Friday, December 31, 2004

The Best Laid Plans...

Of Mice, Men, and I go astray... ;-)

Well, what can I say? I had hoped to be in California by this time...watching some Babylon 5 episodes and doing some packing. Unfortunately I just missed the flight that I was supposed to fly standby on and all of the other flights (these to LAX instead of the original Orange County destination) were booked solid and there was no way I would get on any of them. My brother-in-law arranged for me to fly out tomorrow morning (we leave for the airport at six...yeah! ;-) ). The flight should have plenty of empty spaces so there should be no worries.

I had a good night tonight though, I got in some quality reading at the airport :-) and enjoyed my time going over to a house with the family this evening--I even got to see Christopher for a few minutes before he headed over to a youth party, :-). It was good to spend some extra time here, though I do sorely want to be in California so I can dig hands-on into my final packing. Additionally I want to have more than just a day to say goodbye to California. *sigh* I'm sure that there is something that God wants me to learn from this experience, I'm just not exactly sure what it is yet.

Okay, well I'd better sign off now, I just remembered that I have some webcomics to catch up on and so I'd better get going and reading before it is 2005! (that being only 12 minutes away here!) :-)

~Matt

Thursday, December 30, 2004

Mid-Day Update

I have a second blog that some might be interested in. It is one that I started just so that I would have a Xanga account...but now looks as though it might become something I regularly contribute to. The Spectral Lounge is a place where I'll review and talk about the books that I'm reading. The name comes from a thread that I started in a lounge on the TrekBBS in honor of a fellow member with the username including the word "ghost." I've only made one substantial entry so far, but I welcome comments and suggestions (though please make them at the Lounge ;-) ) and hope that others might enjoy what I write. But of course I'll probably be using the archives myself for those times when I can't remember a book that I read before... :-)

My sister drove me out to two temp agencies and a bank today...I've found out how to seek employment at each. I'll be getting right on that when I return. And if I can get an alarm set for tomorrow morning I'll also be calling Tennessee to talk to my former UPS supervisor to see if I can get a recommendation for working for UPS up here in Northern Kentucky. That is all for now but I'll post when next I'm able.

~Matt

Wednesday, December 29, 2004

New Horizons

Well as Chris noted in his latest blog entry things were a bit turbulent down in Tennessee. I guess that things had been building for a while, but to some extent I was unaware. My brother and I, um, diplomatically I'll say discussed (and leave off any placing of blame or accusation since none were guiltless) certain things Christmas Eve morning. By the end of the day everything and everybody was much calmer. Just as when other unpleasant things have happened in my life I can look back on this event and recognize that while I don't like how it happened I can certainly appreciate how God used what happened. I now know more about my brother and have a better grasp on what would be required wherever I'm going. Currently I'm typing this from northern Kentucky and the house of my eldest sister. I've flown here prepatory to flying home and loading up all my stuff to drive back east. Now, assuming that things work out and we can make satisfactory arrangements, I'll be moving to this area (the Cincinnati area of Northern Kentucky) instead of Tennessee. In many ways I really did like Tennessee, but in other ways I don't think that it was the right choice for now. My brother is a great guy, and I love his family (those nephews are history buffs and love LEGOs! :-), and my sister-in-law is quite considerate and a great gal), but as this new opportunity presented itself it just felt right. I have prayed about this and feel that just as going to Tennessee for the month was good step, so too it was a learning experience that has led to this development in my progression towards independence that I believe I should embrace. I will be talking to my sister and brother-in-law in the days ahead to work out details and see what will and how things will work. Okay, enough of that sobering news...

Because of the problems mentioned above and my uncertainity about flying to Kentucky I didn't make it on-line for a while...I'm sorry to any avid readers (yeah right, like I'm that lucky!) but I wasn't able to keep to my once a day posting level that I'd set for myself. Currently I'm set to fly to California on Friday, so my plans with Mark are definately on track and won't be halted by anything short of a cancelled or overbooked flight! Oh, but one thing...he might have to help with a wee bit of packing to earn his keep... ;-) My parents have already packed up my books (only about a thousand at home to go through... :-) and bookcases. Whatelse I have will be my responsibility for me to pack and then get loaded up onto my U-Haul trailer for my cross-country jaunt. As previously planned we'll leave the morning of January third, hoping to make it back here before the end of the week. I should also be swinging by Tennessee to pick up those items which I didn't want to lug to California on the plane.

