Sunday, December 17, 2006

Forgive me Blogger, for it's been a long time since my last post.

I'm angry

I try not to post angry, since I'm working on being more tactful...I tend to shoot from the hip, so I'm going to do my best to hold my tongue...

In case you look at the time, I'm in church right now...I'm up in the sound booth.

I'm tired of feeling like I'm the only one who makes things work at church...no one else would fill the baptismal...so I did it....I'm doing all the sound for the children's program, which meant practices for the last couple Sunday mornings, and yesterday from 9-12ish, then I filled the baptismal for today...

Holly's worried about me, that I'm doing too much...I worry that if I don't do these things, who will? Is that pride...or is it desire to serve?

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Forgive me Blogger, for I have sinned; it's been 17 days since my last post.

Patience is the lesson lately. Waiting for things to sort themselves out...work, relationships, waiting for the holiday weekend so I can drive home and see my family.

Work is going well actually...Joe and I had a discussion and things are much smoother now. This week has been slow, since so many electricians like to hunt. One more day...

the side business continues to draw interest...patience in not wanting too much, too soon

patience in waiting for the Steak n Shake to get built in Wauwatosa....so close, yet so far...

Patience with myself, in many areas

Saturday, November 4, 2006

Forgive me Blogger, for I have sinned; it's been nine days since my last post

This week was an interesting one. I wasn't home before 8 any night this week. Work was up and down, but ended on an upswing Friday. Monday night was the second night of Upwards evals, and we have 260 kids signed up for basketball...I'm looking forward to coaching again

Tuesday I drove the truck for work...nothing exciting, just a bit of extra cash.

Wednesday I had a client. Turns out we're doing a solid upgrade to replace a motherboard. As soon as the parts are in, I'll go back to take care of business. Holly came over after her class so we could hang out a bit :)

Thursday...long day at work. Got done about 45 minutes after the usual time. Called my client for that night, who told me to take my time and get dinner, no need to rush. Got the computer taken care of, went home, and read a day in the book study we're doing in our young adult group at church.

Friday, work was light. On my way home, I check my phone and see that I have a message. Turns out, an old friend of mine is in the hospital; his sister called me to tell me. I head to Froedert to see Chad. Chad managed to end up in the hospital with a nasty foot infection. A couple of years ago, he was diagnosed with diabetes, and lost a toe then. Now, one of his feet had blistered up and gotten infected, due to walking alot for one of his jobs. The doctors were discussing how much of the foot to amputate. I sat with Chad for a bit, talked seriously about his condition, then lightened up and caught up with each other for a bit. Before they wheeled him off to surgery, I prayed with him. I went to sit with his folks and sister, then his dad and I went to get a bite to eat. After that, we all met up again, then I headed home.

Saturday, inventory at the Mothership in Brookfield. Company provided doughnuts, then off to count. I was partnered with Laura, who's pretty cool. Got a call from Chad's sister Carrie, informing me that the doctors had taken Chad's foot at the ankle, and would have a follow up surgery in a day or two to take some more of the lower leg. I've been thinking about Chad all day. Holly and I have tickets with her folks to Romeo and Juliet, and I think at some point my mind will be distracted enough. It pains me to feel helpless in times like this, when I have a friend going through such a trial. I know God is in control and puts us through nothing we cannot bear, but it's still hurts.

Thursday, October 26, 2006

gamebreak

so, I called Detroit in 6 for the Series...

Holly noticed that I'm rooting for the Cardinals.

allow me to explain:

I am sticking by my original predicition of Detroit in 6. This pick was based on the different match ups between the clubs and the pitching rotations. Now, having said that, I would like to see the Cardinals win the whole thing.

thatisall

Friday, October 20, 2006

Forgive me Blogger, for I have sinned; it has been eleven days since my last post...

Once again, many thoughts, but how to expound on them?

Work is interesting...I'm still getting used to my manager/co-worker...he's obsessive and anal, but in a mostly laid back way...I think that makes sense. We chatted a bit today about how I was doing, and overall he's pleased with my work ethic and my ability.

I'm calling it now: Detroit in 6

The purge continues...Holly is a great motivator in spite of me

Got to hook up with an old friend last night...for a while I gave Matt a hand teching at his church...I happened to be in Racine last night, so I stopped by his place for a spell...helped him fix one of his machines and hot rodded his router :D

Monday, October 9, 2006

settling in...

My apartment is starting to feel like home...the network is up, food is in the cupboard, I have adornments on the walls (the sombrero lives on)...

I've managed to, with Holly's help, start going thru my old stuff and throwing out the trash. Soon we'll start sorting thru my old clothes and see what's worth keeping, Goodwilling and what will get voted off the island...

Work continues to be interesting. Today was my first day in the Falls, I think it will be alright...I suppose we'll find out.

To borrow from my friend Katee, I was excited to use my Pick n Save card while paying for my groceries tonight...I saved around 5 bucks....but man it felt nice!

Saturday, September 30, 2006

well, I'm all moved in to my new place. Thanx to all who helped...it was greatly appreciated...

more to come later..too tired

Friday, September 29, 2006

that new apartment smell...

sitting in my new place, on the floor, thinking it would be good if I moved the rest of my stuff in. The computers were first, since I needed at least one to set up my cable connection...time to get back to work and move! :P

Monday, September 25, 2006

a new beginning

I take over my new place on October 1st officially. Tonight I called regarding power and other utilities (DSL) and was able to get connected with one call...very nice

I suppose I could post my address here...if anyone wants it :P

Sunday, September 17, 2006

funny how things work out

maybe I'm now anxious, but I can't seem to fall asleep tonight...

spent much of yesterday doing nothing, aside from tinkering with my own computers. confirmed my apartment...made dinner for Holly and I, watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, then headed over to the Mosaic to catch some piano tunes with our friend Sarah. After that, Holly and I headed to the Twisted Fork to harass my roommate Rob, who manages there. While we were there, watching people on North and Farwell, I see a familiar face walking down the street. As I say to Holly "Hey...that's Jean", Jean points at me and says "CHAD!!"...exchange of phone numbers takes place with promises to call and get together...

