I to call home. As I mentioned to Echo, I really don't do the whole "shopping" thing very well and am the kind of guy who doesn't spend time shopping for things--regardless of cost or importance. My main criteria for the apartment were proximity to the expressways (since I drive so much for work), and a dog-friendly building. I gave her a few other cost parameters, and we were off.
We looked at a few places that seemed "OK", but were located over near Millenium Park/Navy Pier and although one of the places was nice I had a feeling I'd go nuts with the traffic coming in and out of that area for events. So we headed to my old neighborhood, which for those who don't know was just west of the loop. I had some initial reservations about being back in the same neighborhood, but after seeing the place I was sold.
The place is in a high-rise building that was completed about a year ago, and my apartment has only been lived in for three months of that year. The building has a ton of amenities which is a little different from my past apartments, but something I can definitely get used to. And there's even a dog park in front of the building where Annie can run off leash. Tons of other cool stuff, but you can read apartment listings elsewhere on the internet.
As I mentioned earlier, I sold just about everything I owned when I left Seattle (other than clothing, my car, and Annie) so my focus today turned to things like furniture to fill up the apartment. Furniture shopping is another one of those things I don't love spending my time to do, so much like the apartment search it took me about 30 minutes to find a couch and table to deck out the new living room. The only challenge I had was deciding the delivery date for the furniture (and ultimately my move in date), but I settled on November 21 as my first day in a 606XX zip code.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Featured Friend: Papa Hotel
Career/Teaching:
Which teachers/coaches do you remember most fondly from growing up in
From a coaching standpoint – Coaches K and G and Mr. Baker; they all helped foster a love for competing. For Mr. Baker it was about the number of kids he’s done it for and continues to this day. In terms of teachers, I went to
Mr Sedek at
Why did you decide to go in to teaching?
I went through college at Indiana and was really unsure about what I wanted to do. I was so focused on the Little 500 at
My mom was an elementary school teacher for some of the kids you taught at the high school level, and I have tremendous respect for the work you guys do with special needs students. What drew you towards working with students with special needs?
I wasn't passionate about any one subject area and was really interested in just helping kids with their overall development/learning instead of one specific subject. I also helped special needs kids for years as a volunteer, and was always comfortable. But coaching ultimately steered me towards education more than the other way around.
What is it like teaching in the high school you attended? When you first started did you find yourself looking for your buddies in the hallways or cafeteria?
It’s great; at first it was easy because there was a comfort level. I already had relationships with so many faculty, because my mom was a teacher and administrator in the social studies department. The hardest thing I had to get used to was calling fellow teachers by their first name; some I still can't call by their first names 'til this day, but I've gotten more comfortable with it.
Fill in the blank with three different occupations/industries. If you weren’t teaching you’d be _______________.
- Working for something like the Elias sports bureau
- Working as an anchor or sports journalist
- Something working with kids
Family:
How long have you and your wife been married?
We've been married for eight years, and originally met through mutual friends.
How many kids and what ages?
Three kids, ages 10, 7 and 5. They’re all at the same school for now which is great; we get a kick out of hearing them talking about seeing each other in the hallways...but we’ll see what happens as they get older or in to high school
What is the family’s favorite vacation spot? (or a recent trip)
If you asked my wife, she’d say a road trip we took to
Which of your children reminds you most of yourself as a kid and why?
They each do in their own way. The oldest is very hard on himself and he’s all effort, he never goes easy, always has grass stains from head to toe when he comes inside. The middle one is a little of a free spirit/experimenter type of kid, who doesn’t do it for attention but the curiosity. The youngest can make his own fun without a ton of technology or other kids, and has a great time doing it
Having your summers off as a teacher has to be awesome. What are some of the things you and your kids do when you’ve got the time? On the flipside, what do you do during the school year (particularly basketball season) to make sure you’re spending enough time with all of them?
My days in the summers are actually incredibly busy. I run three sessions of camps for basketball, and I’m at the high school for seven hours a day, along with summer league games and shootouts our varisity team plays in.
But when we have time we have a lot of fun taking the kids to games; whether its college or pro.
I coached my son’s baseball team this summer, which was a lot of fun.
Do you find yourself coaching your son different from other kids or treating him any differently?
I've learned from other coaches with kids that the most important thing is to be supportive before anything else and to plant a seed in their heads that sports and competition should be fun. Reinforcing the fun, celebrating little accomplishments these are the things that are important to make time for.
Coaching:
You’ve been coaching Boys Golf and Basketball at
Golf is much more hands off, whereas basketball you have much more control. Golf is about coaching kids to be confident and making what is normally an individual sport in to a team sport--playing for each other rather than themselves. The two experiences have helped me in the other—the golf experience helps me be less hands on with basketball and vice versa.
They say the best teachers are the ones that continue to learn, how do you continue to expand your knowledge/technique as a coach? Are there specific coaches or teachers you’ve learned from? What have they shared that has been so influential?
Lots of reading about athletics and leadership. Different kids aren’t going to respond to my style, so I've spent time trying to learn ways or coaching styles that are lower key but still help me connect with kids.
We’ve had some introductions to other coaches, and observing college coaches in how they run practice, prepare, etc. is always helpful.
I also have a group of high school coaches who I have round tables with and its a peer group that gets together to throw out topics that all of us deal with. Things like tryouts, awards nights, defending ball screens, we'll talk about anything we all deal with or have to figure out. Most coaches are willing to help anybody out; and once in awhile you’ll get a guy who isn’t as trusting but the majority are open and honest. I’ve been lucky that I’ve had a group of peers I’ve grown up with as well as an older group of guys I can call on if I'm in need of some guidance/experience.