Okay, well I've been having a great time here in Kentucky. The first night Ryan was off at a friend's house so I just stole his bed... :-) Then last night he told me to go ahead and use it again and he would take the couch in his room. The only problem was that the dog insisted on sharing the bed and several times I woke up to find that she had scooted me over closer to the edge, so I was forced to move her back the other direction. Overall though it wasn't that bad...and it is a comfortable bed. I've been trying to be a help here, watching the little munchkins and doing dishes whenever I can. The kids are excited by the notion that Uncle Matthew may be moving back to the neighborhood, :-).

Yeah, Christmas...I bet you all want to hear about that, right? Well I had a bit of a small one...my brother had gotten me a couple gifts, but nothing fancy (no problem there, I'm not complaining!!) as they had expected me to be leaving Christmas morning or evening. I recieved a book (on mysterious places like Stonehenge, Maccu Pichu, Atlantis, and others), a 2004 proof silver dollar (minted in West Point, and I didn't even know there was a mint, let alone a commemorative one there), and my nephews got me a new green flannel shirt. Most of my presents are lying beneath a Christmas tree in California. Hopefully I'll be able to see them before the end of the year... ;-) But hey, while there are no presents here in Kentucky (again I'm not complaining!!) I've got to spend time with three families this Christmas...in Tennessee, Kentucky, and hopefully in California with my folks.

Well I think I may very well have typed my longest post yet, but it was needed after I missed so many days. I really can't think of anything more to add at this time...oh wait, I lied! Apparently UPS called and wanted me to do some more work for them! Sadly my sister-in-law had to tell them that I was out of state...but perhaps I can arrange with them to get a referral and perhaps get hired part-time up here at a UPS office. I'm not sure if I can work anything out, but it certainly can't hurt to try! Okay, well that really is all I have to say, unless my horrible memory chooses to remember something else important before I end this. Hmm...apparently not... :-)

~Matt

Friday, December 24, 2004

I'm NOT driving tomorrow

Brrrrrr....I would be typing with ten icicles right now if my nephew hadn't given me a pair of gloves to wear...Oh, they were so wonderful today...it was just my ears and nose freezing, no fingers joined in! ;-) Yesterday it was raining most of the day, then last night a cold front blew in and it snowed and all of that water froze. The roads were anti-hellish (since hell is so hot... ;-) --but not heavenly either)...well they were bad. The van slipped and slid a bit on my way into work...but it wasn't too bad, except that it was my first time ever driving in the snow and ice.

I will definately post links to pictures (once I can downsize them and upload them via this computer) of my day today...and I'll try to get it done Christmas Eve, aka tomorrow... ;-) We ran into a few problems during the day, but nothing insurmountable. It was on the drive home that I was really praying...not so much for safety, as I know that whatever happens to me God is in charge...I just wanted peace about that and calmness so I could drive without being a nervous wreck. Actually the main roads were good, people had been driving on them all day and so they were just a bit moist, but with no snow or ice left. Once I got to the subdivision I met Larry and he took over driving. It was tricky since the roads had essentially turned into sheets of ice. Utilizing some ingenuity and kitty litter (borrowed from a neighbor) Larry eventually got the van into the driveway and I got to go inside to warm up. But Larry (and the weather team) said that it would only get worse tomorrow...so I called in and told UPS that because of conditions in the subdivision I wouldn't be coming into work tomorrow...my last day... :( I could use the hours, but not the grief and danger required in exiting the subdivision and quite possibly not returning until after dark again. I've had my first taste of very icy weather, and I don't like it at all. Well that isn't quite true...if I don't have to drive then I like it as it makes for some really good pictures, but otherwise I can leave the ice behind me.

One last note, a good one. As we were driving back to the center my driver (Tom, one I'd not ridden with before) turned to me and said that he had a question, one that he asked of all his helpers. He asked me the classic "if you died right now where would you go?" question. I of course answered heaven and proceeded to answer his follow-up questions. However I was a bit shaky with the answers since I'd studied in an environment where salvation was assumed and other aspects of theology were studied...I'd not had anybody ask me that question in quite a while, it had often just been assumed. Near the end of the conversation I made mention of the fact that I really like the passage in Genesis where God told Moses to tell the people that the God who sent him was "I AM." That is really such a powerful statement that I don't think everyone always considers fully. He always is, and he doesn't need to say "I--the God of the universe who created and sustains everything and knows everything about you--am." Instead he just simply says "I...AM." Wow. And then when Christ says this you can understand why the Jews thought he was blasphemous. As C.S. Lewis said, Jesus was either a lunatic or the Son of God. No sane "good teacher" would say and claim all of the things that Jesus did.

Okay, it is time for me to hit the sack...or perhaps catch up on a few pages of reading. :-) Night.

