Still on the adrenaline rush from Saturday, with a nice hike in the mountains of Glendale and a tour of Taliesin West (Frank Lloyd Wright's winter camp) in Scottsdale, I had a chance to study the draft of my New York Jets and wish to release some bile... What the hell are they thinking??? Just what we need... another unproven quarterback to go with the three (sorry, we gave one away) that we already have. We have a decent offensive line but with Coles leaving (Cincinnati, good choice--wasn't about money was it, Laverneas?) we have no one to throw it to. Stop the run, stop the Jets. Our defensive line couldn't sack potatoes, but we need another qb and running back! Our defensive backs better be good athletes because they are going to lead the team in tackles... And now they're calling Plaxico Burress??? Great PR move. Maybe they can get the NRA as a sponsor... Cotchery is a young talent but the rest of the receiver core is unproven and Sanchez better be mobile or he could be the next David Carr (spent more time on his back than a working girl!). What about taking that number one pick and using it to get Anquan Boldin from the Cardinals, a proven commodity? NO, let's steal the back page of the News with the darling boy of the draft instead... No one hopes this works out more than I do, but the glaring needs of the defense (our new coach is the former defensive coordinator of the Ravens and the son of the Bears defensive genius) make me cringe about the upcoming season... Three total picks in a draft where New England restocked their entire team with picks, Buffalo filled some glaring needs and Miami is still good from last year... Gang Green could be in for a long season, and the long suffering Jets fan is scratching his head at this weekend's activities... But I could be wrong (please let me be wrong).
Nice draft for the Giants...they needed a big play receiver and Hakeem Nicks is that...(drafting what you need, what an interesting concept!). Chris "Beanie" Wells also a nice pick for the adopted team here in Arizona... (Looks like the end for the "Edge")... Wow, that was very good to get that off my chest... Thanks to blogdom for allowing me a vehicle in which to vent when the need arises... and thanks to all of my readers for allowing me to go off on rants from time to time to keep my sanity at a consistent level. Still beautiful in the valley...No rain since that one day (been so long I can't remember--it was two Saturdays ago, I think). Back to working on the golf game...need to fine tune so that I can "represent" with my partner Victor at the annual grudge match with Walter and Bob...
Monday, April 27, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Geonimoooooooooooo!!
Woke up Saturday morning excited and a little scared... the day had arrived to jump out of a perfectly good airplane! I drove about an hour southeast of home to Eloy, Arizona, home of Skydive Arizona...signed up and watched a 15 minute video and filled out paperwork signing my life away in case of accident...(standard operating procedure). Then they put our names on the board and matched us with an instructor because it was going to be a tandem jump...(you're strapped to the instructor who carries the parachute and gives instructions the whole way). Up to this point I was feeling good; the weather was perfect (sunny with a nice breeze, not too hot), my instructor was a cool guy (although he was at least 6 inches shorter than me), my videographer was also cool...(Yes, I purchased a photo and DVD package of this most excellent adventure)...
I was fitted into my harness (a little tight where the "boys" had to ride, but adjustment was possible so they had a good seat)...in fact, one of our group who was in paratroopers in the military told me to readjust just before jumping, so no one got "caught up in the moment" so to speak... The video guy was around taking pictures and shooting video while we waited for our plane... We went outside and watched some of our group float down into the landing area and let me tell you, you come down at a pretty good clip. But the instructors had control and they landed pretty softly... A few more pictures and then off to the airplane! You see most parachute footage and they jump off a small plane from the side door...not us...we were jumping from a mini-van with wings!! It had a back door like the cargo planes the military uses, so we would basically walk to the end of the plane and step out into space...I was seated second from the end of the plane, so I would be second off when we hit the jump zone... My instructor told me we would be jumping from 13,000 feet and would hook together around 10,000... I watched the altimeter of the guy in front of me and the ground was shrinking farther and farther away...(stop looking out the window!) I laid my head back and closed my eyes and just tried to relax...(adrenaline and nerves were in high gear).