One of the better suggestions I got was the idea of a home visit--we basically visit with each kid and their family at their home before the start of the season to make sure we're all on the same page. I try and be open with the kid and the parents about the role I can see them playing, so that all of our expectations are on the same page. I also make it clear to parents that we won't talk about things like playing time, strategy, or other kids, but that I'm always available to talk and that we're in this together.
As a coach of 7th grade boys one of my biggest challenges was the pre-game pep talk. I did my best to dig deep for motivational speeches, but it was never easy. And since there was always like 10 minutes between the big rah rah speech and tipoff I felt like my message got lost whenever kids got their eyes on fans, cheerleaders, and the other team. So how much of a “pep talk” do you have to give to get kids up to play at the high school level?
I think if a coach has to rely on pregame speeches chances are you don’t have a good team. I do think a good pregame talk can help get guys focused, but you have to guard against it being too much to where they use up energy and get too hyped up. We try to get very consistent with what we do before games and the length of the pregame is the same every time, but the message can change.
As far as topics I never want the kids to feel like one game is more important than the other, so I try and keep them focused on the present. The core message is lets be the best we can be tonight; playing a complete game; being good at the things we pride ourselves on. Occasionally we’ll talk about our opponent, but its mostly focused on internal stuff.
I don’t think it’s a problem per say. The challenges are sometimes the guys who run the programs. If there are coaches who are teaching kids the right thing it can be a great thing. There are some bad seeds out there who give it a bad name, and its unfair to criticize AAU in a negative way. The focus sometime is more on showcasing individual abilities through team basketball instead of a ‘team’ focus. It (AAU) probably has helped make basketball better in
Basketball:
Do you still play pickup basketball when you have a chance? If so, how would you describe your game? How has your game changed since your days as a high school player?
I did up until this past spring when I decided I’m done. We used to play on Sundays and Wednesdays and a friend of ours passed away playing hoops, which really shook me up. I had a really good night last spring and I decided that was enough--I had stayed relatively healthy, never gotten seriously injured, and it just isn't worth it.
Moneyball was one of my favorite books, and it highlights how the A’s went about selecting and developing talent (when they were good). The premise was that baseball has a ton of productivity statistics that really don’t translate to winning, and that the true value of a player is whether he helps the team score more runs than the opposition. After I read it, I thought a lot about basketball, and my theory is that offensive trips can have four possible good outcomes: drawing a foul, scoring one point, scoring two points, or scoring three points. If teams got good at dissecting ‘empty trips’ and understanding/addressing root causes they could be much more productive. Without having data in front of you, what do you think is the most common reason teams fail to produce on the offensive end?
Its tough to say one is more important than another, and we talk about wasted trips being when we have guys who aren’t in ‘unison’ working together which can lead to a bad shot, a turnover, guys running the wrong play. We track lots of data about us and our opponents that help us be more efficient. When we scout, we track who is shooting, whether they are shooting off the dribble, where they like to score from, mainly so we know the things they're comfortable with. Then we create game plans or ways to take guys out of their comfort zone.
This may be an “unfair” question, but at ADW we ask the tough stuff. If you had to pick a starting five of kids you’ve coached at HPHS who would you pick for each position:
I’d rather not rank kids that way. There are kids like Joey, Chris, and Scott who really brought the program to a new level and they’ve done it in the most visible way with their play. Joey was the face of our team when we went downstate. Scott was the most winning player in
But we’ve also had some great guys who have done some great things for our program that weren’t necessarily the most talented but contributed a ton to our team and our program's reputation. Many kids took what they were doing very seriously and their commitment helped develop a standard of excellence that we hope to continue.
Now, if you had to pick a starting five of kids you’ve coached against, how would that lineup look:
PG Jon Scheyer (played at Duke)
SG Ryan Hogan (played at Kentucky, Iowa)
F Joey Range (played at Iowa?)
F Pete Mickeal, who played at Cincinnnati
C Kevin Frye, played at Xavier
That kid
How many NBA games do you watch a year? Are there things you can learn as a coach from watching NBA teams?
A little bit, probably 20 games total but most of them are in the playoffs--I just don’t have the time for it. When I watch I try to look at how teams get guys in positions where they can be successful, also in terms of similar types of players and how they can be successful. For example, we have a kid who is big but a great perimeter shooter, so I'll watch a guy like Dirk Nowitzki.
Are you able to watch basketball as a fan rather than a coach? Who do you root/pull for?
I don’t think I can anymore. I wouldn’t consider myself a “fan” of one program, I just tend to pull for kids I’ve coached and the schools they go to. I don’t get angry if the Bears lose like I used to.
You’re getting ready to begin a season at HPHS; other than a state championship, are there other goals you’ll set for your team?
We’re trying to get the program to where we “win even when we lose.” I know we’re not going to go downstate, win 20 games, undefeated, etc. every year, so we try to get our guys to measure themselves through concepts, and we have nine words that embody our program. The words are:
Unity
Passion
Excellence
Unselfishness
Discipline
Thankfulness
Loyalty
Humility
Accountability
And we’ve tried to push our guys on striving for reaching their best in each of these, whether we win all of our games or lose them.
What is the hardest thing to teach a high school basketball player?