~Matt

Wednesday, December 22, 2004

Ice a Comin'

Well the storm front is moving in, set to hit Nashville head on, not bypassing the area as it often does to the north. Today was a very rainy day and I was glad that for the third day in a row I was doing commercial deliveries instead of a residential route. The rain has already started to freeze on the ground at this time and will probably continue through the night. My brother thinks that the roads will probably be fine, so my first ice driving experience shouldn't be too bad, I hope.

This morning I went out with Jerry again, but thankfully I got to stay with him the whole day. I didn't really dislike transferring to Bill's truck, except for the fact that I had no opportunity to stop for lunch with Bill, he kept on going right through lunch. On a cold rainy day like today it was especially nice to relax for a while in a restaurant (though to save money I've continued to pack my own lunch).

The day went off like yesterday morning, that is fairly well. We had an older board (the bar code scanning devices that also record recipient signatures) that Jerry would key up for my packages. I could then take off with those packages and go to one office while he hit another using his board. I'm saddened to think about how much I've learned doing this job that won't be useful anymore come Christmas Eve night when I'm no longer working for UPS...*sigh* However I might be exploring part-time opportunities with the company (if possible) for the duration of my job-searching time. It wouldn't be bad to get early morning or evening part-time work. It would give me time to go job-hunting and the other things I need to get done before I start working, and would also ensure that I would continue to have money coming in even as I was required to spend it.

When I had to get gas tonight it only cost 1.689, not a bad price compared to what is being charged in California I'm sure! :-) It is also about 11 cents cheaper than most other stations around here...it was Costco. :-)

Okay, I did promise to try for a longer post, but I have to make a phone call...so I need to wrap this up. I investigated the prices of TN vanity plates and found that they only cost an additional $35 a year. I've been really thinking about this for a while, and I believe I can do this... :-) My first two choices would be Star Trek related, the registry numbers of the USS Enterprise (NCC1701) and the USS Defiant (from Deep Space Nine--NX74205). Hopefully my chances for those would be pretty good. If either of those two are taken then I'm hoping that WOLFF won't be. If all three of those were to fail and I didn't have another opportunity at this time I'd consider getting the same seven digits that are on my current California plates...it would be fun continuity, ;-). Okay...well I might even get back on-line in a bit to length this post, but don't count on it. Oh wait, two more things.

Two days ago my driver and I ran into a FedEx driver and a DHL driver at the same instant out front of a building elevator, a rare moment I'm sure. And finally today we made a delivery to Baker & Baker Company, reminding me of my friend Mark! ;-)

~Matt

Crosses to Bear

Well I'm sure you've all heard that we all have our crosses to bear, right? Well I certainly did tonight, quite literally. ;-) A while ago my brother made a cross for his church, it is made of poplar (regretably not balsa wood) and fairly heavy. Tonight he and I (along with the two older nephews for a while) joined three other guys to mount the cross on the wall of the sanctuary. It was a rather interesting process that involved quite a bit of work and ladder climbing (which I declined). Thankfully once we got the brackets up we were able to put the matching ones onto the cross without too much trouble and get it all mounted. The last part went rather quickly, but the whole process took about three hours.

Work was another good day. I forgot to mention yesterday that Jerry, the first driver (I worked with the same two drivers today) smokes...so between his smoking (though he was considerate and blew the smoke out the window as much as he could, or shut the connecting door to the back of the van) and Bill's cussing it was interesting... ;-) But really they're both nice guys. While I don't like hearing it Bill doesn't cuss to upset people or tick them off, it is just very natural to him, as much as saying "um" or "darn" might be to me. Oh, and don't get me wrong...he is a great guy to be around, so the comparison to my friend John wasn't meant at all to be insulting or anything...

I stayed with Jerry longer this morning, not transferring to Bill's truck until 13:00 or so... I mainly helped him with pick-ups after only goinging in a couple buildings. Thankfully many offices were cutting back and so had no or fewer pick-ups this close to Christmas... :-) Oh bother, I know I was going to say something more about my day at work, but I simply can't remember what it was. I'm sure that this all will have to do.

~Matt

Monday, December 20, 2004

Um...yeah

My sister-in-law just told the most interesting story. When she got in trouble for missing Sunday School she called a pizza place, flower shop, and plumber in the name of the people she wasn't feeling favorable towards and had them all deliver or arrive. She never told her parents and had never told my brother before... Ah, the fun things you learn late at night when everybody is tired. My brother: "You're a criminal. I married a criminal."

