Friday, September 22, 2006
Big decisions
I, on the other hand don't think life is that bad here in KC. Sure I don't have the greatest job in the world, but I don't hate it either. We've been here for almost seven years now.
Last week I interviewed with Columbia Mental Health over the phone. It was a second interview with them but the first regarding a QA position. I was pretty sure that I bombed it, however much to my surprise, I received a call today that they would like me to come in for another interview for either a QA position or a crisis CM position. Unfortunately, they didn't offer to pay for my flight (most nonprofit organizations wouldn't). Columbia Mental Health is in St. Helen which is about 20 or 30 miles outside of Portland (that's not too bad considering I drive 3x that working for Comprehensive each day).
I'll be flying to Portland a few days before Wah-Wah. I intend to go get a new suit and maybe get some interview coaching in (since I hate interviewing). This might be a good job opportunity. However being the pessimist I am, I'm looking at all the complications moving across the country means. Honestly, I feel torn. I've been praying about it a lot and wonder if this is what is meant to be
Monday, September 04, 2006
Phone interview
I have to say that I hate interviews and I'm not too good at them. This whole experience reminded me of last year when it took me 3 months to find a job. I did a lot of interviews, but I didn't get a lot of offers. I got so tired of being turned down for jobs that I was qualified for. The truth to me is that interviewing is all about being in the right place at the right time.
Anyway, the interview lasted about an hour and I got the usual "we'll call you when we know something" speech. This wasn't my dream job anyway and honestly I didn't want to live in Astoria. My plan for now is to apply at Oregon DHS office and hopefully end up in Portland. If not, then we'll stay here.
It's pretty discouraging being a pessimistic when looking for work.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Oregon Pictures

Here are some pictures of Oregon.
Woogy outside by parents backyard. This was his first look at the Pacfic Ocean in over a year. Water is 60 degrees, yet Woogy didn't seem to mind

Wah-Wah outside the sand dunes in Florence. For $45 bucks you can ride an ATV for an hour. Wah-Wah rode extra cautious

Coos Bay
We spent the night near this lighthouse. The High Tide Cafe has got some great clam chowder

AchtungBB on the sand dunes. I love riding ATVs. It's so much freedom till you get stuck in two feet of sand

Oregon's aquarium inside the mammoth shark. We always get our picture taken here when we visit. This is this year's picture

Wah-Wah at Beaver Creek. Relaxing ride up the creek into the middle of the moutains. Lots of wild life