Next came the closest thing to being in a prison movie I ever want to try... the instructor hooks us together with me in front and him behind and literally no space between us... Because of my height advantage it was like carrying a human backpack around... It was uncomfortable, but I was glad he was there... I would not have jumped without someone to push me out of the plane! Up on our feet, first jumper out (watching that did NOT increase my confidence) and we walked to the edge... head back, back arched, one-two-three STEP (Holy sh#$#! I'm out of the plane! I mean Geronimoooooo!)... You keep your thumbs tucked in your harness (to keep your arms out of the way) until the instructor taps you...then you assume the freefall position while the video guy zooms around taking footage and pictures... What a freakin' rush!! You freefall for only about a minute but it doesn't feel like a minute... Then he releases the chute and you're pulled back up toward the plane... Then you're just floating on the wind... It's hard to describe the feelings going through me...(luckily, feelings were the only thing going through me). I asked him how high we were after he released the chute... around 3600 feet... so we dropped like a stone almost 10,000 feet!!! (but you don't feel like you're falling, it was a floating sensation)... After handing me the controls we executed some left and right turns and then he directed us to the landing area... feet together and up, he hit the ground first and I just stood up, safely back on the ground with an endorphin rush second to none...
To say this was a great experience would cheapen the moment...It is something you must try for yourself to really appreciate it...and I am the first in line to volunteer to go with any of my blogging readers who wish to "hit the silks"... The rush and excitement was worth every worry and nervous moment... Today I return to more mundane activities... A hike through the mountains of Glendale and then a afternoon jaunt through Frank Lloyd Wright's home in Taliesin... Mike, I will be sure to send some pictures for your viewing pleasure...
I was fitted into my harness (a little tight where the "boys" had to ride, but adjustment was possible so they had a good seat)...in fact, one of our group who was in paratroopers in the military told me to readjust just before jumping, so no one got "caught up in the moment" so to speak... The video guy was around taking pictures and shooting video while we waited for our plane... We went outside and watched some of our group float down into the landing area and let me tell you, you come down at a pretty good clip. But the instructors had control and they landed pretty softly... A few more pictures and then off to the airplane! You see most parachute footage and they jump off a small plane from the side door...not us...we were jumping from a mini-van with wings!! It had a back door like the cargo planes the military uses, so we would basically walk to the end of the plane and step out into space...I was seated second from the end of the plane, so I would be second off when we hit the jump zone... My instructor told me we would be jumping from 13,000 feet and would hook together around 10,000... I watched the altimeter of the guy in front of me and the ground was shrinking farther and farther away...(stop looking out the window!) I laid my head back and closed my eyes and just tried to relax...(adrenaline and nerves were in high gear).
Next came the closest thing to being in a prison movie I ever want to try... the instructor hooks us together with me in front and him behind and literally no space between us... Because of my height advantage it was like carrying a human backpack around... It was uncomfortable, but I was glad he was there... I would not have jumped without someone to push me out of the plane! Up on our feet, first jumper out (watching that did NOT increase my confidence) and we walked to the edge... head back, back arched, one-two-three STEP (Holy sh#$#! I'm out of the plane! I mean Geronimoooooo!)... You keep your thumbs tucked in your harness (to keep your arms out of the way) until the instructor taps you...then you assume the freefall position while the video guy zooms around taking footage and pictures... What a freakin' rush!! You freefall for only about a minute but it doesn't feel like a minute... Then he releases the chute and you're pulled back up toward the plane... Then you're just floating on the wind... It's hard to describe the feelings going through me...(luckily, feelings were the only thing going through me). I asked him how high we were after he released the chute... around 3600 feet... so we dropped like a stone almost 10,000 feet!!! (but you don't feel like you're falling, it was a floating sensation)... After handing me the controls we executed some left and right turns and then he directed us to the landing area... feet together and up, he hit the ground first and I just stood up, safely back on the ground with an endorphin rush second to none...
To say this was a great experience would cheapen the moment...It is something you must try for yourself to really appreciate it...and I am the first in line to volunteer to go with any of my blogging readers who wish to "hit the silks"... The rush and excitement was worth every worry and nervous moment... Today I return to more mundane activities... A hike through the mountains of Glendale and then a afternoon jaunt through Frank Lloyd Wright's home in Taliesin... Mike, I will be sure to send some pictures for your viewing pleasure...
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Tai Kwan - DOH!