Okay, back to my day. I drove into the center and arrived aroun 07:40, reading for ten minutes before I walked in (having been told to arrive before/by 08:00). Tim (the supervisor responsible for directly assigning me) had me meet with a driver who swung by the building (Jerry) who was on a commercial route. I helped Jerry for several of his stops, getting packages onto a dolly and pushing it through the buildings for him (also holding the elevators while he made quick drops). He also let me take several packages into smaller businesses. Then I was transferred (oh yeah, Jerry was one of the guys who ate lunch with Brad--my second driver-- so I'd met him before) to Bill. Bill is a loud, rather foul-mouthed, but quite funny black guy. He reminds me quite a bit of my friend John (except for the cussing and the Southern accent) ;).

My brother just called his mother-in-law and told the whole story, and she confessed that she really had never known about it.

Oh...the temperature was a nippy 17 this morning (7 with windchill) and I'm sure even colder in the shade (as we were for a while unloading the truck--Jerry and I). While running with Bill he would give me a cart load of packages and send me into several buildings while he would make other deliveries. It was good because I've gotten good experience and the more I ride around the better I get to know the Nashville area.

Okay, again I should have started this earlier as I'm sure there was more I wanted to post...*sigh* Well I'll be back later (most likely tomorrow night). Oh, both of my supervisors were gone when I got back to the building so I headed off to deposit a check and left a message for them to call me at my brother's to tell me what I was supposed to do tomorrow. Apparently Brian said that I've been doing a good job and that the drivers I've worked with have had good things to say (and he said that when they say things it means a lot)...so cool, I'm glad that things are working out was well or better than I've thought they were.

~Matt

Zero

I really feel loved...zero comments on my last post... :'( *sigh* Well I'm just going to assume you're all too busy with Christmas shopping this weekend... ;-) Nah, I'm not hurt...not really... :-).

Well I really need to stop saving my blog spots for late at night...I'm sure my brother won't mind me getting on-line earlier on the day just to update this, so I really need to do so. Okay, today was (um...is ;-) ) Sunday so I went to church, actually drove the family in today (I've definately got the route down). My class on Cults wasn't meeting today, perhaps because the teacher was out of town (if I surmise correctly from information from other sources) and so I sat in on the class on Islam. It was interesting, though at perhaps two points a couple minor historical errors (made during examples drawn from other times) I cringed... But really it wasn't that bad...I just need to remember to talk to John when I'm in California to see how I would go about getting a couple of his dad's books. I've never actually read them, though I've heard that they're quite good... :-)

Well I've been on the forums for a bit posting...I'd better post this so I can go relax in front of the fire for a bit... :)

~Matt

Saturday, December 18, 2004

The Day Before Today

Friday was another good work day. The temperature was pleasant again, around fifty degrees. For a couple hours before and a couple after lunch I even removed my UPS pull-over/jacket and just had my T-shirt and UPS shirt on as I would have been too warm otherwise. The supervisor who delivers packages to drivers in the middle of the day told me to just go into the center on Monday by eight and that I would probably go out with Brad on his route. I guess I can't really complain, I've just been with either Mike or Brad and they're both good guys to work with.

Oh...I slept in until 09:00 this morning and it felt wonderful... :-) I can handle getting up early for church and work if I can just have one day to sleep in and not get up based on an alarm!

Ah, well I guess there was a bit more that I could have written about my day yesterday...but I should have put it down while it was still fresh in my mind. I should do my best to do that, but for some reason I think I was a bit too tired last night. I dozed off in the middle of a MASH episode! *sigh* I really like that show, and I think it might have been one I'd not seen. By the time I was conscious again another had started and I realized I needed to go to bed.

Well after my brother gets back he is reportedly going to take the family out to do some shopping, then hopefully after that I'll go out with my nephew Mark. There are a few scenic spots that I've noticed on the UPS route I've been on that I would like to capture with my digital camera. If I'm dilligent enough and people bug me I'll even edit them to a managable size and upload them to my photobucket account so that I can post links here. :-)

This is all for now, but expect another update later today (at least one!).

~Matt

Friday, December 17, 2004

ch'ya

No, it isn't pronounced "chee-yah"--try saying "ch" rapidly as you lead into an accented and quick "ya." It is a new word that I've created for myself. At this time it isn't a part of the languages that I've created. When I pronounce the word it usually has a sort of oriental flavour, and it can mean many things, none of them explicitly delineated. What really matters is the tone of your voice as you say the word, it can be an explicative of sorts (like darn or shoot!) if uttered in a frustrated voice (especially after someone has done something to you, like cut you off on the freeway) or it can be a good thing when uttered calmly and in a pleased tone. No I don't know why I've done this, but I am. Life is fun when you can do crazy things like this...and yet I question my sanity and its perception as I type these words, knowing that I'm letting this secret out to my massive (um...well...five or six persons is massive if you're an atom or a mouse, right? :-) ) audience.