That totally made my day and quite possibly my week. As Holly stated, I seem to have a knack for bumping into someone I know, and if I don't, I get to know somebody I bump into.

Saturday, September 16, 2006

good things come...

to those who wait...

Monday night I meet with my future landlord to sign the lease on my new apartment.

84th and Greenfield for those who are curious...more details to come as they are available. Phone # stays the same as does my email.

yay :)

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

tonight I went to look at an apartment in West Allis...I've got a good feeling about it. It's a good price and it's a in a good location for work and everything else that I do. I'd like to have housing nailed down by the weekend, and I might just be able to pull that off...I feel somewhat relieved...

Monday, September 11, 2006

I remember where I was 5 years ago when I heard the news. I was standing in the crane bay at Perlick, working, cutting something on the bandsaw I ran. Rainer came over to me and mentioned that a place had hit of the towers of the World Trade Center. I nodded my acknowledgement and wondered how a place, like a Cessna, had hit the WTC? Rainer told me when the second plane hit...then it sank in...a jet...

I remember those minutes, hours, days and weeks after...I was bumped to second shift, so I stayed up late watching the news every night, not going to bed until 3 or 4 in the morning. I kept hoping that someone else would be found alive amongst the rubble and carnage, that one more person wouldn't die from the attack...

I remember when the US went into Afghanistan, to get Bin Laden. I was keen on the mission that the B-2's were flying out of Kansas City, loaded with bunker busters. I wanted to see Bin Laden face what he had done.

I remember the uncertainty of those days and weeks...not sure really what to do, what to say. I know I call my family more in those days, to talk, to share, to love...

I remember that at some point in the last 5 years, everything got political. We aren't people anymore, but party members, or a demographic.

I remember that on September 11, 2001, the very thing we watched on the news that always happened on "their" soil, happened here.

I remember...

Tuesday, September 5, 2006

upon further review...

I've noticed in previous posts, I've used the word "relaxed" a good number of times....please mentally replace that with "attempted to relax"...


that is all
Steve Irwin died over the weekend....how sad...at least he got to go doing what he loved.

wake up is now 5:30 am. I'm basically prepping myself for opening stores on the Outer Rim, like today. I opened the store in West Bend for the guy that manages that store while he took care of a matter at home. After he came in, I headed down to Brookfield to finish my day. I'm just going to force myself to get up no later than 6, but I'd like to be out the door by 6:15, a bit sooner, as was the case today. This means going to bed at a reasonable hour, unlike like what I did last night.

A good weekend. Partied with some friends on Saturday, watched the race Sunday night with friends, and went to the ballgame Monday with friends....I felt relaxed and rested actually, for the first time in a while. Maybe once I get a place squared up I'll relax a bit.

No plans tonight...just gonna listen to the ballgame, maybe do some reading if I can stay awake til I want to go to bed, maybe a movie...just trying to unwind.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

I'm feeling a general level of stress lately. Part of it is work and all that goes with it. Part of it is money and still trying to figure out how to budget my money properly...you'd think at 30 I'd have this figured out. Part of it is trying to find a new place that isn't in the hood within the confines of previously mentioned budget.

Patience...

I feel adrift...and I know why...need to tune in

flux...

the only constant is change

Sunday, August 27, 2006

the tiredness continues...I press on

I emailed regarding a place on the East side...great price and all utilities included...I'll know more soon

spent the weekend with John and Katie...just relaxing, eating and playing poker...a nice change of pace after work on Friday..

Friday...grrrr...I was NOT happy. All was fine until about 5 minutes til close...then it all went downhill...oh well...it happens...made getting out of town that much better..

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

wherever I may roam

Forgive me Blogger, for I have sinned. It's been 8 days since my last post...

on the road for work the last week and a half...it's not too bad, so long as I don't mix up which store I'm at...remembering where each store keeps it's stock is the tricky part for me. Otherwise, I'm up daily at 6am to be at a satellite store by 7 and I'm done at 4:30...not bad...get's a little crazy at some of those stores.

Shakespeare is SOOOOO much better seen live than read. Got to see Julius Caesar on Saturday night with Holly and her folks at American Players Theatre in Spring...outdoors....very cool

Cirque de Soleil is pretty amazing...Sunday in Chicago...wow wow wow. It's like the circus if Brandon Brown did it...really wild and a bit out there :P

softball season is done...we won our final game to finish on a high note.

I find myself waiting...learning patience and waiting. Not trying to be too anxious about whatever happens next, but just living in the now and appreciating what I have in this moment, while looking ahead and seeing what may be on the horizon for me.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

a rolling stone gathers no moss...

the apartment search has officially begun...I made a couple of calls tonight on places....92nd and Lisbon is already rented out, so no go on that one, but I found a studio in West Allis not too far from Holly's house that's affordable, as well as another studio not far from where I'm living now....I'll have a chance to look at the 'Stallis place maybe later this week...

on the road this week for work....Waukesha to Brookfield to Grafton yesterday, with today and the rest of the week in Oak Creek...

In flux on things right now...housing, movement on some things at church...missing my youth..haha...funny to hear myself say that...

if you don't mind, I'd like to ask for prayer; I've felt tired quite a bit lately, to the point of being weary. Even with a good night's sleep, I still wake up tired...thanx

Monday, August 7, 2006

to everything, there is a season

work is kicking into full swing for my "official" position...I've been in Oak Creek the last three days and I'll be in Waukesha tuesday, then Thursday and Friday in Waukesha...helping out more than covering, but on the road nonetheless...

I stopped by my old job tonight...said hi to most folks and chatted for a bit...I miss those guys...they asked when I was coming back..I just laughed...