Getting them to understand and appreciate how much time is needed to spend in the gym by themselves. Kids feel like what is done with us is enough, but getting kids to do more beyond just the practice is what really makes the difference and helps kids become much better.
What is the toughest thing about being a head coach? What is most gratifying?
Its like putting beads on a string with no knot at the bottom; that should tell you enough.
There’s always something to do. There are three really gratifying things:
1) former players coming back
2) seeing the athletes/students be successful in something other than the sport I coached them with/for—even the fact that they let me know when these things happen it says that I’ve played some role in their success
3) being a part of something bigger than me.
I’m sure the thought has crossed your mind or you’ve been approached, but what are your thoughts about coaching full-time?
I've never been approached, and while I’d never say never, the lifestyle of a high school coach is pretty appealing. College coaches are the road recruiting, travel, dealing with boosters/alums in a different way. Maybe after I retired I’d consider it, but not right now.
Golf:
How many rounds did you play this year?
I probably played 10 rounds; I play once in a while with the guys on the team to help change the dynamic. It’s a way for me to demonstrate how I go about things like rough shots or when things go bad, and just to show them that there's a lot of ways to get around a golf course to get the ball in the hole.
If you had a foursome at any course, with anyone to fill it out, who would it be and where would you play?
My three sons
Name your three favorite golf courses you’ve played:
Shore Acres in
Blackwolf Run (both were great, but they’ve combined)
Doral
“Playing smart” was never, and is still not my strength. I guess once a gambler always a gambler, but I subscribe to the ‘no risk, no reward’ philosophy in golf and in life. I’m not on the PGA tour, so I may want to re-think that, but I DO want to revisit my belief that driver on the first hole at
I’ve never told them not to; they just know for us a big number isn't going to help much in a 9 hole match our strategy. I just ask that they hit what they're comfortable with and avoid the big number.
Hobbies/Special Interest:
There has to be some non-sports activity in your life, so tell me either three movies or books you’ve enjoyed over the past year:
Tony Dungy’s book; it was a little preachy but I liked it.
Kids loved “UP”, especially the montage at the beginning, makes you realize how fast life really goes
Green Eggs and Ham, which we read every night.
If you had a friend visiting from out of town and had to take them out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner anywhere in
Breakfast: Sarki’s for a Loretta
Lunch: Manny’s in the city
Dinner: Charlie Beinlich’s for a good burger and feel at home
I believe that T-shirts (especially for men) tell our stories in a unique way, whether its what the shirt says on it, who we got it from, where we’ve worn it, etc. How many T-Shirts would you guess you own? If you had to pick a T-shirt to tell us something unique about yourself, which one would you choose? Why is it unique/important?
When I’m depressed, I wear my downstate T-shirt it reminds me that it really did happen back in 2002 and picks up my mood.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Foggy Memory Lane
My memory of the early years is hazy at best, but luckily I have a father who is a big fan of scanning pictures in to his computer. This afternoon/evening I had a chance to take a virtual stroll (stumble) down memory lane while killing time at their house, and figured I'd post a few here.
And besides, my focus group research indicates of the 15 ADW followers at least 5 of them prefer more pictures, less words. Some dates are made up.
March 13, 1977
I enter planet earth.
March 15, 1977.
My mother is heard saying "Holy shit" as she prepares to take me home from the hospital.
January 12, 1980
"Step AWAY from the bear."
January 12, 1980
Unless you have food and you are my Grandmother (mom's mom).
June 19, 1981
My older sister (who I currently live with) finds the stench from the toilet amusing. My parents also find taking photos of their children in the bathroom amusing as well.
June 19, 1981
Can't a guy get a little privacy in here? Also, nice work on the foreshadow!
November 27, 1982
My older brother and I brainstorming ways to get cooler clothes. Still working on that.
April 10, 1983
My little sister and I showing off our dental accomplishments. For those who have seen me in the past year, you'll notice my smile bears a resemblance to what I looked like as a six year old. The gaping hole has moved to the right, but its still there. And do kids still hang pennants in their bedroom?
June 30, 1984
"I MUST see this Karate Kid movie coming out in theaters."
July 19, 1984
The most magical summer of my young life as the Cubs proved to me it was possible to win. They also showed me how heartbreaking it can be when October rolls around. And kudos to whoever decided painters caps looked stupid.
August 3, 1982
That's right ladies, drink it up. You're looking at a 3'9" five year old with a mullet and for some reason very long arms.
March 29, 1981
"I'd rather drown myself than wear White Sox clothing!"
December 27, 1982
Much like this past summer, my hair had not scene a comb/brush for months when this photo was taken.
And besides, my focus group research indicates of the 15 ADW followers at least 5 of them prefer more pictures, less words. Some dates are made up.
March 13, 1977
I enter planet earth.
March 15, 1977.
My mother is heard saying "Holy shit" as she prepares to take me home from the hospital.
January 12, 1980
"Step AWAY from the bear."
January 12, 1980
Unless you have food and you are my Grandmother (mom's mom).
June 19, 1981
My older sister (who I currently live with) finds the stench from the toilet amusing. My parents also find taking photos of their children in the bathroom amusing as well.
June 19, 1981
Can't a guy get a little privacy in here? Also, nice work on the foreshadow!
November 27, 1982
My older brother and I brainstorming ways to get cooler clothes. Still working on that.
April 10, 1983
My little sister and I showing off our dental accomplishments. For those who have seen me in the past year, you'll notice my smile bears a resemblance to what I looked like as a six year old. The gaping hole has moved to the right, but its still there. And do kids still hang pennants in their bedroom?