Drift Creek falls. We do this hike every year. It's three miles down to the falls and another three miles up a steep mountain to get back
Friday, August 18, 2006
Oregon vacation part 4
Where Nibbles got it from is anyone's guess. She's lost 4lbs already because she can't eat solid foods. In fact her mouth has become very swollen. She's been on a steady dose of tylenhol with codeine. It's hard for a parent to sit while their child suffers from a fever for over a week. Anyway, the doctor said that she should be better by this Tuesday or Weds. That put a damper on my job hunting plans. I had decided to do the interview in Astoria, but that isn't going to happen now. First we need to get Nibbles back home, second I found out that it will cost $600 to change my airline ticket, and frankly, that is just not worth it. So I will be heading home on Sunday as originally planned.
Reflecting on my Oregon vacation, it was a memorable one. Coos Bay was nice, but Nibbles has been so sick, nobody has really been able to relax. I guess things work for a reason
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Oregon Vacation PT 3
Today we left Newport and drove two hours south to a town called Florence which has lots of sand dunes. Wah-Wah and I rented a couple of ATVs and went out on the dunes. I'll post pictures when I get home. Anyway, these are really big dunes and I got stuck a few times, but it was a blast. One of the best times we've had as a couple.
The other news is that I actually got a call from one of the resumes I sent out. Colombia Community Mental Health wants to interview me next Tuesday. I'm not sure I know what I want to do. The position is in either Astoria or St. Helens. Astoria is a small town on the coast in on the boarder of Oregon and Washington. They filmed the "Goonies" there. St. Helens is a town about a half hour outside Portland. I'm not feeling too confident about the position because I'm not sure if I'm qualified. Both of the positions I'm interviewing for are in management, and we all remember what happened the last time I was in management. I also thought I wanted to be closer to Portland. I'm not sure I want to leave a big city for a small one. Plus there is the fact I didn't bring any clothes to interview in, which means I'll have to go shopping.
I haven't decided yet if I'll pursue this interview or not. Wah-Wah and the kids will leave this Sunday and I'll end up staying till at least Weds. What to do?
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Oregon vacation part 2
This is a little unsettling since the rest of us could catch this virus anytime. It seems odd, but every time we leave home recently someone gets sick ( our trip to St. Louis comes to mind). Nibbles has been acting alright despite her fever. After getting out of the hospital we went to the Oregon aquarium. This was my third visit there and I still enjoy it. There aren't a lot of sharks and jellyfish in KC.
After the aquarium, we walked down to the harbor were all the fishermen and seal lions are. There are lots of small little unique shops down by the harbor. Tomorrow we are heading down to Pelican Bay and plan to stay the night. I have no idea what's down there but it is suppose to be nice.
As I suspected, my phone hasn't been ringing off the hook reponding to those resumes I sent out (of course I only sent them out yesterday) but I'm not going to worry about it. I'm going to try to enjoy the rest of my vacation and hopefully not get sick.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Oregon vacation
Once we landed in Portland, we realized we forgot Nibbles car seat and the car rentals would not rent us one. My dad picked us up and drove us another 2 hours to Newport. We figured it was 9 hours of traveling by the time we finally got to my parents's house. Everyone was pretty tired.
Yesterday, we walked down the hill to the beach. Woogy and I discovered a cave in the cliffs that he liked exploring. The ocean air here is so invigorating compared to the oppressive heat in KC. For the afternoon, Wah-Wah, my dad, and I hiked down the Drift Creek Falls trail. It's a pretty steep trail coming back, and I carried Nibbles on my back the whole time.
Last evening I spent looking for jobs out in Portland. Wah-Wah and I are warming up to the idea of moving out here. I've been praying about it a lot. Portland is a pretty progressive city with lots of culture and arts. It's a beautiful area with mountains and the ocean. I'm not too hopeful about finding a job out here however, but you never know. I'm just keeping my options open.
This morning, Wah-Wah, my dad and me went kiyaking down Beaver Creek. It's a pretty calm river so it was pretty easy . Our guide took us about 3 miles into the woods were we saw some eagles and beavers. It was really peaceful. We spent the afternoon playing on some sand dunes down on Agate Beach. Woogy had a blast playing in the sand and rolling down the dunes.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
St. Louis





