Leaving Vegas Behind

Posted on March 13, 2011 by
BMOCs

cool virgins

A week ago twelve friends wandered south to Las Vegas for the weekend.  My previous, and first, visit to Vegas happened in 2006.  That trip was a reunion of sorts for a bachelor party I didn’t attend in 2001 since I was busy getting “mauied”. It was my first visit to Vegas therefore I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I enjoyed myself, but had to keep things in check since we went to Sin City about six weeks before I tackled Ironman Canada.

Last weekend’s visit to Nevada was special because there were no restrictions such as a big triathlon.  My battle was intense fatigue considering we departed Seattle on a 6:00am flight Friday morning.  All in all we had a fun time in the desert celebrating a surprise bachelor party.  Our buddy thought the guys were meeting him in Bend, Oregon for a weekend of skiing on Mt. Bachelor.  Keeping twelve guys quiet for more than three months, not such an easy task.  Guys have a tendency to gossip and stuff.

Intentionally not offering specifics of this trip, but here’s a high-level activity list:

zero celebrity sightings, thrill rides on the Stratosphere, cabs, limos, casinos, food, expensive shots, bathroom attendants, Red Rocks, damn expensive bottles of Grey Goose, Goldbond, “Copenhagen Egan”, NASCAR, decent karaoke, packing light, completely remember both nights, shopping, Four Loko, and herding sheep.

The reason for the Vegas trip is simple, a wedding.  My friend Scott gets married in two weeks and I couldn’t be more excited.  I’ve known Scott since we met during the first week of college way back in September of 1991.  We’ve all been through a lot since we began our collegiate journeys.  I’ve never met a person who brings more people together than Scott.  Simply put, he’s not divider… he’s a uniter.  He does a marvelous job bridging the gap between all different kinds of people.  I’m fond of this skill since I think it’s a lost art.  I know for me, I tend to write people off without giving them an honest and fair opportunity, a sizable character flaw.

Scott truly cares.  He’s ready for this and I know he’ll make a fantastic husband and eventually a dad.  I can’t wait for his wedding weekend when tons of friends will unite to witness two great people “making it official”, leaving bachelorhood behind.

Posted in Doting Dude, Facial Tissue, Flirting with Homosexuality | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

Coming out of Retirement

Posted on February 26, 2011 by

My first work week at the new job is complete. I’m excited with how things are looking so far. The initial week at a large company can be daunting, mainly for security purposes. It’s no secret I’m (indirectly) working for Microsoft under a two year vendor contract.

It’s fair to say I’ll be much busier than I was at my previous job. This is a good challenge since my previous employer didn’t push me as much as I’d like. Yes, I’m ready for the test. My manager is helpful and direct. There are four of us who started last Monday and I’m probably the youngest of the four. Three of us are parents so we hope this will keep the work/life balance in check, a known pitfall at Microsoft.

As a unit, we should make a formidable team. I’ve felt comfortable enough to be myself already, unleashing some wickedly sarcastic comments. However, I need to keep it in check as to not offend others. Sarcasm can cause problems if people don’t know the person using it very well. I’m just so damn thrilled to socialize with people again outside my household.

Oh yeah, the campus… so big and with many perks. Free drinks such as pop, juice, Dr. Pepper, mineral water, and coffee. This is unfamiliar territory for me. It’s nice to feel pampered. The buildings display great works of art created by fellow employees.

Next week will be crazy busy as we get completely immersed in our work. I get Friday off though to celebrate my friend losing his “single” status. No better place to go than Mt. Bachelor. Speaking of single guys, there seem to be lots of them at Microsoft. I’m just saying. It’s nice to be a working stiff.

Posted in Chomage, Current Affairs, Don't Quit Your Day Job, Humans are Good, Raging Dork, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Routine Routine Routine

Posted on February 21, 2011 by

I’ve arrived at this point called employment.  Monday is my first day back to work since early May of last year.  I don’t exactly know my role, my department, my daily duties, or how things will play out.  To be honest, I’m okay with this since I’m thrilled to contribute again.

I recall my awe of parents who stay home with their children.  It’s not an easy gig to watch after the children while doing a whole bunch of other things.  Now that I’m headed back to work, it will be an interesting week.  My wife (known as Mrs. Lessinges) will spend four days in Portland.  This means I’m responsible for dropping off my daughter at her wonderful daycare and picking her up all week.  Get this, now I must set an alarm, bathe, commute, eat breakfast, etc.  Mind you these weren’t common daily traits during the last nine months.