Today was a good day at work as I worked with Mike again on the route I've run since last Thursday (with the exception of yesterday with Brad on his normal route). I enjoy working with him (and with Brad, just for different reasons for each) and look forward to another day tomorrow. The weather was (and I know this will shock my Californian friends! ;-) ) quite warm today, especially compared to what it has been. Despite the fact that I was born and bred in Southern California and never traveled much through snow, or stayed in snow country, the cold has never bothered me as much as it does most other Southern Californians. Today was a balmy and quite comfortable 50 degrees at its hottest. Additionally there was little wind, making for a nice day, so nice that I didn't even turn my heater on as I drove home from work! Most of the rest of my work days (with the exception of 30s on Monday) are supposed to be in the low to mid forties, rising up to near fifty next Thursday so I'm quite happy, :-).

I recieved my first paycheck today, so now I just need to remember to get an envelope so that I can deposit it tomorrow...perhaps even tomorrow morning. I've also done some Christmas shopping, though I have a bit more to get done on-line here in a bit. :-)

I should get going now since I want to get that shopping done and get back to my reading... I've decided to re-read book 5 of the Lord of the Rings (i.e. the first part of Return of the King) after watching the Extended Edition of the film. While I really do love the films and especially the extended editions my first love always has been (and will remain) Tolkien's actual books. Peter Jackson did a great job, but the movies are his interpretation and oftentimes I disagree with his interpretation in favor of what I believe to be closer to Tolkien's intent. Of course no movie can be perfect and please all fans, which is why I don't try to degrade the movie, I just go back to the books when I need a good dose of authentic Tolkien. :-)

~Matt

Thursday, December 16, 2004

1701

Yeah, that number is right...Star Trek association time, :-). Today the (I believe) second house I dropped off a package at had an address of 1701. I always make associations with addresses as we drive around such as reading 9145 as 1945 because that was the year World War II ended, so it was fun to see a Star Trek reference, :-). But speaking of work...I had an interesting day.

The first guy I worked with was Mike, and he got a call last Thursday that his grandmother had died, so he got off work early. Brad was the driver that I worked with Friday, Monday, and Tuesday as he replaced Mike. Today Mike was back on the job so his regular helper was back working with him (he had strained his ankle last week). I got a call (as expected) telling me to come into the center instead of meeting a driver en route as had been usual. Once I got in there I finally got my UPS shirt (so now I'll wear a black T-shirt, UPS shirt, and UPS pull-over) and UPS cap! :-) Okay, back to the timeline...I was sent out to meet a driver and told that he would meet me in about twenty minutes (in a commercial area). I was given an address, but unlike what I've seen in Southern California, most buildings out here don't put their street addresses on the building. This makes it very difficult to find a commercial address...but I finally found the place I thought I was supposed to be at. I drove my car around the parking lot for fifteen minutes, worrying that perhaps he had already arrived and departed after not seeing me. Fianlly he did arrive, but I found out that he didn't have a jump seat! I couldn't (physically nor according to company regulations) stand in his truck the entire day. I didn't have a cell phone (and his was broken) so I had to drive all the way back to the center. He must have messaged the supervisor (using the boards they scan package bar codes with) because when I got back he sent me out to meet Brad on his regular route.

Hopefully I'll be able to continue working with Brad, he is a good guy and I enjoy working with him. Oh, he does have two nicknames though...the guys that eat lunch with him call him Cornbread. One time one of them said "Come on Brad" quite fast and everyone else heard it as Cornbread, so the name stuck. "Gas Pump" comes from a story he told me Friday before we met for lunch, warning me that the guys would really tease him about it. On Thursday at the end of his shift he was refilling his truck when he forgot about the gas and drove off. He was half-way across the building before someone flagged him down and pointed to the detatched nozzle. There was no gasoline spill as pumps have a quick shut-off, but he has been teased about it quite often.

The temperature was higher today, and the wind was much lower. These factors, plus the extra shirt, all combined to make for a much more pleasant experience than yesterday. I am enjoying this job, but I do know that it isn't something that I would want to do full time as I wouldn't really want to deal with the high heat and humidity out here in the summer and the cold in the winter. The cold really isn't that bad if you're moving around (out of the wind) and can put on a good jacket (like my trenchcoat--which doesn't conform to UPS uniform regs...*sigh* ;-) )--neither of these is true with UPS. It does look like I'll be getting more than 20 hours a week, so I'll not be complaining. I can use whatever money I can get from this job.