This weekend, Wah Wah said she needed a vacation and couldn't wait till our official vacation to Oregon in a few weeks. So we decided to head to St. Louis for the weekend. Unfortunately, after about a hour on the road, Wah Wah came down with a fever but insisted that we don't turn back.
After exactly four hours in the car, we arrived at the St. Louis zoo. It was a pretty nice zoo with not nearly as much walking as our KC zoo. Best of all, it's free. Woogy and Nibbles liked the butterfly garden while I enjoyed hanging out with the penguins. After about 4 hours at the zoo, Wah Wah couldn't take anymore, so we left to find a hotel.
Without sounding totally cheap, I was hoping to find a Super 8 or a Motel 6. Unfortunately since I didn't plan ahead, we couldn't find one and ended up in the Drury Inn in downtown St. Louis. For dinner, we walked over to Union Station and ate at the Hard Rock Cafe. I always wanted to eat at one of those but didn't find the food that impressive.
The next morning, Wah Wah was feeling a little better so we went to go see the Arch. I always wanted to go up in the Arch, but I wasn't too comfortable being in a small "egg shaped" tram, squished in with 5 other people traveling up the Arch. Woogy was at first scared, but got over it and really enjoyed the view from the top.
After the Arch, we were kind of pressed for time since we had to be back in KC by 7pm to pick up the dog. So we stopped at the Missouri Botanical Gardens. I wish we could've had more time at the Gardens, because there was a lot to enjoy.
Woogy enjoyed the maze garden and Wah Wah liked the Asian Garden. I always love places that are photogenic. After a couple of hours there, it was time to go. It was a nice mini vacation.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Anniversary weekend
The original estimate was going to be $1000 bucks and half a day labor. I thought that was fair. Unfortunately the job ended up taking 2 full days and about $1500. Some estimate. These guys did a good job but I prefer a more accurate estimate. I think what really irritated me was these guys kept leaving the back door wide open when I had the air going. I can't wait to see my electric bill.
Anyway, Wah-Wah and I celebrated on anniversary by dropping the kids off at the sitters and headed to the Capital Grille down at the plaza. This was the nicest meal Wah-Wah and I ate since on dinners on our honeymoon cruise. I have to say that the service was excellent well. They decorated our table with rose pedals and gave us complimentary champagne and a appetizer. Wah Wah and I both order steaks and we got complimentary dessert. Despite all the complimentary stuff we got, we still went over $100. It was a very romantic dinner
Sunday, July 09, 2006
My Birthday weekend
I hadn't said a whole lot about my birthday at work, but my boss remembered and she brought a Tippin's cake. Unfortunately all my other coworkers were out, so we had a lot of cake between the two of us.
By the evening, I was on my way home when I got a call from the Independence police department telling me that one of my client's was missing and they would like to talk me (since I was the last one to see her). As I was driving back to Independence, I missed my exit and had to go a couple of miles down the road to get off the freeway and turn around. By this point, I was getting pretty frustrated that I was missing my birthday at home and it was getting late. I guess I wasn't paying attention and ended up being pulled over by the police. I was doing 77mph in a 65. I did my usual "I'm sorry officer, I didn't realize I was speeding, my you look nice this evening." As always, the officer didn't care and gave me a ticket anyway. I even tried explaining my situation at work. He said that he was doing his job by keeping the freeway safe, and I told him thanks for the birthday present and what a great job he was doing and truly I was headed for disaster. The officer apparently didn't appreciate that remark and got in my face and told me that if I kept it up, he'd take me in. I told him that I better shut up then and drove off.
I'm sick of the Independence police, they have given me 3 tickets within 6 months, which is bad news for me. I called a lawyer and he said he could probably get the last ticket off my record (for a couple hundred dollars) . Thank God for lawyers! I've also decided that I'm buying a radar detector.
By the time I got home, my family had gone to bed and I had to take a driving test to update my license. Some birthday.
On Friday, I went into the DMV and got my license updated and found out that I could use glasses. That makes you feel old. I ended up working a few hours and that evening me and the family drove up to Iowa to see my good friend Dave. He always can find a way to cheer me up, and I could use it by this point. We stayed at my parents house but they weren't there. They had just put their house for sale left that morning to Oregon.
On Saturday, me, my family and Dave went to Iowa's only theme park-- "Adventure Land". It's no Disney or even Worlds of Fun, but it's alright for Iowa. This was my kids first trip to a theme park and I wanted to get pictures, but Wah-Wah forgot the camera. Usually when I go to these theme parks, I'm on the roller coasters and all the other "thrill rides", but with little kids we spent most of our time riding things they enjoyed. I did ride a few good rides, but Woogy lead the way most of the time. By the end of the day, the kids were pretty tired and Dave and I got together with another college friend and went out on the town.
On Sunday, Wah-Wah and the kids went to one of her old college friend's house, and Dave and I went to see "Pirates of the Caribbean 2." I don't think I could explain the plot, but it was entertaining and I did like seeing parts of the ride come to life in the movie.
I guess my birthday wasn't so great but turned out to be a good weekend
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
My 4th
In case you aren't familiar with Paradise Park, it's a cross between a children's museum and a Chuck E Cheese, divided up into two sections. In the play side, there is a ball pit, a kitchen (where they help the kids cook), and lots of little rooms where kids can play dress up. This place is a blast for kids Woogy's age, but sort of a drag for the parents who end up chasing their kids all day.
After spending the better part of the day at Paradise Park, I took Woogy out to see the fireworks in Shawnee Mission Park. Wah-Wah has decided she doesn't like going since she gets bitten by bugs and we usually spend an hour or two exiting the park. I've always have gone to firework displays, so it's sort of like a tradition to me. Woogy and I had a good time. We took Monty and played some soccer while waiting for the fireworks. Monty always attracts attention everywhere he goes. Everyone says he's so cute and want to pet him. He'd be a great babe magnet if I wasn't married.
The fireworks are always pretty late at Shawnee Mission and it always takes a long time to ext the park. If you get in the wrong car lane (like I did), you end up driving around the park and having to turn around way out at Bonner Springs. I never seem to learn my lesson so I'm sure I'll go back next year.
Monday, June 26, 2006
I need a vacation Part 2
I'm beginning to believe that I may end up living in Oregon someday. I don't like the idea of my parents flying me out there a couple times a year and having to spend all of our summer vacations with them. It's like they want us in their lives but at the same time they are moving across the country. Then there is the fact that my dad is trying to bribe us to move out there. It seems we are stuck. Wah-Wah's side of the family doesn't want us to move (even though we hardly see them anyway despite the fact they are in town), and my family is putting the pressure on to move. I'll have to decide some day.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Shared Birthdays