June 30, 1984
"I MUST see this Karate Kid movie coming out in theaters."
July 19, 1984
The most magical summer of my young life as the Cubs proved to me it was possible to win. They also showed me how heartbreaking it can be when October rolls around. And kudos to whoever decided painters caps looked stupid.
August 3, 1982
That's right ladies, drink it up. You're looking at a 3'9" five year old with a mullet and for some reason very long arms.
March 29, 1981
"I'd rather drown myself than wear White Sox clothing!"
December 27, 1982
Much like this past summer, my hair had not scene a comb/brush for months when this photo was taken.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Quarter 3 Report Card
We're nine full months in to 2009, and its the first year in my 32 that I've tried to proactively think about what I want to spend the year doing. As I wrote about when this whole blog thing started out, New Year's resolutions never worked for me, and my "hypothesis" was that if I accomplished goals in the areas of life that matter to me I'd have 'peace of mind.' Call me crazy, OCD, whatever you prefer, but I have a long history of putting all of my 'happiness' eggs in one basket and this was a way for me to get a little more balanced.
The quick grades after nine months run down like this:
Career: C
Health: B+
Finances: B
Fun/Hobbies: A-
Social Life/Family: B
How I come up with these grades is more scientific/analytic than you probably care about, and the details would be repetitive from my last report card so I won't bore you the specifics in all of these areas. But one that's worth sharing something about is career-related 'things.' Those who know about my life (whether through the blog or elsewhere) are probably asking, "how can career things be a C? Didn't he have no job just a few short days ago?"
In response to your hypothetical questions, I am glad to be working. And its great to see that direct deposit hit the bank account every other week, to have an insurance card I'm not paying $700 a month for, and to no longer have the unemployment cloud following me around every corner.
But I'd be lying if I said I was blown away with my experience through the first five weeks. In case you're curious, I've been hired to help a large health system improve some of the core processes that patients experience at some point during their stay. On paper, it sounds ideal, especially considering my professional experience and long history as a patient living with a chronic illness in the chaotic mess of our health care system. Right now I'm in the midst of an orientation process, which culminates with being assigned to a hospital somewhere in the Chicago area.
I'm optimistic about a future with this organization, and I'm trying to steer clear of turning this in to a gripe fest, but the orientation process has been frustrating. In fact, calling it a process is a bit of a misnomer. The idea of a process, is that steps or activities are completed and it produces an outcome once the process is complete. I'm a believer that just about anything produced is created out of a process. But essentially, my orientation process has been to sit, occasionally observe a few coworkers doing their work, and then sit some more. So I'm not entirely clear what a fully orientated Delta Whiskey looks like at the end of this process.
I'm not sure if this would qualify as "ironic" but I work in a department that specializes in process improvement. So to have an orientation process as archaic as this strikes me as odd. And even odder (if that's a word) is that the coworkers I've spoken with have all described their orientation period in a similar way. Essentially lots of sitting around, waiting to be pulled on to do some work, but bored to tears during the first 30 - 90 days.
How all of this plays out remains to be seen, and I'll continue trying to find the silver lining, staying busy with whatever work heads in my direction, and maybe most importantly finding happiness with things outside of work....after all, the career is only one part of the bigger picture.
The quick grades after nine months run down like this:
Career: C
Health: B+
Finances: B
Fun/Hobbies: A-
Social Life/Family: B
How I come up with these grades is more scientific/analytic than you probably care about, and the details would be repetitive from my last report card so I won't bore you the specifics in all of these areas. But one that's worth sharing something about is career-related 'things.' Those who know about my life (whether through the blog or elsewhere) are probably asking, "how can career things be a C? Didn't he have no job just a few short days ago?"
In response to your hypothetical questions, I am glad to be working. And its great to see that direct deposit hit the bank account every other week, to have an insurance card I'm not paying $700 a month for, and to no longer have the unemployment cloud following me around every corner.
But I'd be lying if I said I was blown away with my experience through the first five weeks. In case you're curious, I've been hired to help a large health system improve some of the core processes that patients experience at some point during their stay. On paper, it sounds ideal, especially considering my professional experience and long history as a patient living with a chronic illness in the chaotic mess of our health care system. Right now I'm in the midst of an orientation process, which culminates with being assigned to a hospital somewhere in the Chicago area.
I'm optimistic about a future with this organization, and I'm trying to steer clear of turning this in to a gripe fest, but the orientation process has been frustrating. In fact, calling it a process is a bit of a misnomer. The idea of a process, is that steps or activities are completed and it produces an outcome once the process is complete. I'm a believer that just about anything produced is created out of a process. But essentially, my orientation process has been to sit, occasionally observe a few coworkers doing their work, and then sit some more. So I'm not entirely clear what a fully orientated Delta Whiskey looks like at the end of this process.
I'm not sure if this would qualify as "ironic" but I work in a department that specializes in process improvement. So to have an orientation process as archaic as this strikes me as odd. And even odder (if that's a word) is that the coworkers I've spoken with have all described their orientation period in a similar way. Essentially lots of sitting around, waiting to be pulled on to do some work, but bored to tears during the first 30 - 90 days.