Okay...I don't think that I was going to write any more...I hope not. I'll do my very best to get on tomorrow night to update y'all...I'm sorry about not getting on last night...I thought I would be able to get on (at least briefly) Wednesday morning...but alas I had to leave too quickly...

~Matt

Tuesday, December 14, 2004

Another Dollar

Well I found out that my paycheck will be delivered Thursday, and hopefully will be given to my driver before he leaves the building. No call this morning, I'm to go the same route as yesterday. Perhaps this will be my last day on this Brentwood route, I'm not sure. I do know though that friends like Mark would doubtless be icicles out here as the temperature is projected to be in the thirties at 15:00 after dropping down to the low twenties last night. Now the heaters in the UPS trucks are great--they're not too bad when one door is open, but really good when all the doors are closed. I do wish sometimes that I had some sort of gloves, but I'm sure that I'll be okay...if nothing else I can warm my hands over the heating vents. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, I can definately take this weather and stand it. After spending an entire night outside of Best Buy I can always look back to that if the cold seems to be a bit much! ;-)

On other news I've not had time to look for a post Christmas job or even get the files on my computer backed up so that I can take it in to be repaired. Oh yeah, I don't think I mentioned it but I've registered my computer with the manufacturer (the place I bought it from had it in their name) and found a local place that I can take it to for repairs. :-)

Wonderful news on the entertainment front! The Extended Edition of The Return of the King is released today!! My sister-in-law is going to go out to buy it and perhaps they'll buy the "trilogy edition" of all three together and give me the extended editions of the first two movies...that way I would only have to purchase the extended edition of RotK...but in some way I've harbored a fantasy of buying all three together on my own...so I'm not fully sure what I think about this. I think that I'll drop by Amazon to see what the set costs so that I can be prepared when I've got a bit of money to spend. Speaking of money, while I'm keeping my list short due to moving costs I need to get my Christmas shopping done! Not much time left you know.

Okay, it is 08:23 and I need to leave a bit before 09:00...I should see if I can get a bite for breakfast (lunch is already fixed) and get ready to go. Hmm...I shoudl update this tonight...I'll try to remember, ;-).

~Matt

Monday, December 13, 2004

Good Morning, Good Morning, Good Morning

Well I got a call this morning to tell me that I'll be doing the same route today and tomorrow that I was running last week (Thursday and Friday). It is Wednesday that I'll have to be ready for a call for a different route. I've actually fixed my lunch today, not wanting to spend any more money...though I have my debit card if I have to use it. I should get my first paycheck Thursday, and after that direct deposit should be working, :-). Well I might have to scrape ice off the van windows so I should get going. I will write more later after I get back from work. Hopefully it won't be too cold today! ;-) On Friday it was actually colder with just wind than it had been Thursday with the rain. Oh, and I don't have an official UPS cap so I can't wear a hat on the job...*sigh*

~Matt

Sunday, December 12, 2004

Aren't Cults fun?

Okay...right now I'm hating computers...I don't even want to put down what I'm thinking. I had a great multi-paragraph post typed out. The internet connection here was screwing up so I copied the text to paste it into Word...well I actually cut it. But somehow it got wiped from the clipboard and all memory of it erased within IE. Grrrrrrr... I'll think about reconstructing what I can, but I really dislike rewriting from memory what I've already written. The second draft (when the first is lost) never measures up to the memory of the first. Okay, well first and explanation of the title.

Last Sunday we didn't go to Sunday School since my eldest local nephew and I were sleeping off (for three hours) the effects of an all-night series of Laser Tag games with his Boy Scout troop (he just made first class btw). This week is the first of the new session, so I got to get in on the ground floor of a class that is topical (Cults and other religions) and yet also somewhat replaces and has absorbed the old College and Career Singles group. The message today was about atheism...and was entitled "I don't believe in Atheism" for "the fool has said in his heart 'there is no God.' " and yet we know that all have within a knowledge of God, however much they may try to suppress it. Furthermore I went to the College and Career Singles Home Fellowship (like Community Groups--the term used at my church in Southern California) Group Christmas party (also the last meeting until January). It involved a White Elephant gift exchange so I dropped by the local Wal-Mart and picked up a Care Bears DVD from the bargain bin. Feeling somewhat foolish buying a Care Bears DVD I also (though I probably shouldn't have spent the money) picked up the movie Evolution from the same bargain bin. It was of course steeped in Evolutionary theory (concerning rapidly evolving alien organisms) and from the director of Ghostbusters (which I've still not yet seen fully--I caught a few moments a couple nights ago). I enjoyed it though, it was a good flick IMHO.