Eric got the job in Minneapolis....I will continue to make plans to move by October 1st...where to...that's a good question...I guess I've ruled out the East side of town, as it's too far to commute for everything in my life...West Allis looks good...

The next six weeks should be very interesting...to say the least ;)


There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Thursday, August 3, 2006

moving?

I may be moving soon...Eric has a good shot at a job in Minneapolis, and Rob may very well follow him there...I don't think I can swing the rent on our current place by myself, so I've been looking at apartments online this evening.

I'm thinking studio...maybe East side, maybe not...less then $500...parking for sure...

we'll see where this ends up

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

so what is it you DO anyway?

spent half of my work day in Menomonee Falls, opening the store we have there. Interesting to say the least.

So what do I do? I work for an electrical parts house. Hein is the last of the independents in Milwaukee. Everyone else has been bought and become part of a larger entity.

Here's what my job entails:
I work at the counter. An electrician comes in, and tells me what he needs for the job he's working on. I fetch the parts, write up the order, get a signature from the electrician and he's on his way. In between waiting on electricians, the other folks on the counter and I put stock away on our side of the warehouse. We also pick orders that the inside sales team writes up.

I generally enjoy what I'm doing now...it's just been a LOT to learn...basically everything about electrical distribution in homes and business, as well as data comm. Some days are frustrating because I don't know what the electrician is asking for, or I grab the wrong item for a contractor who's short on time and needs to get back to the jobsite.

Another part of my job that will increase as my knowledge increases: I'm the swingman. I cover other stores when someone needs a day off. I work primarily at the Mothership in Brookfield, but I've also worked at our stores in the Falls, Oak Creek, Downtown Milwaukee and Grafton. I've been to every store except West Bend at this point, as I do the nightly truck run on Friday nights. I do the south stock run to Pewaukee, Waukesha, Oak Creek and Oconomowoc. Basically, the stores order from Brookfield, we build the skids of stock and someone drives the North run and someone else drives the South run. I'll be learning the North run this week as well, just so I can be a backup in case of vacations, illness, whatever...

Monday, July 24, 2006

a chance to relax....?

many thoughts, little energy to type...here we go

4:12...let's not give up yet guys and gals...

Israel/Lebanon...enough already

Bush/media...again...enough already...let the man run the country for crying out loud...

Boobs...yeah..I said it...when did such young girls develop so early? and why are they wearing clothes that reveal so much?

Milwaukee Brewers...I'd settle for more consistency fellas..please

work...learning more everyday

Bible...oh how I missed thee

Sunday mornings....I've missed some..and I'm going to miss some more...and I don't want to

iBook....love it love it love it

end of brain dump

Tuesday, July 4, 2006

patriotism

the thought on my mind all day today was not one of just being an American, but being a patriot. The difference? To me, a patriot stands up for the ideals of a movement, not just the movement itself. America was founded on the belief of certain inalienable rights, handed down from the Creator, to be extended to all mankind. It seems to me that lately other's rights don't matter nearly as much as "my" rights. People are quick to anger when they feel their "rights" have been stepped on, even in a minor insignificant way. Lawsuits prevail as a means of settling disputes, and no one talks out grievances anymore, except thru lawyers.

I found myself in awe last night as I was walking to join my friends at the fireworks. I live in a country that allows me the freedom to travel at will, because I have a freely given privilege to drive; to assemble en masse and not fear retribution; to question the very government that protects me; to speak my mind and read what I want. Where else in the world can I do this? Really..where? I fear the old ways of Communist Russia are returning; you can't be a Nazi in Germany; there's genocide everywhere: Bosnia, Serbia, all over Africa; Dictators oppress those who speak against them; to be a Christian in many areas of the world will get you killed...and yet here's we complain when someone tell us that Christ wasn't who he said he was, or that there is no God.

I find myself captivated by those around me who don't realize how blessed we have been...God bless America? He has...time and time again,and yet we've tried to, or allowed, Him to be pushed aside...why have I not been a patriot for the Kingdom of Heaven? Why have I not stood up for the very One who stands up for me and goes before me daily? Partly fear, partly indifference...afraid to be bold and look "foolish", not caring enough about others to reach out to them...

Friends, do not forget the One who does not forget us.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

meat grinder

yesterday felt like I had been thru a meat grinder at work....left work super tired and more than a little frustrated....just one of those days I guess.

A few folks have emailed me or left me a note here asking how my transition to days has gone and how I feel about being back on days after being 2nd shift for so long. Overall, the transition has gone well, although I feel as though I never have enough time, only now it's because I'm scheduling more, instead of working at night. Meetings at church, softball, social obligations...things like that...It's just learing to re-adjust to my new schedule....so far it's been just under a month, and I'm confident my schedule will settle down soon...I hope so.....

The toughest part for me has been going to bed at a reasonable hour...my body still wants to go to bed after midnight, although I'm trying to go to bed sooner...ok..not really, but I want to.


Rob Bell in Chicago next Friday.....cool :)

Sunday, June 18, 2006

what a weekend...

as soon as I got done with work on Friday, I was in the truck and headed for Illinois to my grandparents' house in Galesburg. Hit a spot of traffic just outside of Milwaukee, but other than that, smooth sailing. Managed to pick up the Brewer's game quite a ways down the road til the signal finally gave out.

Arrived at the grandparents' shortly after 9pm, got Saturday morning straightened out, hung out with my cousins from Texas then crashed after midnight. My job over the weekend was to drive my grandparents around for a family reunion, so I wanted to be rested for the drive.

Woke up, showered, light breakfast and off we were. Spent the day at Siloam Springs State Park catching up with family, chasing my sister's kids, or should I say, was chased by my sister's kids, eating, and making sure grandma and grandpa were as comfortable as can be despite the heat.

After phase one of the reunion was over, the grandfolks and I drove into Quincy to stay for the night. We had reservations at a nice little motel that is pretty unassuming from the outside. My cousin Barrett looked at me as I was bringing my bag into the motel and said "there's no internet jacks on the walls, I think we're screwed." I fired up my trusty ibook and sure enough, there was motel supplied wireless :) We were good to go after being assured we could get our internet fix.