Since we last saw our hero, he was trying to re-enter the work-a-day (make that work one day) world. I went in Monday and the other salesperson walked out... So I went in Tuesday and was scheduled to go in Wednesday...(this is not what I signed up to do! and it was without any compensation-commission only). So Wednesday morning I went in and resigned... I did some serious thinking about whether or not I wanted to do sales again and a lot of emotions and negative feelings began to surface from the past... I was at the height of my addiction when I was in sales for Goodyear and Finkelstein and the job was one of the major triggers that I drank and drugged over... Those were some terrible days in my life (the ones I remember) and the emotion tied to those memories surfaced when I thought about this new undertaking... Not to worry, though... Recognizing your triggers and dealing with them is a strength I developed through my years of sobriety... I just don't need to put myself in that position again... I was also concerned that this would affect my position in the club...(if I signed someone up who wasn't satisfied and then saw them at events, how uncomfortable would that be?). I realized the more that I "practiced" the sales pitch and script they gave me, that I just don't have that "closer" mentality anymore... this wasn't the perfect fit I had hoped it would be... So I moved on.
Tuesday night came and it was time for Tai-Kwan-Doh! (I use Homer Simpson's catch phrase because I had no idea we would be in there for 2 hours!)...By the time the sensai released us, Jim was a quivering mass of sore muscles and sweat-drenched workout clothes... I woke up Wednesday morning with hips that felt like someone beat me with baseball bats! Made my midset for resigning the sale job easier. Pain is a great motivator...
That brings me to the suprise event on Saturday morning... Jim is going sky-diving! He will be strapped to an instructor (tandem jump) and at 13,000 feet will be flung out of the plane to hurtle through the air and gently land on the ground... (or so they tell me). Can't tell you how excited I am about this...I definitely believe the only way they would get me to jump is to strap me to someone else and push me out, so this is the perfect scenario... Saturday is supposed to be great weather (what else?) so "Geronimoooooooooo"...
So, after we survive the jump (keep your fingers crossed), the quest will continue for the perfect way to continue "will work for green's fees". It's Thursday and I'm still feeling Tai Kwan Doh! Will attempt an afternoon round of golf...
Tuesday night came and it was time for Tai-Kwan-Doh! (I use Homer Simpson's catch phrase because I had no idea we would be in there for 2 hours!)...By the time the sensai released us, Jim was a quivering mass of sore muscles and sweat-drenched workout clothes... I woke up Wednesday morning with hips that felt like someone beat me with baseball bats! Made my midset for resigning the sale job easier. Pain is a great motivator...
That brings me to the suprise event on Saturday morning... Jim is going sky-diving! He will be strapped to an instructor (tandem jump) and at 13,000 feet will be flung out of the plane to hurtle through the air and gently land on the ground... (or so they tell me). Can't tell you how excited I am about this...I definitely believe the only way they would get me to jump is to strap me to someone else and push me out, so this is the perfect scenario... Saturday is supposed to be great weather (what else?) so "Geronimoooooooooo"...
So, after we survive the jump (keep your fingers crossed), the quest will continue for the perfect way to continue "will work for green's fees". It's Thursday and I'm still feeling Tai Kwan Doh! Will attempt an afternoon round of golf...
Saturday, April 18, 2009
100th blog--and still going strong
As the title indicates, this is my 100th post to the blogging universe... Not much going on, but a few things have happened and you know how I love to ramble on... Last Saturday it RAINED! Not just the quick shower and dried up after 20 minutes, but the hang out on the patio, watch for awhile, most of the day rain... First rain in 50 days here in the valley (useless factoid of the day). I knew it was a long time but 50 days is a long stretch...(some beautiful rainbows!) Since then the sun has come back and although we had a cold front pass through (only 75 for the high), the weather will be reaching mid to upper 90's by Tuesday... We are entering the major test phase of my move to Arizona... as you know this is my first summer here and I've been getting all sorts of stories from veterans of summer's past and they are mostly the same. The heat is incredible (reaching 110-120 during the day and staying in the 80-90 range at night) but it's the infamous "dry heat" not the energy-sapping, clothes-drenching, face-dripping "wet heat" of the humidity-ridden East coast...(I just broke a sweat thinking about summer back East). Dry heat--like when you open the oven door preheated to 400 degrees, when you open your car door and burn your fingers on the handle, when you're slammed by a blast of heat from inside the car and then stick to the "pleather" interior...Reminder to self, buy industrial strength windshield shade so steering wheel won't melt... How I survive this onslaught will determine whether or not I stay in Arizona or move to the possibility of winter in a different clime...(just between you and me, I don't think I'm going anywhere... the golf and the "winter" here are worth a couple of months of heat). Besides, I can take a ride to Flagstaff or Sedona or Winslow (and stand on the corner---yes they have a statue of a musician standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona...useless factoid number 2) where the temps average 80-90 during the summer.