How all of this plays out remains to be seen, and I'll continue trying to find the silver lining, staying busy with whatever work heads in my direction, and maybe most importantly finding happiness with things outside of work....after all, the career is only one part of the bigger picture.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
"The Moth" and the 6th Grade Election
Fun doesn't always find me, and sometimes I need to be proactive about entertaining myself. And I've felt a little short in the fun department the past few days, and figured I'd create some fun on my own with a little exploration with a Tuesday night field trip. This will sound pretentious and dorky, but I heard a program on NPR recently called "The Moth", which loyal NPR fans will probably be familiar with. I'm not an NPR die-hard, although I do enjoy things like Car Talk, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, and This American Life when I catch them, and it was completely coincidental that I heard the Moth and an advertisement for their first ever Chicago event at Martyr's.
Anyhow, the Moth is essentially an organization that promotes live story telling at live events called Story Slams. There aren't many rules to the stories, mainly that it can't be scripted, it has to relate to the evening's topic, and it has to be a STORY, not a stand-up routine or one-man (or woman) show, and must be less than 5 minutes. At the start of the night, aspiring storytellers put their name in a hat, and the host draws the names of a few bold souls to step up to the microphone. Stories are judged, a winner is determined, and its kinda like Toastmasters but less corporatey and probably more fun (although I've never attended a Toastmasters meeting).
So tonight's topic at The Moth was "School", and I walked away with a few thoughts. For one, it takes a lot of cojones (guts) to get up in front of a room of strangers and reveal intimate details about one's life. I know I do it on the blog, but I can think about what I'm writing (or at least that's supposed to happen) and I know most of the folks who read this. Second, there's something enjoyable about listening to stories. I watch my nieces and nephew when they hear stories from their parents, grandparents, or myself, and they hang on every word with excitement as to what comes next, or how it ends up. The strange thing is, adults do it as well when they listen to stories. And there's something creepy/compelling/interesting when its a non-fiction story from a total stranger. And the final thing I thought as I walked out of there is that laughter (especially when shared with the audience) is good for the soul.
I'd like to say I heard stories about people's school experiences that blew me away, but none of them bear repeating. For the most part, the storytellers did an excellent job under the circumstances, and most had me laughing at some point. Of course, there were a few lemons in the bunch, but even those folks I admired for their courage, honesty, and willingness to challenge themselves. I kept thinking to myself, "nothing from my school years was interesting enough to tell these people about," but about midway through the evening I thought about the story I would tell if I somehow had the courage, willingness, and/or interest in getting up before an audience of complete strangers. That story is the 6th Grade Election.
I'll try to keep my story brief, but figured I'd share it here. And I know this is written, so feel free to interject a number of "ahhs", "ummms", and "likes" if you want to get a sense for what I'd sound like on stage. Its a bad habit of mine, especially when I'm nervous.
In the 6th grade, there were elections for a few officer positions. Looking back on it, I have no idea what these elected officials actually did, why there needed to be elections for said positions, or why I felt the need to run for one of the positions. But somehow I decided it was a good idea to run for class secretary--one of the few elected positions I thought I had a chance to win. In the weeks leading up to the election, candidates running for more senior positions (President, Vice President, Treasurer) took the time to create fliers/posters and get the word out that they wanted other 12 year olds to give them their votes. Some even had catchy slogans or buttons for their classmates to remember when they stepped in to the ballot box.
As my mom likes to beat in to my head, I'm the kind of kid that never really applied himself in school, and the same was true for that 6th grade election. I didn't do a lot of work to campaign for votes, and recruited two close friends (Charlie Sierra and Juliet Mike) to manage my campaign. Our campaign strategy consisted of the two of them coming to my house, making a poster, hanging it up in school, and taking our chances when the election came. My opponent in this election was a woman we'll call Lima Golf, who we knew from a few classes, but I think our collective 'strategy' was that I could beat her with my charm, handsome looks, and the fact that most of the 6th grade probably didn't give a shit who the class secretary was.
The story gets interesting when a girl we'll call Mike Golf enters the picture. Mike was the most popular girl in the 6th grade, and although she and I became friends in high school we did not see eye to eye at age 12. In fact, there was deep animosity we shared for each other. I don't know what the root cause was of our hatred for each other, but things got hostile at some party when she touched a nerve and I went Incredible Hulk on her.
Tangent: most who know me as an adult have never seen this side of me, but at one point I had a switch that could flip from calm to rage in mere seconds. I don't know where that came from, but I have a temper, and its tough to shut it down once its go time.
So Mike and I were at some social event, throwing verbal jabs at each other and eventually it came to blows. I probably shouldn't admit this publicly, but yes, I did fight a girl in 6th grade. In the aftermath to follow, Mike made a point of turning most of the 6th grade girls against me (I won them back in 7th grade once I began to shave), but the timing could not have been worse. Our little fight had come in the weeks prior to the election, and as any good politician knows, you don't hit girls in the week leading up to an election.
But I was still optimistic, as were my trusty campaign managers and when election day came I cast my ballot with confidence that I'd be the 6th grade secretary. Well, as you can probably guess by my tone, I lost that election. And I've never returned to any elected position since then, and probably never will. Although if I do, I'll make sure to keep my hands off women in the weeks prior to the election.
So that's my story, albiet a dorky and horrific one for those who only know me as an adult. Probably not one I would have loved to tell in front of 200 random strangers, but hope you enjoyed it. As for the Moth, I'll probably check it out the next event on October 27 when the topic is "Firsts", and in the meantime I'll be thinking about an interesting story to share with you all in the days prior to or after the event. And if you're curious about the Moth but don't live in Chicago or feel like attending in person, there's a podcast on itunes you can subscribe to and listen to tonight or highlights from previous Story Slams...here's a link from their site.