Had dinner with some family from Michigan and back to motel to get the grandfolks to bed...Barrett and I made a Walmart run since we weren't content to sit at the motel all night....then off to bed after watching some ESPN and catching up on the World Cup.

right now it's breakfast....mostly the same crowd from dinner last night...the grandfolks and I will be heading back to their place after breakfast. I'll make a stop at my mom's and her folks as well before heading back to Milwaukee....I'm glad I'm working days now, otherwise I'd be so tired from changing my schedule....

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

a night to unwind

tonight I decided to stay in and not go anywhere....the last couple weeks have been full enough already, and so I said screw it and stayed home.  Laundry and chores were accomplished and bed will be soon enough....amazing how average my life feels now :P

Sunday, June 11, 2006

so....

I've been a little busy lately....learning alot at the new job, evenings filled with softball, church meetings and various other things.

Friday, get done with work, come home, clean up a bit, pick up Ben and head to Mayfair to get tickets to see Cars...ate dinner, raided the Apple store, muddled around Mayfair, met up with Holly and saw the movie...loved it!! go see it....as a Nascar fan, I enjoyed all the little touches, but you don't have to be a racing fan to enjoy it :)

Yesterday was rather full....softball tournament in the morning that lasted 5(!) games. got some sore muscles and some sunburn, but overall it was a good chance to play ball.

in the evening was a surprise birthday party for a friend, with many folks attendance, including my friend Julie from Des Moines...hadn't seen Julie since Brandon and Emily's wedding 3 years ago, but we've kept in touch...so good to see her :)

I woke up today very sore and my sunburn itched like mad....so I stayed home from church...didn't want to...but I honestly didn't know how I would sit thru service. my legs are very sore from running and playing catcher yesterday...I've aloe'd up my sunburn to help ease the sting...I'm just waiting for the race to come on today, so to kill time I'm watching Mexico vs. Iran in the World Cup.

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

a new beginning

so today was the first day of the new job....things went pretty well I'd say. Lots of walking around the warehouse picking orders, learning the system. I didn't have as rough a time getting out of bed this morning as I thought I might, and I'll probably head to bed at 11 tonight to be up at 6:30. Next week I'll be up at the counter working directly with the customers, but for the rest of this week, I'm picking orders back in the warehouse.


I spent this evening just vegging out...listened to the Brewers game (ugh) and looked for some new podcasts to download....it's weird being home at this hour and not having to call into work....haha...oh well

Friday, May 26, 2006

one....more.....day

today is my last day at Industrial Wire....I know that grilling out is the plan for tonight, since there's a holiday this weekend, and after work, some of the guys are joining me at BW3s for a drink as a farewell. As much as I've complained about things at IEWC, I'm still going to miss certain things. Mostly the guys I work with and the friendships I've built with each one of them.

Tuesday starts anew...I think the toughest part will be the schedule adjustment, but I've got the weekend to help with that....I guess we'll see....

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

second guessing

Holly and I watched Serendipity on Sunday night. Cute movie, but it drove me nuts. Not because it's a "chick flick", but because the two protagonists were always so close to finding each other, and yet, so far away. Throughout the movie, after their chance meeting, fate seems to be pointing them back to each other, in spite of the fact that both of them are in committed relationships.

Why do I bring this up. After the movie, Holly and I ran to the grocery store to get something to fix for dinner. I shared with Holly what bothered me the most about that movie: the second guessing of one's decisions. I tend to second guess myself alot...I come across as confident sure of myself, but internally I wonder about my choices...I'll share with you the example I gave Holly.

Since most of the folks who read this are close friends, I can spare some history. When I was dating Sherri, I felt amazing. I was in love with a beautiful woman who loved God and who loved me. We prayed together, studied God's Word together..it was fantastic. So what happened? After all, I wanted to marry her...at some point, after about a year, we both realized our lives were headed in seperate directions: she to the mission field, and I...I didn't want to leave Milwaukee because I felt like I was called to work here. I started to withdraw from Sherri, and we talked about what was ahead for us and agreed to break off the serious part of our relationship and just be friends...easier said than done, but we managed. After we broke up, I spent the next several months (yes, months) wondering what in the hell I had done...had I just blown my best shot at marriage? Was I doomed to be single forever? Keep in mind I was only 26 at the time...I thought the world was going to end. Have I ever mentioned that I struggle with jealousy? When Sherri came to and Easter service at church with someone else I was so filled with jealousy. I had a hard time being in the same room when both of them were together. When Brian and Sherri's engagement was announced at church, I just put my head down and clapped politely. the two friends on my right caught my eye and smile weakly...Tori came up to me after the service and offered her sympathy. I didn't go to the wedding...Sherri asked, thru a mutual friend, if I wanted an invite, and I politely declined. Brian and Sherri had a few more months of training in Waukesha before heading to Oregon for a year. Can I admit that I was relieved that they were going to the mission field? That I wouldn't have to see them on a regular basis, as if to remind me of what I had NOT chosen...

Holly listened to me as we drove down to the Sentry in Tosa village and as we walked thru the store getting our items. At some point, in the bread aisle, I took her by the arm, looked into her eyes and said "I made the right decision with you" She smiled.

Friday, May 19, 2006

pushing on...even when I don't want to

this week has been long...10 hour days at work and not much time otherwise...I've been getting to bed later and later...last night was just after 6am...tonight will be more of the same I'm sure.

Why? I'm at church, it's 4:30am and I just finished pulling the network cable to tie the Mac into the network for Ben. (BTW Ben, you really ought to log out when you leave for the night...mmmmkay? PWND!!)

Why am I pullling network cable this late? I got done working at 2 and I had promised Ben that I would tie him in a couple days ago. Tonight I pushed thru, even though I had to take an unconventional route, do some drilling and eventually, I'll need to affix the cable to something more permanent...