Also, I have work-related news... I have accepted a sales position working for the club I joined (E&A). I will be interviewing new members and attempting to sign them up. My obvious enthusiasm and experience with the club (I go to at least 13 events a month) was a factor, but it was the easiest job interview I ever had... (Jim, you come very highly recommended...would you like the job? Yes. You're hired!). Don't panic. I'm only "working" one day a week (Friday 9:30 to 5). All the interviews are set up beforehand. It's strictly commission based so it's totally up to me to succeed.. I am studying my manual and hope to start next Friday... I am also keeping my security job (it's a little slow, but I'll be working ASU's graduation next month--President Obama is the commencement speaker). "Will work for green's fees" is now in full swing. But, enough about work... it's depressing just talking about it...
I am finally getting over this cold/allergy thing that has been pestering me almost two weeks... I never knew the human body could produce endless amounts of phlegm (at least it seemed endless at the time). It's a good thing because I am hosting an "all you can eat sushi" event at a restaurant here in my home town...(everyone else has to drive many miles to go to it this time). I have been "sushi-ing" once a week with my friend Danette (another sushi junkie) and there are some great sushi bars in Scottsdale... we go to a different place each week (I feel like a food critic). Then there's Tai-Kwan Do on Tuesday and a special event on Saturday that I will tell you about later in the week (going to keep you in suspense). So stay tuned, my faithful blog readers... More to come---have a great weekend...
Also, I have work-related news... I have accepted a sales position working for the club I joined (E&A). I will be interviewing new members and attempting to sign them up. My obvious enthusiasm and experience with the club (I go to at least 13 events a month) was a factor, but it was the easiest job interview I ever had... (Jim, you come very highly recommended...would you like the job? Yes. You're hired!). Don't panic. I'm only "working" one day a week (Friday 9:30 to 5). All the interviews are set up beforehand. It's strictly commission based so it's totally up to me to succeed.. I am studying my manual and hope to start next Friday... I am also keeping my security job (it's a little slow, but I'll be working ASU's graduation next month--President Obama is the commencement speaker). "Will work for green's fees" is now in full swing. But, enough about work... it's depressing just talking about it...
I am finally getting over this cold/allergy thing that has been pestering me almost two weeks... I never knew the human body could produce endless amounts of phlegm (at least it seemed endless at the time). It's a good thing because I am hosting an "all you can eat sushi" event at a restaurant here in my home town...(everyone else has to drive many miles to go to it this time). I have been "sushi-ing" once a week with my friend Danette (another sushi junkie) and there are some great sushi bars in Scottsdale... we go to a different place each week (I feel like a food critic). Then there's Tai-Kwan Do on Tuesday and a special event on Saturday that I will tell you about later in the week (going to keep you in suspense). So stay tuned, my faithful blog readers... More to come---have a great weekend...
Thursday, April 16, 2009
The only thing I caught was a cold
That was the story of the great concert I got to work... The only thing I caught at Country Thunder was a cold. The human phlegm factory is back in business and working three shifts to spoil as many hours of sleep and kleenex tissues as is possible in a 24 hour day... It's crazy because the other symptoms (aches, pains, sneezing, etc.) are not present. Just the inability to speak (my voice is shot) and breathe for more than an hour at a time... Maybe my body is rejecting the acres of dirt I sucked into my lungs and dust I was pelted with at the concert ticket window. Anyway, besides a few (actually quite a few) rounds of golf and following the Masters Golf Tournament (I watched every minute of coverage including the par 3 contest on Wednesday) it was a pretty quiet week... Most of my time was spent blowing my nose and hocking up some serious lugies...(not sure on the spelling of that last word---you can insert lung butter, if you like).