Here we go!  No more watching horror movies late at night on Netflix.  No more falling asleep 15 minutes into the movie because I’m so damn tired.  What many may not believe about unemployment is the sleep.  I’m so much more tired these days than when I was working.  Without a routine, it’s easy to rationalize things in your head such as  ”I can nap for a bit in the afternoon”.  Most of the times the nap doesn’t happen because mentally you’re pulled in many different directions.

Most importantly, my social skills took a hit being home all day.  In fact, I apologize in advance to any people I physically meet the next week or so.  I will appear giddy.  I may even seem slightly intoxicated, but that’s just the job talking.  The grin will be as visible as the full moon.  I’m focussed and determined, nine months of waiting will do that to you.  Now I fully understand the plight of a pregnant mother, except a full-term pregnancy is technically ten months… duh.  [Deep breathing commence]

Posted in Baby Singe, Chomage, Don't Quit Your Day Job, Grown-ups, Mrs. Lessinges Approved | 8 Comments

Daddy Days

Posted on February 8, 2011 by

Well hello there!

It has come to my attention I’m employable again. If you were perhaps living in a cave the past nine months, you may not fully comprehend my jobless struggles. I will tell you this, it was fun for the first 3-4 months and rather unpleasant up until last Thursday’s fantastic news.

Last Wednesday I had a rather informal interview at Microsoft.  I met one person and sat in her office and chatted for 45 minutes.  I felt like things went well during our discussion.  I was hesitant though…  and with good reason.  Less than two weeks prior to this interview I was told by a hiring manager I was “perfect” and “awesome” for her Bing posting.  Did I get the job?  No.  So you can see my skepticism.

Rewind to last Thursday and the important call received on my quickly dying BlackBerry phone.  The amazing recruiter I’ve been working with since October calls and asks if I’m sitting down.  I was overwhelmed by emotions before she completed the next sentence.  My battle with unemployment would soon be vague recollection.  So much has happened in the last nine months sometimes I pinch myself and say, “remember the guys weekend in August last year, you weren’t working then either”.

The ride is over.  Now it’s time for new adventures.  After nine years working for the same company, I can ultimately put my previous job behind me.  I met some great people during those nine years, but sadly I still harbor tiny bits of bitterness towards the company.

Those feelings are out the window now as my first day of work is only a week away.  I look forward to the challenge of a new job.  I can’t wait to be relevant in the workplace.  One thing I most certainly will miss are the recently established and coined  ”Daddy Days” spent with my daughter the past two months.  I enjoyed spending the extra time with her whether it was making snow angels at Snoqualmie Pass or playing Polly Pockets with her on her bed.  It has been a special treat.

Most importantly, I need to thank my wife.  Unemployment is damn stressful.  It tests you in many different ways.  My wife has been there and kept me going during the rough patches.  She’s a fighter and challenges me often.  It’s a tremendous asset of hers and a big reason I adore her.

Aright, enough with the sappy stuff seeing as Valentine’s Day is next week.  I’d like to conclude this post with a smile, $20,000 pay raise.  Now that my friends, helps the bitterness and angst dissipate faster.  Hello 2011!

Posted in Current Affairs, Doting Dude, Facial Tissue, Grown-ups, Storytelling | 20 Comments

The Craigslist Savior

Posted on February 1, 2011 by

Life has been slightly different since our daughter was born in 2007.  In 2008 we bought a used treadmill to sneak in a workout here and there.  Getting the 500 pound beast into our house was a complete pain in the ass.  First there was the whole borrowing of a truck, taking the oversized fitness equipment out of the person’s apartment, and eventually wheeling it into our spacious basement.

Where it sat until Monday night.  We logged a decent amount of miles on the treadmill.  Yet I didn’t use it often since there’s only an inch of clearance between my head and our low basement ceilings.  Six months ago on a perfectly wet summer evening, we plugged it in for some indoor cardio.  The switch was flipped and the juice failed to flow.

Today, something happened.  I finally got around to listing the treadmill on Craigslist in the “free” section.  I gave it away for free since we paid $300 for it a few years ago and we simply wanted the monster out of our cramped basement.  About an hour after the listing went live, a man who says he works with Precor called.  The kind man explained he’d take the item off my hands after work.  Good, I told myself.