Work has been tough too...the 10 hour days wear me out. I've agreed to stay on and finish out my two weeks and not take the second week as vacation to help out my boss and the guys I'm leaving behind...Holly thinks I'm crazy, but admires my loyalty. My boss wasn't surprised when I offered to stick it out and has thanked me a couple times already. Last night at work I had to fight off the desire to just pack it in and screw off for several hours...we're actually getting ahead for a change.

I'm going to go home now...and sleep I think....I'm hungry.,.....maybe a sandwich before bed....

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

transitions

this week at work we're pulling 10 hour days in an attempt to dig ourselves out of the hole sales keeps putting us in. I don't mind so much, except that it has really wiped me out in just two days...I was home by 2:30 this morning, walked the dog, and started working on a co-worker's computer....the caffeine finally wore off at 5 and I crashed...got out of bed about 2, grabbed a sandwich and I'm now mentally gearing myself up for tonight. I think the hardest part about 2nd shift for me has been the lack of social interaction with my friends. I see the guys at work, and I've gotten close to a few of them, but they aren't my friends I've had...follow me? I've got goofy hours that result in email tag with alot of my friends, and the occasional phone call during the week, and trying to see people on the weekends...

That all changes soon...I'm hoping to have some time, like a couple days, to adjust back to waking up in the morning, but nothing is too certain at this point.

Sunday, May 14, 2006

follow up

ok, so if you've checked my blog since Friday, you will have noticed my short, cryptic post about being a daywalker....let me explain...no, that would take too long...let me sum up:

I start at Hein Electric Supply in two weeks. I'm going to start in the warehouse learning the shipping and receiving end, then I'll move to stocking and pulling and at some point, up to the front counter. I'm salaried, but not losing anything in the move financially, so I have nowhere to go but up. I made the move for two main reasons: 1. First Shift. I wanted my life back, to be able to make my meetings at church and not have to take vacation days to do it, to be able to play softball and soccer again, to see my friends on a regular basis, and most importantly, to see Holly more.

Thanx to everyone who dealt with my schedule this last year and a half...

C

Friday, May 12, 2006

preview of coming attractions

I will walk amongst the living as a daywalker again!!

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

opportunity..knocks?

so for the last few days I've been wrestling with a potential change in vocation. I have a friend who has contacts looking for an intelligent, well heeled person to fill a position at their various companies...my name was mentioned to both. Interviewed with one on Tuesday (since this IS wednesday morning) and was given a pretty good idea of what I'd be doing if hired...basically, helping build the most expensive condo on Milwaukee's lakefront. Sounds demanding...I'm still chewing on the thought. The other job I interview for in about 8 hours...

why do I bring these up...I was thinking about it at work tonight, and I'm not sure either one presents an opportunity I want to take, or as Holly has asked me, "would I be happy doing X?" I realize that while I don't enjoy what I do currently, I also don't want to bail out for the promise of greener pastures, only to find cow patties waiting for me...

I am a sheep

yeah, so I went and did it...now I'm just like all the cool kids...I have a mypace account...so far the coolest part of it is having friends I haven't heard from in forever write me, so that's good..we'll see what else comes of it I guess...

Thursday, May 4, 2006

anticipation?

I feel as though I'm waiting for something, though I'm not sure what it is.

I know that I'm going to receive a reprimand from my boss due to my attendance so far this year. I've been sick more than I care to remember, but it's only been a day each time....the problem is, it's been more than a few times since the first of the year.

I feel like there's something else that I'm anticipating....what I don't know...and that's what's bugging me I guess...

I've got some irons in the fire, so to speak, so we'll see how those turn out...I've decided to be more of the person who would rather move and be stopped than stand still and not be moved

Sunday, April 30, 2006

the weather today sucks...rain rain and more rain...and I'm sick again...stupid bronchitis....I managed to push thru it yesterday, but woke up this morning and my chest felt like it was on fire, so I didn't go to church today...there's not much on TV on a Sunday morning.

There is broadband at Holly's house now...her dad made the call and got DSL set up...I installed in on Friday, only to have some weird occurence happen that crippled the computer. It wasn't a virus or spyware, and I did get it figured out and get them back online last night.

mmmmm...lemon lift tea

Real life Super Mario » SpikedHumor.com

Real life Super Mario » SpikedHumor.com

yeah...flashbacks to my childhood

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

oh my....

so I'm at a client's house, waiting for a scan to get done, and I'm online and see the Seagate has introduced a 750 GB hard drive...WOW...now I want one...

Friday, April 21, 2006

My Savior My God

I am not skilled to understand
What God has willed, what God has planned
I only know at his right hand
Stands one who is my savior

I take him at his word and deed
Christ died to save me this I read
And in my heart I find a need
For him to be my savior

That he would leave his place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange, so once did I
Before I knew my savior

My savior loves, my savior lives
My savior's always there for me
My God he was, my God he is
My God he's always gonna be

Yes, living, dying; let me bring
My strength, my solace from this spring
That he who lives to be my king
Once died to be my savior

That he would leave his place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange, so once did I
Before I knew my savior

My savior loves, my savior lives
My savior's always there for me
My God he was, My God he is
My God he's always gonna be

Thursday, April 20, 2006

I had a good night at work last night...my body hurts today, but last night was pretty smooth. I order that has me hurting today was 24 cuts by 89' each, piggybacked onto the same reel. When I was done, the order weighed about 1700 pounds..so I'm guessing the master reel I was pulling from was over 2000 pounds before I started. To get each cut moving, I had to pull enough off the master reel so the cable wouldn't slip out of the rubber bands I had holding the end on the reel I was putting the cable on...fun stuff

adding to the fun was a blink in the power about 11:25 last night...everything switched over to emergency power for about 10 minutes before the power came back on...wrap it up at 1 and go home.