My new bff Mary Ellen has been in touch with me giving me some inside dirt on the Masters...she worked as a paid volunteer in the offices but got to go out and watch the tournament... She believes there was a conspiracy to make the course easier so that Phil (Mickelson) and Tiger could make the final group because that's what everyone wanted... That's not what I wanted! I wanted the tournament to play out the way it ultimately did...(although I was rooting for the old man Kenny Perry). Tiger and Phil made their runs and added lots of excitement, but it was a great tournament all the way to the last putt... Congrats to "El Pado" (the duck) Angel Cabrera. In the spirit of the Masters, (this tournament always rekindles my love of golf more than any other) my game has progressively gotten better and better... I am now solidly in the single digits for my handicap (5.7 at this writing according to the Arizona Handicapping Network) and I'm working to get it even lower...
Opening day at the Diamondbacks was a blast... Chase Field is a beautiful park and the game was exciting (DBacks won 9-8)... Coupled with my Mets winning their opening game with the Reds, it was a great day...(By the way, I had my Met shirt and hat on at Chase Field---got some crap from the DBack fans)... Tuesday the cable guy showed and installed my DirectTV and now I get like 8 baseball games a day (overdose!). The best part is that the Met games start at 4:00 pm here...(just have to adjust the morning tee times). The rest of the week was spent finishing up taxes and planning my next hosting jobs for the club I joined. There may be a job offer coming from the club. They are looking for someone to interview and sign up potential new members and my name reached the honchos so I'll keep you posted...(as long as I still can do my hosting and play golf, of course).
I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter/Passover holiday... Mine was spent at the Church of the 18 holes (golf course) followed by dinner at Dan Majaerle's restaurant and the final round of the Masters. I am still searching for a house of worship to call my own. I have been to several and am narrowing down the choices... After experiencing different services on the road out here (thanks to my sister and cousin Anna) I want to keep an open mind. For now, my higher power and I are doing some one-on-one until I find the right place... I can't believe how blessed and fortunate I have been and I know I haven't done this all on my own. With that in mind, I am looking forward to April 28 more than I have in the past years...(most of you know that is the date I quit drinking and drugging, my second birthday). This year will be 14 years clean and sober. I am so grateful and humbled by that fact. I can't even think about where I would have ended up (probably in the ground) if I didn't make that decision all those years ago. There were so many people and so many other forces at work that have helped me along this path and I will be forever thankful... The path that was so difficult to find back then has allowed me to find my way out here...
My new bff Mary Ellen has been in touch with me giving me some inside dirt on the Masters...she worked as a paid volunteer in the offices but got to go out and watch the tournament... She believes there was a conspiracy to make the course easier so that Phil (Mickelson) and Tiger could make the final group because that's what everyone wanted... That's not what I wanted! I wanted the tournament to play out the way it ultimately did...(although I was rooting for the old man Kenny Perry). Tiger and Phil made their runs and added lots of excitement, but it was a great tournament all the way to the last putt... Congrats to "El Pado" (the duck) Angel Cabrera. In the spirit of the Masters, (this tournament always rekindles my love of golf more than any other) my game has progressively gotten better and better... I am now solidly in the single digits for my handicap (5.7 at this writing according to the Arizona Handicapping Network) and I'm working to get it even lower...
Opening day at the Diamondbacks was a blast... Chase Field is a beautiful park and the game was exciting (DBacks won 9-8)... Coupled with my Mets winning their opening game with the Reds, it was a great day...(By the way, I had my Met shirt and hat on at Chase Field---got some crap from the DBack fans)... Tuesday the cable guy showed and installed my DirectTV and now I get like 8 baseball games a day (overdose!). The best part is that the Met games start at 4:00 pm here...(just have to adjust the morning tee times). The rest of the week was spent finishing up taxes and planning my next hosting jobs for the club I joined. There may be a job offer coming from the club. They are looking for someone to interview and sign up potential new members and my name reached the honchos so I'll keep you posted...(as long as I still can do my hosting and play golf, of course).