A few more people inquired about the treadmill as the hours passed, hoping this guy doesn’t cancel on me.  The guy arrives to our house around 8:45pm and quickly dismantles the treadmill in ten minutes.  We briefly chat about his treadmill rental business and how our machine gives him nine rentable units, up from only two when his business started.

Anyways, my faith in Craigslist has been restored.  This guy was wonderful.  It’s not often the person who takes your free stuff is kind, knowledgeable in the item they’re taking off your hands, and a weightlifter.  That’s right, the first guy to respond to my ad happens to be a strong man.  The heaviest lifting I did tonight was opening this laptop to share my positive listing experience.  Goodbye treadmill, it was alright knowing you.  Welcome back Craigslist and floor space in our basement!

Posted in Blog Fodder, Don't Quit Your Day Job, Grown-ups, Housecapades, Sports | 6 Comments

Pressure Cooker

Posted on October 22, 2010 by

I’m still gainfully unemployed. I have been so since my May birthday so I’m challenging myself to be back to work within two weeks, November 8th to be exact.

I’d like to say November 1st, however that seems unrealistic given the lack of existing quality job leads. At this point I don’t care if it’s a career job or not. I need to generate money and soon. Let the countdown begin.

Yesterday I enrolled to be a tutor of various talents. My specialty would be French, swimming, forestry, or baseball. If I can swing a gig where I get paid to teach baseball or swimming I’d be rather content. French is in high demand and I’ve previously tutored 4-5 French students.

DAY 1: today I received work rejections from Google and the prestigious Gates Foundation.  I did apply for about 12 jobs this week so the rejection is likely to be inflated.

I’m still waiting to hear from the local NBC affiliate for a job with their website. I interviewed for the job at the beginning of September so I’m fairly certain it won’t happen even though I feel well qualified for the position. I keep pestering them and they haven’t told me to go to hell yet.  I consider this a positive sign. 

I see my job challenge as a bit like dating in college. If I apply to emough jobs, eventually one of them will cave and get to know me. How can I mock a company to get a job though if they won’t ask me for a date?  Employers are so complex.

Posted in Blog Fodder, Chomage, Current Affairs | Tagged | 16 Comments

Wandering Washington

Posted on September 10, 2010 by

Sunset on the Pacific

The last two weekends in August were fantastic.  A few weekends ago we took Baby Singe on her first overnight camping trip. The following weekend was spent on the Washington coast in our 3rd annual Mancation.

The camping trip went pretty well.  I wasn’t sure if Baby Singe would sleep at all in our new tent or not.  At home she’s got an established routine, complete with white noise and a nightly bath.  Sleeping under the night sky in a campground on the northern flank of Mt. Adams at nearly 4,000 feet is a drastic change.   Baby Singes handled it with flying colors.  It did get chilly overnight with temperatures dipping into the upper 40s.  Thankfully I bought her a kid’s mummy sleeping bag and she quickly learned how to sleep face down with the bag fully engulfing her.  As a concerned parent, I had to check her a few times during the night to make sure she wasn’t too cold and was breathing.

Stubborn child alert: each morning it was quite cold.  However, our daughter insisted on not wearing a coat or putting on warmer clothes that we bought  her specifically for the trip.  She preferred to shiver in her short sleeved shirt.  She’s in for a rude awakening when fall officially arrives.  I guess I can’t blame her for loving her dresses though.

Oh yeah, we went on the camping trip with another family from Baby Singe’s daycare.  This was a great decision for many reasons, chiefly the kids did a marvelous job entertaining themselves since they’ve been in the same class since about five months old.  We also learned more about each family.  It seems, as a parent, our lives can get so busy we  have less time to learn about others.  Yes, this is being said by an unemployed man with ample time on my hands, but it still holds true.  Oh camping, I’ve missed you and vow not to desert you for such a long period of time.

The last weekend of August I got together with a handful of college buddies.  We spent a few days on the Washington coast.  Being a native Washingtonian, I honestly haven’t spent much time on the Washington coast.  For some reason the Oregon coast was chosen over the Washington coast in my youth.  I will say I was pleasantly surprised with the Washington coast during our Mancation.  There’s tons of stuff to explore whether it be the beaches, the sand dunes, the rain forests, the coastal towns or the huge national park.