I'm sponsoring a middle eastern child..you know where you can give like 70 cents a day to help feed, clothe, house and educate a child in a lesser developed area of the world? Yeah, I'm doing that..it's called owning an SUV. I filled my truck up last night for $55. I know, I lie in the bed I made (ok, I would if I made my bed), and it's not that much worse than my Ranger was, so I'm not complaining just to complain, I'm just letting everyone know that I spent $55 on gas last night. That was for 18 gallons of regular at $3.09 a gallon. The Ranger also had a slightly smaller tank, or at least a shorter neck to the tank...yeah, I'm one of "those" people who click all the way to the top of the neck :P

I've managed to recover from the cold I picked up over the weekend that made Easter less than fun for me...fear not, my plans for this weekend are unaltered!

Monday, April 10, 2006

boring?

so, I get an email from Holly's sister Katie, stating that both Holly and I have boring blogs. Well, I figure work's been a large part of my life lately, and I'm kinda tired of complaining about it, and I figure people are tired of reading about how much I complain about work, so that hasn't left me much to write about....until now..

The Ranger is dead...I somehow managed to break the passenger side leaf spring mounts, so the truck had a lean to it and it drove a little scary. Happened to see a car I liked, only to be told that it was gone once I got to the dealer. I noticed an Explorer on the lot...took it for a drive, bought it the next day. 1999 Ford Explorer 2 door, black with grey interior, 4x4, automatic, pretty much everything except leather and a moonroof...very nice indeed, and I got a good deal on it.

Saturday, pulled 4 hours overtime, came home and cleaned up, picked up Holly and headed to a "surprise" birthday party for my friend Brandon...I say "surprise" because he managed to figure it out...he's sly like that...after Buca's (yum!) it was back to Brandon's house to just hang out and chill with folks I don't get to see all that often. I had a beer (GUINESS!!) and Holly asked for my keys. Now, one beer does not get me anywhere near drunk, but I knew she wanted a reason to drive the new truck, so I gladly handed them over to her. She enjoys my new truck as much as I do ;)

Sunday, church in the morning, meeting right after church, home long enough to catch some of the race and a short nap, then back to church to set up for the worship night we were having. Overall, the worship night went well and we had a great mix in the crowd. Back home to hang out with Holly some more before the week starts.

Monday (today), did some laundry, checked my email, read some news, took the dog for a walk (and met two other dogs...RUN RUN RUN)...and here I sit typing before I head out the door to head to work. Half day today since I have a leadership meeting at church, but I may, if the workload dictates, got back in at midnight for a couple hours.

There you go...I wouldn't say that's exactly boring, but I don't know if it's entertaining for Katie :P

Friday, March 31, 2006

I've noticed lately that I've been more prone to becoming ill. Part of it may be the my body is simply aging and I need to start taking vitamins; I think the bigger part is how hard I'm pushing myself at work. I've never had to push this hard and I think it's taking it's toll on me physically. Friday comes and I wake up feeling beat up, I don't enjoy my weekends much and we (at work) don't see the relief coming anytime soon. I'm thankful for my job, and I realize that I'm here because of decisions I've made in my life.

Saturday, March 25, 2006

interesting read, given today's culture...and by the way, if you are talking to me, I'll pull both ear buds out if it turns into a conversation


http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=410721

Thursday, March 23, 2006

before I go to bed tonight, I'm gonna do some writing since it's been a while

I woke up today feeling refreshed for the first time in a while. I only slept 6 hours, but it was nice to not wake up and feel like I hadn't slept at all. Work went pretty smooth, even though we had to pull an extra couple hours as mandated by the boss...

I've had some good conversations lately with close friends...you know who you are...

I've seen people that I've missed...and realized how much I missed some of them, and how much I didn't miss the rest...

I love Holly more each day...and why, you ask? She lets me be me, in all my fractures, faults and failings, valiance, victories and vigor.

I know that my life isn't perfect, but I live in the hope that I am made perfect by Christ, the One who paid for me, a worthless sinful wretched person and that one day, I'll be next to Him...

I'm preparing to batten down the hatches, as I think it's going to get bumpy soon

Saturday, March 11, 2006

it's been a long week

it's been a long week for me, and it's not over yet...

Monday...the inventory server at work went down...2nd shift called off....we'll work 4 ten hour day to make up the lost night

Tuesday...the cold I feared I had Monday has materialized...no work for Chad

Wednesday and Thursday....work 3:30 to 2, wind down, crash...up around 1 both days

Friday..up about 12:30ish..clean the bathroom, get ready for work, head to work...only to find out we have MANDATORY overtime on Saturday...12-4....I'll have to make arrangements with my assistant coach for my basketball game, since I won't be there to coach....last week too...oh..and I didn't quite beat my cold, so I think my bronchitis is flairing up now....dandy

I believe that Saturday night and Sunday I will do as little as possible so I don't wear myself out even more....lots of vitamin C and fluids are the order of the weekend...

what sucks is I was just getting into my groove when I was getting to bed at a reasonable time, and I let this week derail me....I'll start again next week, assuming we aren't up to our eyeballs in work....

Tuesday, March 7, 2006

ah, the joys of winter

have I ever mentioned that I love being sick? I hate head colds, espcially when they migrates to my to my chest. called in sick to work....we had last night off due to a computer problem with our inventory server, so we couldn't work. I'm feeling better now after a hot shower and some soup and OJ.

Not much else to report I suppose...I started reading Blue Like Jazz last night...so far I like it...hopefully I don't do my normal book reading thing and not finish it

Wednesday, March 1, 2006

I like hymns....

So Alan Jackson has a new cd of hymns out...I love hymns...and it's refreshing to hear them sung honestly, not just to end a service on a Sunday morning.

tired...so tired..10 hours

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

I'm attempting to start a routine.....up daily at 9:30am, in bed by no later than 3am...there's really no reason this shouldn't work, other than my lack of trying to go with it. I have plenty of time before work to do something productive, so I'm trying to make the best of it.