I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter/Passover holiday... Mine was spent at the Church of the 18 holes (golf course) followed by dinner at Dan Majaerle's restaurant and the final round of the Masters. I am still searching for a house of worship to call my own. I have been to several and am narrowing down the choices... After experiencing different services on the road out here (thanks to my sister and cousin Anna) I want to keep an open mind. For now, my higher power and I are doing some one-on-one until I find the right place... I can't believe how blessed and fortunate I have been and I know I haven't done this all on my own. With that in mind, I am looking forward to April 28 more than I have in the past years...(most of you know that is the date I quit drinking and drugging, my second birthday). This year will be 14 years clean and sober. I am so grateful and humbled by that fact. I can't even think about where I would have ended up (probably in the ground) if I didn't make that decision all those years ago. There were so many people and so many other forces at work that have helped me along this path and I will be forever thankful... The path that was so difficult to find back then has allowed me to find my way out here...
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Country Thunder---from Boom to Bust Part II
So much for one blog to cover the week... Once I start writing the memories (good, bad and mostly funny) come flooding back so I need to break them up so that my blog doesn't turn into a novel... Friday I had off and that wasn't a bad thing... I called the company and asked how come I was only scheduled 9am-1pm on Saturday? It really wasn't worth the commute for four measly hours... They checked and said the info I received was incorrect---I was scheduled 9am til 1am Sunday morning!! So I spent Friday puttering around the house, making food for the sixteen hour day coming and getting a ton of sleep...
So much sleep that I woke up Saturday morning in a panic that I was late... in the shower, shaved, dressed, grabbed my lunch box (glad I kept that Jets mini-cooler) and out the door to Dunkin' Donuts and down the rode I go... all without looking at the clock! It was only 7 am and I arrived there an hour early!! (what a dumbass). So, I tell them I'm here and they sign me up at 8 and off to the booth I go... but today I work the booth and roamed the lines collecting tickets and putting on wrist bands and flirting with the women (have to pass the time somehow, right?). Got some interesting proposals and had some interesting conversations on the line (will not elaborate--trying to keep my PG-13 rating)... Let's just say that I had some serious fun working with the customers... By the time I looked at my watch it was 3 pm and the line had no end in sight... I went back into the booth to relieve my Canadian friend and cranked the AC to "frozen pizza" and ate lunch while making change and giving out wrist bands... around 7 pm my legs started aching so I ran around the lines to keep them busy and it seemed to help... The line finally slowed at 9pm (even though it was the last day, they were still coming) and they closed the booth at 10...(Great, they send me home right? WRONG)... I have to stay and keep people out who don't have camping passes and wrist bands... Meanwhile the temperature has dropped 40 degrees and it's freezing... So I set the booth on "tropical" and me and Larry (the other guard with me) took turns defrosting in the booth. Finally at midnight one of the overnight guards arrives and the lead guy signs me out and I am done... 16 hours... what a freakin' day!
Country Thunder has come and gone and I didn't hear one note or see one band perform...(I did see Alan Jackson's tour bus leaving the grounds, Woo Hoo!). I have breathed in and digested enough dust and dirt to start a small farm... I have met more characters and heard more stories than I can possibly relate on these pages... I have the heat blasting and the windows open and heavy metal band Disturbed cranking on the stereo to keep me awake as I abandon Florence Arizona for the last time... I made it home safely... Sunday was spent with my feet up and not much else... I was exhausted and I think I'm catching something again. Monday is opening day of baseball season and Tuesday the cable guy is coming to install DirectTV... I will continue to blog today so you'll have plenty to read for the Easter holiday and beyond... "Will work for greens fees" is taking some time off this upcoming week to recover...
So much sleep that I woke up Saturday morning in a panic that I was late... in the shower, shaved, dressed, grabbed my lunch box (glad I kept that Jets mini-cooler) and out the door to Dunkin' Donuts and down the rode I go... all without looking at the clock! It was only 7 am and I arrived there an hour early!! (what a dumbass). So, I tell them I'm here and they sign me up at 8 and off to the booth I go... but today I work the booth and roamed the lines collecting tickets and putting on wrist bands and flirting with the women (have to pass the time somehow, right?). Got some interesting proposals and had some interesting conversations on the line (will not elaborate--trying to keep my PG-13 rating)... Let's just say that I had some serious fun working with the customers... By the time I looked at my watch it was 3 pm and the line had no end in sight... I went back into the booth to relieve my Canadian friend and cranked the AC to "frozen pizza" and ate lunch while making change and giving out wrist bands... around 7 pm my legs started aching so I ran around the lines to keep them busy and it seemed to help... The line finally slowed at 9pm (even though it was the last day, they were still coming) and they closed the booth at 10...(Great, they send me home right? WRONG)... I have to stay and keep people out who don't have camping passes and wrist bands... Meanwhile the temperature has dropped 40 degrees and it's freezing... So I set the booth on "tropical" and me and Larry (the other guard with me) took turns defrosting in the booth. Finally at midnight one of the overnight guards arrives and the lead guy signs me out and I am done... 16 hours... what a freakin' day!