Not being remotely interested in fishing, one of my buddies and I skipped out on the group’s ocean fishing adventure.  Instead we drove north along the coast to the Twilight town of Forks.  The town used to be known as as a depressed logging town, much like Aberdeen.  If you haven’t heard of Aberdeen, maybe the name of Kurt Cobain will ring a bell.  I mention this since it gives perspective on how depressing Forks used to be.  Today though, the town is overrun by teenage girls hoping for an Edward or Jacob sighting.  I personally didn’t see any cute Volvo coupes though.

My buddy and I made a few stops on the way back to the rental house, including a drive down a logging road to a World’s Largest Western Red Cedar tree or the Duncan Cedar as many call it.  Nothing like a tree 19 feet wide to provide a little perspective.  If I could, I would wander the Northwest taking pictures of large trees.  Trees amaze me in so many ways.  As I’ve made quite clear, I do love me some nature and was very fortunate to get to spend much time outdoors during the month of August.

This weekend, we’re headed out of town again.  My friend announced his engagement a few weeks ago and is throwing a party for all.  I’m quite honored to be a member of his wedding party next April.  That’s really a blog post for another day.

Posted in Storytelling, Travel | Tagged | 8 Comments

Walupt Creek

Posted on August 23, 2010 by

image

Enjoying nature.

Posted in Film, Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Roasting Marshmallows

Posted on August 20, 2010 by

chalk time

This weekend we’re going on our first camping trip. It should be quite fun. We’ve done our share of talking up the excursion so I think Baby Singe will enjoy herself.

We visited Mt. Rainier for Mother’s Day, but during that outing we forgot to roast marshmallows as we promised Baby Singe. Thankfully every time she sees Mt. Rainier now, she reminds us of that fact, “daddy, we didn’t roast marshmallows at Mt. Rainier”. It’s rather charming if you ask me, so we aim to please. Can you believe she’s now three? I know I’m a bit surprised, but so much has happened that it feels like three years have elapsed. She’s currently asleep in her bed with half her body in her new sleeping bag. She also decided she needed to sleep with dad’s new Thermarest camp pillow.

I’ll be sure to take many pictures. We’re camping for two nights with another family from our daughter’s class. The two have been in the same daycare class since they were about six months old. You do the math and that’s a great percentage of their young lives.

I mention this since I’m still unemployed and I find it weird how once you leave a company, some people you never see again. I’m talking about those you thought you knew well. Gets me thinking about the impact we make on other peoples lives. How do some make such a lasting impression while others seems to be like background music. Something to expand on at a later date.

Enjoy your weekend people!

Posted in Baby Singe, Chomage, Storytelling, Who Edits a Blog Entry | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

Italia schmalia

Posted on July 21, 2010 by

I’m in month three of my unemployment. So far the time is flying by which can be a good or bad thing. The trip to Italy served as a nice reward for 9 years at my company.  A few weeks later though, I’m having trouble getting motivated to look for a new job and that must change.

Anyways, my wife and I have never left our daughter for more than a night or two. All things considered she did fabulous during her week alone with the grandparents in Chicago. It’s a very tall order for her to spend two weeks away from home and a week solid with grandparents.  She sees them maybe twice a year. Sure she had tantrum(s) on a daily basis, yet I’m not sure there are adults who don’t lose their shit each day.

We were both very excited to see our girl when we got back to Chicago.  Thankfully there weren’t any delays in our flight to Chicago.  When we got to the in-laws house, Baby Singe opened the door with a large smile.  The first thing she said is “I’ll go get my shoes”.  In other words she was more than ready to go home.  We did spend a couple more nights in Chicago before returning home.

This was huge for everyone.  Tough on her especially and equally as tough on grandma and us.  We were pleased it worked out relatively well.  My wife and I needed this trip.  She stopped working at T-Mobile leading up to our vacation.  It was a nice clean break.   Yeah, technically neither of us were employed during our Italian jaunt.  Thankfully my wife is in a new role at a previous employer.  She’s found the time to volunteer for the Red Cross while I’m still lagging behind a bit, feeling like a mooch.

About me, still out of work.  I’m spending lots of time in the yard, but not nearly enough locating a solid job.  I’ve given myself a deadline of September 1st for a new job, aiming for August 15th.  To make that happen I need to get resumes out the door and line up some interviews.  Or maybe I can invent something really cool or be on a reality tv show.  Okay, maybe the resume path is more sound.

Posted in Current Affairs, Storytelling, Weblogs | 15 Comments