Anyhow, the Moth is essentially an organization that promotes live story telling at live events called Story Slams. There aren't many rules to the stories, mainly that it can't be scripted, it has to relate to the evening's topic, and it has to be a STORY, not a stand-up routine or one-man (or woman) show, and must be less than 5 minutes. At the start of the night, aspiring storytellers put their name in a hat, and the host draws the names of a few bold souls to step up to the microphone. Stories are judged, a winner is determined, and its kinda like Toastmasters but less corporatey and probably more fun (although I've never attended a Toastmasters meeting).
So tonight's topic at The Moth was "School", and I walked away with a few thoughts. For one, it takes a lot of cojones (guts) to get up in front of a room of strangers and reveal intimate details about one's life. I know I do it on the blog, but I can think about what I'm writing (or at least that's supposed to happen) and I know most of the folks who read this. Second, there's something enjoyable about listening to stories. I watch my nieces and nephew when they hear stories from their parents, grandparents, or myself, and they hang on every word with excitement as to what comes next, or how it ends up. The strange thing is, adults do it as well when they listen to stories. And there's something creepy/compelling/interesting when its a non-fiction story from a total stranger. And the final thing I thought as I walked out of there is that laughter (especially when shared with the audience) is good for the soul.
I'd like to say I heard stories about people's school experiences that blew me away, but none of them bear repeating. For the most part, the storytellers did an excellent job under the circumstances, and most had me laughing at some point. Of course, there were a few lemons in the bunch, but even those folks I admired for their courage, honesty, and willingness to challenge themselves. I kept thinking to myself, "nothing from my school years was interesting enough to tell these people about," but about midway through the evening I thought about the story I would tell if I somehow had the courage, willingness, and/or interest in getting up before an audience of complete strangers. That story is the 6th Grade Election.
I'll try to keep my story brief, but figured I'd share it here. And I know this is written, so feel free to interject a number of "ahhs", "ummms", and "likes" if you want to get a sense for what I'd sound like on stage. Its a bad habit of mine, especially when I'm nervous.
In the 6th grade, there were elections for a few officer positions. Looking back on it, I have no idea what these elected officials actually did, why there needed to be elections for said positions, or why I felt the need to run for one of the positions. But somehow I decided it was a good idea to run for class secretary--one of the few elected positions I thought I had a chance to win. In the weeks leading up to the election, candidates running for more senior positions (President, Vice President, Treasurer) took the time to create fliers/posters and get the word out that they wanted other 12 year olds to give them their votes. Some even had catchy slogans or buttons for their classmates to remember when they stepped in to the ballot box.
As my mom likes to beat in to my head, I'm the kind of kid that never really applied himself in school, and the same was true for that 6th grade election. I didn't do a lot of work to campaign for votes, and recruited two close friends (Charlie Sierra and Juliet Mike) to manage my campaign. Our campaign strategy consisted of the two of them coming to my house, making a poster, hanging it up in school, and taking our chances when the election came. My opponent in this election was a woman we'll call Lima Golf, who we knew from a few classes, but I think our collective 'strategy' was that I could beat her with my charm, handsome looks, and the fact that most of the 6th grade probably didn't give a shit who the class secretary was.
The story gets interesting when a girl we'll call Mike Golf enters the picture. Mike was the most popular girl in the 6th grade, and although she and I became friends in high school we did not see eye to eye at age 12. In fact, there was deep animosity we shared for each other. I don't know what the root cause was of our hatred for each other, but things got hostile at some party when she touched a nerve and I went Incredible Hulk on her.
Tangent: most who know me as an adult have never seen this side of me, but at one point I had a switch that could flip from calm to rage in mere seconds. I don't know where that came from, but I have a temper, and its tough to shut it down once its go time.
So Mike and I were at some social event, throwing verbal jabs at each other and eventually it came to blows. I probably shouldn't admit this publicly, but yes, I did fight a girl in 6th grade. In the aftermath to follow, Mike made a point of turning most of the 6th grade girls against me (I won them back in 7th grade once I began to shave), but the timing could not have been worse. Our little fight had come in the weeks prior to the election, and as any good politician knows, you don't hit girls in the week leading up to an election.
But I was still optimistic, as were my trusty campaign managers and when election day came I cast my ballot with confidence that I'd be the 6th grade secretary. Well, as you can probably guess by my tone, I lost that election. And I've never returned to any elected position since then, and probably never will. Although if I do, I'll make sure to keep my hands off women in the weeks prior to the election.
So that's my story, albiet a dorky and horrific one for those who only know me as an adult. Probably not one I would have loved to tell in front of 200 random strangers, but hope you enjoyed it. As for the Moth, I'll probably check it out the next event on October 27 when the topic is "Firsts", and in the meantime I'll be thinking about an interesting story to share with you all in the days prior to or after the event. And if you're curious about the Moth but don't live in Chicago or feel like attending in person, there's a podcast on itunes you can subscribe to and listen to tonight or highlights from previous Story Slams...here's a link from their site.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Changing of the Season
It's feeling like fall around the midwest, with cool evenings, shorter days (technically less sun, days are still 24 hours), leaves on the ground, and geese flocking through town on their way south from Canada. There's some great stuff about the Fall (or Autumn, but does anyone really call it Autumn?) so since I don't have a ton to update you on, I figured I'd give you a list of my favorite fall memories. Some happen every year, others are events that happened in my life between September and Thanksgiving. None of these will surprise you.