Last Saturday we had what was the first of many shared birthday parties of our two kids. Woogy and Nibble's birthdays are only two days apart, so we will probably always combine them. Keep in mind, we didn't plan it that way. This year, Nibble's didn't care about sharing her birthday, but I fear what she might think in the future about sharing her party.
Most of the party focused on Woogy. We had both sides of the family come down from Iowa (as you can see the two grandfathers proudly taking pictures in the corner of the picture). Woogy had a few kids from his babysitter's house, and a few neighborhood kids come over. We decided to have a Star Wars theme party, since that seems all Woogy plays now. I used to love to play Star Wars when I was his age, so I can relate. He actually plays with some of my old figures.
As far as presents go, I bought Woogy a Power Wheels jeep. He never asked for one, but I always wanted one when I was his age, so I thought he would like it. Instead he likes his new X wing fighter and lightsaber better. Just a couple of years ago, all he wanted was Thomas the Tank Engine. Now it seems he could care less about trains.
Since Nibbles only enjoys playing with her brother's toys, we only got her a couple of her own toys. Nibbles still had a good time eating some of her birthday cake and being held by Wah-wah.
Monday, June 05, 2006
Our church's food pantry
Last week I was working with a mom who didn't get her disability check on time (because of the holiday) and they had no food in their house. She had already used the $10 in food stamps the state provided. I called to various agencies in the Independence area, and nobody said they could help because she didn't live in their catchment. I was pretty frustrated when I finally called our church and they arranged a couple bags of groceries for me to pick up.
Many other families have benefited from our church' s pantry. What I like best about connecting with our church is that they don't ask questions. I've worked with a few families that have been too embarrassed to go and really don't' want to be a burden. I also appreciate the fact that our church doesn't really care where the family lives. I realize there probably isn't a lot of starving people in Overland Park, but it is nice to know that they will give to families outside the area
Monday, May 29, 2006
May's music
Angels and Airwaves We Don't Need to Whisper. I was never a huge fan of Blink 182, but I have to admit that Enema of the State is one of my favorite albums to go back and listen to when I'm not feeling my age. Anyway Blink is gone and the lead singer formed Angels and Airwaves. He has matured on his song writing and incorporates a lot of 80's sounding guitar fuzz on this one album without losing the fun of Blink 182. Some of the teenagers I work with dig this on
Athlete's Tourism is right along the same lines of Coldplay (only not as good). I thought this album was alright. The sound is very fragile yet has an a indie feel to it
Buy Snow Patrol's Eyes Open. This is a fantastic album, nearly flawless. I have to admit that when Snow Patrol first did "Run" and "Chocolate", I dismissed them as Coldplay knock offs, but this album shows that can give Coldplay a run for their money. Gary Lightbody fills this album with catchy hooks with building chorus. With out a doubt, the best album I got so far this year
I had to get Embrace's This New Day from Amazon UK since it is not available in the states. Like their last album Out of Nothing, this album will probably go largely unnoticed, which is a shame, because it is so great. Embrace continue to do what they do best, stellar chorus and big catchy anthems.
I picked up Bill Mallonee's Locket full of Moonlight on itunes. itunes is great for finding some gems like this. I haven't found this album anywhere else, not even at his gigs. Bill is a brilliant artist who writes real heart felt songs. Bill covers so many topics and emotions in his music. It's a shame that when I saw him a year ago, he needed $20 to make it to his next gig
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
I need a vacation
Lately, I've been feeling "burned out". This isn't the first time, and I usually get over it. Last weekend, I just wanted to veg and start to look forward to a vacation. I promised Wah-Wah when we got married that we would have at least one nice vacation a year. This year we were planning on going to Oregon to visit my parents with their free airline tickets they were providing. But then my parents said they were going to save our airline tickets for an Alaskan cruise next year. It's their 40th anniversary and they wanted to fly everyone to Alaska. Suddenly we were no longer had our free tickets to Oregon. Wah-Wah decided she wanted a vacation this year without my family.
For several weeks, we've been trying to figure out where to go this year with 2 young kids. We've decided someday we'll do Disney, but when the kids are older. We thought of flying out to Vegas and maybe driving down to the Grand Canyon, but we weren't expecting airline tickets to be as expensive as they are. So now we are looking at where we could drive.
Wah-Wah really wants to go to the Black Hills in South Dakota. Almost 25 years ago, I swore I would never set foot in South Dakota again (I lived in Sioux Falls for 2 years and absolutely hated it), but I always liked the Black Hills. There is Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Crystal Cave, Devil's Tower, and Custer just to name a few things to see.
I'm a little worried about the drive which is about 10 hours. The kids have never been in the car longer than 4 hrs. The drive itself looks boring with nothing along the way. Personally, I've never driven longer than 6 hours so I hope I can handle it.
Nothing is final yet, since we are trying to keep the same vacation time as our babysitter, but South Dakota is what we are leaning toward. It would be nice if we lived closer to something exciting (say the Corn Palace or Wall Drug)
Sunday, May 14, 2006
A Trekkie's paradise