The rest of my discourse concerned the author I'm currently reading (Barbara Hambly) and the artist who did the artwork for one of her covers as well as for many other authors (Michael Whelan). I'll get into their story at a later date (but for now I must get in my plug by mentioning that Michael illustrated the last Dark Tower book for Stephen King and they are definitely the best and most accurate illustrations in the entire series!).

~Matt

PS Now I'm off to save this (it had better copy this time!! Grrr...) and add a PPS when I actually post it on-line.
PPS Success! The file saved okay and I’m about to post it on-line! :-)
PPPS Posting now...oh, and spell check in Word was great! ;-)

Saturday, December 11, 2004

The North Pole

Today was my youngest local nephew's birthday (did that make sense to y'all? ;-) ) so we went on a train ride themed on the movie "The Polar Express" (yes, those of you that hate Santa please stop reading) and then went to see the above mentioned movie afterward. For his birthday dinner he selected hamburgers and hot dogs and corn...definately a hit with me! :-)

I was definately tired after work on Friday, but it was good...09:30-17:30...hopefully I'll get a regular route set up for Monday. Oh, and last night I went to a dinner for the church's College and Career group...it was great. I got to know the people in the group over a great dinner. While I'll never be able to replace my scattered friends from California I think that I'll definately be fitting in with this group, more than I ever did at the new church my parents began attending while I was at TMC or even with the college group at school that I rarely attended.

Hmm...is this bad? I can't really think of anything more to say right now... :( I think I definately need to strive to log on at least once per day, if only to update this blog. My memory being what it is I believe I will be better off updating each day.

Oh, one more thing...there was a used bookstore in Watertown, the hamlet at the end of the train ride. So, like a duck near water, I was of course drawn into this wonderful establishment. I ended up purchasing a fantasy novel to complete a trilogy that I only recently discovered was at least two books, and then a trilogy...and Stephen King's The Eyes of the Dragon which I've wanted to read after completing his Dark Tower series (definately a magnificent epic!!).

~Matt

Friday, December 10, 2004

Early to Rise

Well I've got a good deal again today...I'll be meeting a driver at the same place and time. I got up early today (and the call came in earlier) so I've got some time to do something like actually eat breakfast! :-) On the flight out here to the east I flew first class (the perks of a brother-in-law who is an airline co-pilot and was nice enough to get me a stand-by pass, whereby you get upgraded to first class if there is room) and had cream chese on my bagel (I'd never really eaten it much before--but I've found now that I like it). Oh, but it was great to have a glass juice glass...but anyway, that was then (though when I fly home Christmas I might get first class again :-) ).

I'm just a bit sore from yesterday actually...and I didn't get sore yesterday. It is a job that is hard work, but it isn't too hard. I'm looking forward to another day! :-) Hey, I'm getting paid for this, and I enjoy it, not bad, eh?

Oh, and I have an update on my moving situation. It looks as though I'll be renting a U-Haul in California after all...but coming east with both my parents who will be babysitting my sister's kids while my sister and brother-in-law are away. This means they'll pay the motel bills (and for their meals) and I'll just have to pay whatever is charged for my being the third person in the room and for my meals... :-) (oh, and for gas). But at least most of the trip will be out of California's high priced gas areas!! Well that is all for now, I need to get off-line and go get some food for breakfast so I can get dressed and off to work on time.

~Matt

Thursday, December 09, 2004

Tired is good

I need to go off-line now so I can't write too much. But I had a good day today, my first working my UPS job. It went well and the driver was great. We did end early though, because he got news that his grandmother had died. I'll be working the same route tomorrow, but with a different driver. I think I'm definately going to enjoy this job...but we'll have to see how sore I am in the morning, ;-).

~Matt

Wednesday, December 08, 2004

Not Kosher

Well I forgot to mention something yesterday...just like Mark and my nephew Chris I too have just recieved my first spam e-mail in my Gmail account. :'( On a positive note I should mention that their spam came in first! :-)

~Matt

Moonlight Bright

Okay...I'm heading off to bed...I finally watched last weeks Enterprise episode tonight (and really enjoyed it!) :-) and as a result was on-line later than I would have liked. Tomorrow...er...today for me (but not quite for those of you under the sway of PST) I have to investigate the possibilities of substitute teaching, buy new boots for my UPS job, and go in for orientation at 15:00...oh, and I finally need to check out an apartment to try to get a handle on what it will cost me to live on my own.