- Football. I know, you're probably thinking what a predictable, meatheady male thing for me to say, much less begin a list with. Well ya know what? Football is good. Hanging out with my friends watching it, talking about it, and even making lame attempts to play catch are all good things. But even if an alien came here from another planet and you brought them to a college campus or stadium on a sunny fall afternoon, they'd think it was pretty cool. The tailgating. The marching bands (college). The lunatics dressed in jerseys of players who have either long-since retired. I've lived in several parts of the country; Tampa, Miami, Seattle, and of course Chicago and I can say without a doubt that passionate football fans are one of the few things every major city has in common. I don't think it improves or saves lives, and it certainly can be argued that its the most barbaric, stupid, classless and ridiculous of the 4 major sports, but I like it and its my blog.
- Baseball Games with Relevance. Once again, those of you who read my stuff and hate sports are probably annoyed with back to back sports references. But the baseball season begins back in March/April and is a marathon. Months have gone by with games that blur together, and its nearly impossible to stay on top of it all...but come October it doesn't make a difference if you've watched a game in months; you stop what you're doing and pay homage to the MLB playoffs. This year will not include my team (the Cubs) but many a fond fall memory involves the Cubs either doing great or extremely shitty things to my sports psyche. And even when the Cubs weren't involved, I remember watching Kirk Gibson crank his home run against the A's with my dad in our living room, watching the Marlins beat the Indians with my grandfather in his hospital bed, and watching the Indians and Braves in Madison with the high school gang during our first Fall apart from each other as college freshmen.
- Halloween. For starters, I believe Halloween should be moved to the last Friday in October, kinda like what we do for Labor Day and Memorial Day. Parents can take the afternoon off without remorse to go trick or treat with their kids, and adults can act like idiots and have a full weekend to recover. There's really nothing good about Halloween falling on a Tuesday or Wednesday, and frankly, I don't know who would be opposed to this legislation other than people who truly celebrate All Hallow's Eve. Another great thing about Halloween is that it makes for great conversation with little kids in the month leading up to the big day. I don't care if you've ever met a kid, the "what are you dressing up as?" question is an instant ice breaker for anyone under age 10. It has been the topic of conversation of late at my sister's house, and there are some finalists but no final decisions just yet on what everyone will wear.
- Cool nights. This is mainly for sleeping purposes. I like to sleep with it pretty cold, and there's a great feeling that comes with actually needing blankets to stay warm. The only problem with the cold nights and warm blankets is that you have to leave them behind to get up, something that kinda sucks about Fall.
- Marathon/Columbus Day Weekend in Chicago. One of my most proud physical achievements was completing the Chicago marathon in 2004. Columbus Day weekend will always remind of that accomplishment, which isn't really all that unique given that 40,000 people accomplish the same thing every year that weekend. But as a guy who had a lot of health problems, 2004's marathon marked one of the high points in health for me. I'm always inspired when I hear cowbells, people screaming for their friends, and hordes of people running for 26 miles. I guess what inspires me is that all of them have a cool story, and all of them have worked their ass off to get to that point, and its like one big celebration of hard work, dedication, and commitment to achieving a goal. And there's some gruesome shit to look at as well, which can be mildly entertaining.
- Elections. Although we're not in a big election year, there's something cool about elections. I love to vote, and I hope you do too. And if you don't, then you are not allowed to bitch and/or moan about anything related to politics.
- Leaves. This one sounds superduper corny, but there is something cool about a bright yellow or red leafed (leaved?) tree. I also kinda like the sound of dry leaves underneath my feet on the sidewalk. And its also funny to watch Annie stick her nose in piles of leaves looking for some kind of treasure. I may sing a different tune if I end up having to rake
- The start of basketball season. Its easy to lose sight of basketball with football and the baseball playoffs going on in early October, but in the Whiskey house this was one of the more celebratory occasions. Bravo Whiskey (my dad) has held Bulls season tickets for 29 consecutive seasons, and it was always fun to find out which games there was a chance I'd get to attend with him. And as a guy who played basketball as a kid the Fall was the time to show how much (or more often how little) I had worked on my game since the previous season.
- Jackets. By January I'll be whining about how much I hate wearing a coat everywhere I go (although that would violate one of my agreements with you--that I'd never bitch about the weather). But breaking out the jacket/coat collection is always fun. Each year, I'm moderately surprised to find jackets I either forgot I owned or hadn't seen in a long time. New jackets entering the rotation is always exciting/fun as well, although that won't be high on my list of things to run out and buy. I also enjoy wearing sweatshirts, in case you care.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Welcome (back) to the Machine
I posted it as an update on Facebook, but it was so ironic and funny to hear "Welcome to the Machine" by Pink Floyd three times during my second day at work. The trifecta may have been a case of strange coincidence, or it may have been because I spent a freakin' eternity in my car this week driving to a bunch of locations for work. In Seattle, I could walk to work from my home in less than 5 minutes; so its suffice to say transportation to and from work is a little different here in Chicago.
I did a little poking around on Youtube and found the video in case you don't know the song I'm talking about, but more interesting than the video are the comments below videos on Youtube. Especially funny are the ones from the Pink Floyd die-hards who seem very convinced they know the meaning behind the song. Pink Floyd was a band I never got to see in concert, and totally laid an egg when they toured in 1995; as it was most likely the last chance I had to see them live. I think everyone goes through a Pink Floyd phase at some point (which for me came after the Steve Miller Band, Led Zeppelin, Who phases), and I confess my interest in the band peaked when I heard about the Wizard of Oz/Dark Side of the Moon synchronization trick. It would be hilarious to have a video of my high school friends and I watching that together in Alpha Whiskey's bedroom, trying to decipher meaning behind the events that lined up with the song. I'm also convinced you could find interesting "coincidences" if you synced any album and movie and have enough time on your hands. One of these days I'm going to try that trick with Metallica's "....And Justice For All"; which the band wrote based on the movie with the same title. If you haven't seen that movie, its worth a rental although its 30+ years old.