Today worked out well...Holly and I have been having breakfast together on Tuesdays for a few weeks now, since she has a late class on Tuesday. I resisted the urge to go back to bed after she left, as I've done the last couple weeks, and stayed up and worked on one of my computers, fixed lunch so I actually ate before work, and I'm about to head out the door to run an errand before work. I'll keep everyone updated...

Sunday, February 26, 2006

there is a season...

as I often say, there's been alot on my mind.

Today was Mike's last Sunday at Ridgewood. I was pretty cool through the service until Mike started to do the Benediction. I started to cry...and grabbed Holly for support...

Now comes the uncertainty of not having a head pastor to shepherd our church...it won't be easy, but God willing, we'll survive....and not only survive but thrive.

This week will be a time for me to reflect....today I'm gonna relax while I can, catch some Nascar, coach a practice, then go to worship night at 4:12

Work will continue to push me. I've decided to go in, do my best every night, and go home..that's all I can do.

Opening day for the Brewers is April 3rd and I'll be there with a couple guys from work...should be a good time regardless of how the game turns out.

Wednesday, February 8, 2006

more fun at work

if you don't care for strong/harsh/foul language...stop reading now..I may go off





















now for those of you who stuck around, I'm still upset about work last night. Lately we've been under alot of pressure due to the high volume of sales our company has had. Those of us on 2nd shift in the warehouse have been staying for overtime to make sure we can get everything out the door on time...or mostly on time...and being the material handler I'm the one feeding the guys in respool...not an easy task.

What pissed me off about last night was that the temp we've got working with us assed off for the last 10 minutes of the regular shift, then talked with the lead guy for ten minutes into overtime, then went out for a smoke after that....30 mins of nothing getting cut...all while I'm trying to bust my ass to get out the door...I decided I'd had enough...finished the skid of back to stock I was working on, then went home...simple as that...if I'm not sick tomorrow (I feel a cold coming on), I'll probably get asked why I left by the lead, and I'll tell him why, in my totally calm manner...(note sarcasm)...

The other thing is the frequency of smoke breaks some of the guys take....like one an hour...ridiculous..

Last rant...a couple of us have brainstormed how financially sound a third shift would be; it would also prevent burn out (like I'm approaching) of the guys on both 1st and 2nd shift...it would safe us money, due to less OT being paid out, and would balance the work load tremendously...too bad no one in management wants to listen...

that's enough for now...I waited to type this out..had I done it right after work, there would have been a few f-bombs....glad I waited

Sunday, February 5, 2006

"all work and no play..."

"...makes Homer go something something"

"go crazy?"

"Don't mind if I do..WWWOOOOOOOO!!"


yeah...that's basically how my week went. worked many 10 hour days because sales is kicking some serious butt...however, it means the warehouse is really having to step up to get everything out the door even close to on time...there were most night when we didn't get all the orders out..the "must ships" got out, but other not-so-important orders did not. My upper body is sore from pulling so much stock for the guys it's unreal...Friday was hellish bue to the fact that the guy on first shift pulling material left ALL his stock for us to put away....I didn't have to do it, just pulled orders all night...very frustrating time at work right now...I think this is gonna be the norm rather than the exception this year...but it's only been one month, so we'll see

on my geek front, I built a mid range gaming system for a guy I work with....screaming fast...like rocket sled on rails fast....on Monday I'll see how he likes it...but I was impressed with it once I got it built and started burning it in.

I've gone to Linux on my laptop...for those who may not know, Linux is an open source operating system..meaning no one company owns the rights to like, as in the way the Microsoft owns Windows. I using a particular distribution called Suse....very nice. I was going to go Linux sooner, but wireless support is a bit on the weak side....Lo and behold, Suse 10 has a pretty nifty built in networking setup that has fairly robust wifi support....I've already made some adjustments to get more comfortable with Linux, and it runs very well on my laptop...

Saturday was a mixed bag...in the morning I help move some friends who just bought a house...that went pretty smooth....the only real problem was that I had slept a grand total of 2 hours Friday night...bleah....Holly was tired too...we had my Upwards basketball game in the evening....my team got owned, as we same in gaming. We played well, but the other team was phenomenal...afterward, both Holly and I felt somewhat antisocial, so we ran a quick errand and then to the store to pick up dinner fixin's. I made my superb chicken breast..Holly loves it....we settled in and watched a movie, only to have both of us fall asleep and miss most of it...not a big deal...we were both so wiped out from out weeks that the rest did us both good...except now I can't fall asleep :P

I'm teaching at 4:12 in a couple weeks. We're going to start a James study next Sunday, and I want to be more prepared than just "hey, I'm teaching this week." I've been taking some time to reflect on God's Word and just how it impacts me in the midst of everything else in my life...I need to make the Word more of my daily refreshment...I've never really been good at it..I'll dig in for a day or so, or for a couple hours at a crack, but never consistently...

til next time
C

Tuesday, January 31, 2006

so I spent the better part of my Monday dealing with the thoughts and emotions I encountered on Sunday...went to work already tired, which didn't help my cause much...mondays are always heavy and tuesdays are worse...so the frustration in my life, coupled with work frustration led to slight lapses in mental precision...Nick asked me to move a pallet (of customer ordered wire) to staging so it could be packaged...I went and got a fork truck, had someone ask me something, and forget to grab the pallet...I simply put the fork truck back where I got it...oi

worked til about 1:30am....gassed up my truck and grabbed a frozen pizza in case I was hungry when I got home...I wasn't, so the pizza will survive to see another day...

I spent alot of tonight wondering what the future holds for my church...and what changes will take place...I'm still learning that the only constant is change, and I'm kind of getting used to being comfortable in uncomfortable situations...and I know that in the midst of everything, God is still God, and the world keeps turning because He wants it to...I just wish I wasn't so tired all the time and could enjoy my days a bit more...