Iowa is known for the "Field of Dreams, the Bridges of Madison County, and the only state where pigs out number people. However, what you may not know is that it is also a Trekkie's paradise.
This weekend we drove up to Riverside IA, to watch my brother graduate from U of I with a degree in nursing (I'm aware of the stereotypes). Anyway, we visited him at his home in Riverside. Riverside is a small little town outside of Iowa City too small for a McDonald's or Walmart. Infact,the only restaurant in town also has the only gas station attached to it. Riverside is also where they hold the annual "Trek Fest" (which my brother is the chairman for). Riverside has long claimed it is the future birth place of Captain James Kirk (even though it has never been mentioned in the "Star Trek" series). Riverside take's great pride in this since as you drive into town, you see the "USS Riverside" and signs leading you to the sacred spot where Captain Kirk is born. I thought this was so cool, I had to pull over and get pictures. I have to admit, that without this little piece of Trek paradise, Riverside would just be another little Iowa farm town.
Monday, May 01, 2006
Monty
Recently we took Monty on the Shawnee Mission Park dog walking trail. It's one of our favorite hikes. It's the only area around where dogs don't have to be on their leashes. Monty always stays with us and doesn't run a head like all the other dogs. All the other dog owners always say what a cute and well behaved dog Monty is.
unfortunate I feel guilty taking Monty back from my in-laws. They were apparently pretty attached to him too. I guess I rationalize it by the fact that they never took him to the vet to get his shots updated, and they let him roam freely with a herd of angry horses. I felt that he wasn't going to last too long out there. I feel like I should offer to buy them another dog, even another sheltie if they want one. I do feel like I owe them, after all they did take Monty when I was too depressed over losing my job to give a crap about him. I sure don't want to cause a riff in the family either. Wah-Wah's side of the family is notorious for being angry at one another and not saying anything about it. Wah-Wah called the in-laws tonight and they just said they didn't want to talk about Monty since it was a "sore subject"
Monday, April 17, 2006
He's back
I started to think about the good times I had with Monty and taking him to Shawnee Mission Park dog walking trail and to the park. I decided I wanted the dog back. Wah-Wah's sister was relucant to let Monty go but did say it was probably for his own good. She was expecting the horses to eventually kill Monty because he keeps trying to heard them. She said that he's already been kicked a few times.
Monty seems to remember his old home. It's got to suck for him. He's used to looking at wide open land and now all he sees is our backyard. He seems to have settled down however. Woogy is happy for the time being and is very possessive of Monty.
Personally, I'm feeling a little guilty since my 3 year old niece was getting attached to the dog, but she does have 5 other dogs, so hopefully she'll get over it. 6 months ago, things were much different. Between a new born baby and losing my job, having a hyper little dog was just too much. Let's hope things work out this time
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
untitled
I heard a song
I heard the saddest song on WSUK
They play it every other hour
of every other day
Because the greaser DJ thinks it is fit
for regular air play
All your heroes are whores
I saw a movie
I saw the saddest film where everyone got killed
and the crowd went wild
I didn't understand the end
I couldn't spot the good guys
All your heroes are whores
I guess sometimes it rains from the sky
The statues all start to cry
Someone, somewhere writes another beautiful song
Anyway, I predict
the next meteor that hits
will be a monster
and I for one am looking forward to it