Anyhow, I really don't know what Floyd was thinking about when they wrote "Welcome to the Machine" but I've always thought it had something to do with the "cog in the machine" image that comes with spending time in a structured life without much of an individual identity. Whether its school, work, military, whatever, the machine conjures up thoughts of being just one of the masses; and I felt that way a bit this week as I rejoined the rest of America sitting in meetings, driving around in my car, and doing all of the stuff that goes in to working.
In addition to bitching about weather (which no one cares about), I've also decided no one wants to hear about traffic and how much time is or isn't spent in traffic. Its really only important to the person who sits in the car, but let's just say traffic will play a role in my new job. With hospitals located all over the Chicago area, my commutes were close to two hours during rush hour--and those are one way trips. But in this economy, beggars can't be choosers, so a little traffic isn't going to make or break my life. And you have my word, this post will be the one and only time I bring it up.
I'm going to need some time to formulate an educated opinion about the work; but my first impressions were good. There are certainly some differences to the way things were out west (beyond just the commute) and I'll post some work-related things up here from time to time if you want to know what's going on during my days. But I continue to be impressed with my former employer for everything they did, now that I've been able to see how others operate.
Outside of work, it was nice to have a long weekend--played some golf, hung with some friends (some old, some new, some male, some female), welcomed back college football, and had some time to catch up on some reading. One of the things I decided during the past week was that I'm going to follow through on writing the book I've probably described to many of you. Reading other authors is a useful way for me to learn ways to engage an audience, and I'm reading Kurt Vonnegut's Hocus Pocus; which is a fun "first person" story. I'll describe my book idea in more detail in a future post, and although writing a book doesn't appear on my 2009 personal plan, it's something I've always wanted to do. And even if the only people who ultimately read it are the 15 people who check the blog, it'll be nice to put my time and effort in to something more than rambling posts on a blog.
Hope all of you enjoyed the extra day this weekend, and like this guy said; "keep on livin; L-I-V-I-N..." (some great one liners in there)
I did a little poking around on Youtube and found the video in case you don't know the song I'm talking about, but more interesting than the video are the comments below videos on Youtube. Especially funny are the ones from the Pink Floyd die-hards who seem very convinced they know the meaning behind the song. Pink Floyd was a band I never got to see in concert, and totally laid an egg when they toured in 1995; as it was most likely the last chance I had to see them live. I think everyone goes through a Pink Floyd phase at some point (which for me came after the Steve Miller Band, Led Zeppelin, Who phases), and I confess my interest in the band peaked when I heard about the Wizard of Oz/Dark Side of the Moon synchronization trick. It would be hilarious to have a video of my high school friends and I watching that together in Alpha Whiskey's bedroom, trying to decipher meaning behind the events that lined up with the song. I'm also convinced you could find interesting "coincidences" if you synced any album and movie and have enough time on your hands. One of these days I'm going to try that trick with Metallica's "....And Justice For All"; which the band wrote based on the movie with the same title. If you haven't seen that movie, its worth a rental although its 30+ years old.
Anyhow, I really don't know what Floyd was thinking about when they wrote "Welcome to the Machine" but I've always thought it had something to do with the "cog in the machine" image that comes with spending time in a structured life without much of an individual identity. Whether its school, work, military, whatever, the machine conjures up thoughts of being just one of the masses; and I felt that way a bit this week as I rejoined the rest of America sitting in meetings, driving around in my car, and doing all of the stuff that goes in to working.
In addition to bitching about weather (which no one cares about), I've also decided no one wants to hear about traffic and how much time is or isn't spent in traffic. Its really only important to the person who sits in the car, but let's just say traffic will play a role in my new job. With hospitals located all over the Chicago area, my commutes were close to two hours during rush hour--and those are one way trips. But in this economy, beggars can't be choosers, so a little traffic isn't going to make or break my life. And you have my word, this post will be the one and only time I bring it up.
I'm going to need some time to formulate an educated opinion about the work; but my first impressions were good. There are certainly some differences to the way things were out west (beyond just the commute) and I'll post some work-related things up here from time to time if you want to know what's going on during my days. But I continue to be impressed with my former employer for everything they did, now that I've been able to see how others operate.
Outside of work, it was nice to have a long weekend--played some golf, hung with some friends (some old, some new, some male, some female), welcomed back college football, and had some time to catch up on some reading. One of the things I decided during the past week was that I'm going to follow through on writing the book I've probably described to many of you. Reading other authors is a useful way for me to learn ways to engage an audience, and I'm reading Kurt Vonnegut's Hocus Pocus; which is a fun "first person" story. I'll describe my book idea in more detail in a future post, and although writing a book doesn't appear on my 2009 personal plan, it's something I've always wanted to do. And even if the only people who ultimately read it are the 15 people who check the blog, it'll be nice to put my time and effort in to something more than rambling posts on a blog.
Hope all of you enjoyed the extra day this weekend, and like this guy said; "keep on livin; L-I-V-I-N..." (some great one liners in there)
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