Monday, January 30, 2006

the only constant is change

Pastor Mike tendered his resignation today at the church business meeting

I wasn't there...glad I wasn't...I'm still piecing together the thoughts and feelings I had when Ben called me with the news..I was on the road coming back from Naperville where Holly and I had just finished visiting with her sister and brother in law...

It'll all sink in...but the reality will hit at the end of February..

Dammit

Sunday, January 29, 2006

so, it's even gloomy in Naperville..rained all day in Milwaukee yesterday. Holly and I stayed at her sister and brother-on-law's place last night. Holly now knows how to play Texas Hold'em, which is dangerous :P Slept in this morning since we were all up late, had cinnamon rolls for breakfast (well, we're going to...the rolls are in the oven now)...we'll hang out a bit longer then Holly and I have to get back to Milwaukee for our usual Sunday afternoon activities

Thursday, January 26, 2006

a new title...

so I changed the name of my blog to reflect my musical tastes lately....I'm not ALL techno, but it makes feel so much better after a hard night at work, like last night...

Cascada....check them out...techno-esque enough that I don't mind

work Tuesday sucked horribly....I left so frustrated....last night went much smoother..I'm still latching on to material handling, but did much better last night...now it's trying to refine it enough so that I can get all that the job entails done in 8 hours, not 10...bleah

Friday, January 20, 2006

I'm not donating a kidney anymore.

I talked with Ewald over lunch yesterday and he's cool with my decision...he's been supportive of whatever decision I would make throughout all of this...

Why did I change my mind....well, there's something not sitting well with me, but I don't know how to explain it, but I just couldn't keep going, pretending it wasn't nagging me.

Part of me feels like I let Ewald down, but something tells me he'll be ok in the long run, that someone will step up and be a match...that same something tells me I've made the correct choice on this matter

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

random thoughts

work kicked my butt Monday night...I'm material handling now, which means I'm fetching and putting away reels for the respoolers...my shoulders were sore all day Tuesday

Business meeting went well, I thought, at church Tuesday night...breezed thru the budget itself in a little more than an hour...spent some time dreaming about how we would change the sanctuary when the time comes...

I got alot done at home after the meeting...several loads of laundry, got my room cleaned...stuff that I feel like I don't have time for, but do, I just don't take it...

seeing a pick up in computer calls coming my way....I'm liking that...

Saturday, January 14, 2006

missing persons

Lately I've been thinking about the people that I miss. I miss them due to my work schedule, I miss them do to a change in their church habits...I just miss them.

I miss John and Jen...I was best man in their wedding this past summer...I've seen them a couple times since...

I miss my friend Brandon...he's the reason I moved to Milwaukee almost 7 years ago...

I miss Mark and Kathy, Randy and Shelly, John and Amy, Jim and Kathy, and a host of other people...it breaks my heart when people inside God's house hurt each other to the point where some people have no choice but to leave to find healing...

I miss my roommates....I get to see them more than I see other people, but not nearly as often as I'd like....

more progress

so a couple of days ago I pulled some network cable in my church....well, tonight I added another access point so we can make access easier (to those we give access to).

the office area is now in a wifi bubble...and I've got everything locked down good and tight.

I really need to sit down and document what I've done so far before I forget too much.

and techno doesn't sound so good on the main speakers...

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

feels like progress

so I'm sitting in the Underground, the youth room at my church, enjoying the success from pulling network cable so we have the network in here...I also got the network pulled into the gym office so Upwards is tied in....I've only been talking about running the cable for 3 months now....I'm glad I've got this part done...

Sunday, January 8, 2006

and the times, they are a-changin'

in about 8 hours, I'm going to be standing in front of my church, declaring the new name of our young adult group and in some way, feeling like I'm blowing sunshine up people's dresses.

I say that b/c I'm tired of the games people play at church. How we all show up and pretend things are perfect and no one has issues (except the folks on the prayer list). I wish people could get over themselves and just worship....I wish I had a group of people I could meet with, as a ministry of the church, that share my schedule.

I'm tired of phoniness with people. I know who I can be real with on a Sunday morning, and who is just smiling and shaking my hand b/c they were told to after the first song of worship.

Amazingly, despite all of my "issues" with my church, I can't see my self anywhere else. I don't mind re-arranging my schedule to get up on a Sunday to attend with my fellow believers at Ridgewood. There are some great folks there...and I hope it's not too late to save the ship before she goes down.

Thursday, January 5, 2006

work work work

so two days into the new year, and I'm averaging just over 10 hours a day at work...meaning, I go in at 3:30pm to start,and I haven't left before 1:45am...last night I left at 3am, came home, watched some Buffy with Rob, had a small glass of wine and went to bed at 5am. Do I feel like I accomplished something these last couple night...of course I do...I did 130,000 feet (about 25 miles) of wire last night in 10 hours or so, which is pretty darn good on a respool machine. Tonight at some point, I'll get trained on material handling, which means I'll be bringing wire out to the guys and putting away the wire they are done with. Should be fun.

I'm starting to have second thoughts about donating a kidney...not that I want to back out...but I'm feeling alot of anxiety over it all...I feel like UW-Madison, although very thorough, is taking too long....now they want me to see a psychiatrist due to something that came up during the psychological portion of my testing. Basically b/c I had a near suicide attempt during my senior year of high school and never sought counseling on it....that was 12 years ago...I think I'm ok people....but I also wonder if my "gung ho git 'r' done" attitude was misplaced in this venture...a case of right/wrong...right for Ewald, wrong for me...follow me?

oh well...these are the thoughts that rolled thru my head last night during overtime...I have more, but I have to head to work now to see what glorious fun awaits me tonight :P

CH

Wednesday, January 4, 2006

2006...a roaring start

back to work yesterday....only to have a ton of stuff to do, as sales had some sort of "end of the year" sale or something..a couple of monster orders over on the big machine, not too bad by me, but I still stayed 2 hours over to get ahead...tonight we (2nd shift) get to have a meeting with the company president about the future direction of the company..always fun (bleah)