Um yeah, so I'm leaving now...and hopefully I'll keep updating this blog as frequently, well perhaps not quite as frequently...but I'll try to keep it up. It definately is refreshing, and now I do have a sort of a diary that I can look back on for future reference! :-)

~Matt

Tuesday, December 07, 2004

Storage, Storage, Storage...

Well some good news and some bad news. After researching the nearest storage unit I've discovered that I can rent a 5x10 unit (equivalent to a large walk-in closet, and they say it should hold 100 file boxes) for $48.00 a month...a 10x10 would be $75.00. This shouldn't be too bad since I don't plan to have to use it for more than the few months it should take me to get out on my own.

But on the way back from the Ford dealership (getting some parts for my brother's minivan) I dropped by U-Haul...*sigh* A 4x6 or 4x8 trailer would cost me $479 from California to Tennessee. A 5x8 would be $637 and a 6x12 $1,094. Ouch. I'll have to see how small a space I can cram everythng into. *crosses fingers*

~Matt

Fed-Up

Do y'all remember when employees of Fed-Ex and UPS were on strike? A joke running around was that the two companies would merge, becoming Fed-Up, ;-). Well I'm anything but fed up...I got the UPS job! :-) I start with an orientation tomorrow at 15:00 at the local office I'll be based out of. It is also wonderful because the job ends December 24th, and hopefully I'll be able to go home a day or two later in preparation for moving back out here. This is definately an answer to prayer.

Oh, and I also stopped by a temp agency on the way back to get them thinking about looking for work for me, though I'll not be available for other work until I return in the first or second week of January. I took a typing test and the guy helping me called a co-worker in to look. I had six mistakes on the five minute test portion so the other guy told me to retake the test. He said that if I could cut the mistakes down to 0-3, even if I was at 50-60 WPM it would be good. I did think that I typed significantly slower the second time, but apparently not. The one minute preliminary test was 85 WPM with 1 mistake (84 WPM adjusted) and the five minute actual test was 83 WPM with 2 mistakes (81 WPM adj). :-) I had no idea that I was this fast--and I credit it to my instant messanging and taking notes in class for four years, both of these definately helped my dexterity. Of course I actually made more mistakes than are noted above, but I corrected them with the backspace key. I would definately be a poor typer on a typewriter--I'm just too addicted to the backspace key and spell-checker. *sigh* Oh well, you can't with them all... ;-) Okay sorry, I don't mean to brag. I'm just quite happy!

~Matt

PS I feel like a complete idiot!!! I was just now attempting to fill out an application to try to work as a bank teller, in my quest for permanent employment after I return in January. I accidentally clicked "Yes" in answer to the question of prior felony conviction. I was astonished when a screen popped up saying that I was ineligable for employment after just this basic step...then I went back and saw where I had misclicked. Unfortunately I wasn't able to resubmit the information and I cannot find an e-mail address of anyone that I can contact to explain my mistake. :( I'll keep exploring the website, but it looks as though this avenue may be cut off (when I tried to resubmit a correct answer it said I couldn't apply until one year from today). [12:41 CST]

A New Dawn

Well another day, another dollar, and all that, except that I don't actually have work yet. I'm heading out now (a bit later than I should have :( ) to a local UPS office to interview for the position of driver helper. At $8.5 an hour for twenty hours a week it sounds good for my current condition. I'm not sure what will come of this, but I can always have hope, eh? :-) I'll post more later.

~Matt

The Rising Sun

Well I'm sure that everybody's first blog entry is pretty similar...so I'll cut to the chase. This is an experiment that I hope to keep going for the indefinate and long-term future. I hope y'all enjoy reading this.

Now on to the real meat and potatoes... ;-)

I'm currently in Tennessee trying to find employment and living opportunities in preparation for a very likely (read going to happen unless something changes my mind) move back out here in January after a trip home (well now "mom and dad's) to get my stuff. I'm enjoying life out here and my brother is really helping me get going. It may seem somewhat frustrating as he tells me what I need to get going early each morning and get quite a bit done during the day, but I understand that it is all necessary. He does have twenty years of work experience on me and I'm really grateful for what he is doing and the wisdom that he offers.

On the internet front I hope to keep getting on-line regularly...y'all can help if you want by e-mailing me semi-regularly with e-mails that I need to reply to...and then I'll do my best to reply in kind. Or if you just keep in touch with me via the forum (if you post there, if not and you know me well ask about it).

I can't really think of more to post for now so I'll sign off. I might just post every so often...but I like the tri-weekly (I think that is what it is) format that my friend Mark has. So I might try to hold to that, but in the beginning post more often as I have more news and such to share.

Thanks for reading! (at least I hope there are readers out there *crosses fingers*) Please feel free to comment.

~Matt