Country Thunder has come and gone and I didn't hear one note or see one band perform...(I did see Alan Jackson's tour bus leaving the grounds, Woo Hoo!). I have breathed in and digested enough dust and dirt to start a small farm... I have met more characters and heard more stories than I can possibly relate on these pages... I have the heat blasting and the windows open and heavy metal band Disturbed cranking on the stereo to keep me awake as I abandon Florence Arizona for the last time... I made it home safely... Sunday was spent with my feet up and not much else... I was exhausted and I think I'm catching something again. Monday is opening day of baseball season and Tuesday the cable guy is coming to install DirectTV... I will continue to blog today so you'll have plenty to read for the Easter holiday and beyond... "Will work for greens fees" is taking some time off this upcoming week to recover...
Country Thunder---from Boom to Bust Part I
This blog will encompass the week of March 30-April 4, 2009... I realize that I have been derelict in my blogging responsibilities, but bear with me because the adventures are coming at a fever clip and I need to stay on top of things so that I can accurately report the goings-on before they become muddled in my "not yet active" adult mind... After the LPGA tournament and golf with my buddies on Sunday, I received a call from the security guard company on Monday (I was on the golf course, of course!) asking me if I could work on Tuesday at "Country Thunder" a four day (now 5) country music festival in Florence, Arizona. They wanted me to work from 5pm til midnight so I said sure... (more hours = more money = more golf = more smiles). I was already scheduled to work Wednesday thru Saturday at the same time, and it allowed me the chance to play golf before reporting to work... Google posted the commute at a about an hour each way so it won't be as bad as Tuscon... (or so one might think!)... Later on that day I received another call from the company saying that the schedule had been changed and they needed me to confirm my times... Now I was working Tuesday from 5 til midnight, Wednesday from 7 pm til 1 am, Thursday from 3 pm til 11 pm, off Friday and Saturday from 9am til 1 pm. Not the amount of hours I was expecting but at least I was in...
As most of you know (and those who didn't now know), I am a huge country music fan... The chance to be at a show featuring such stars as Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, and Montgomery Gentry was a great opportunity for me to listen to some great music and get paid to do it... I was hoping that this would top my golf gig in Tucson where I was up close and personal with my golf heroes... I left Tuesday afternoon at around three pm (after a morning round of golf) because I had never ventured this way into the Arizona desert and 4 miles into the ride, civilization went away... (I'm not kidding). I was on a two lane highway going to "nowhere" and passing "nothing" on the way... (it was alot like driving through Texas, except there were no windmills)... I found myself talking to my Jeep and hoping nothing would go wrong with her especially on the rides home around midnight or 1 am... "Paris" got me lost (that's my GPS unit) and I ended up in the bustling metropolis that is Florence, Arizona... (four blocks long, general store and "travel back in time" feel to it). Reminded me of downtown Keokuk, Iowa only smaller. Several of the "towns" surrounding Florence were established in the 1920's reminding me that Arizona isn't even 100 years old yet (admitted to the Union on February 14, 1912--useless knowledge factoid of the day). So I whipped out my printed directions (sorry, Paris) and managed to find the entrance to the event. Of course it was on an alfalfa farm and I was really glad I had a Jeep. I parked the truck and walked up to find out what the gig was...
There were no shows scheduled until Wednesday, so Tuesday was check-in day for all the people who were camping out for the weekend... RVs, Campers, and Pop-ups filled the entrance and our job was to process their tickets, camping passes, porta-potty sales (oh, yes) and hook them up with windshield stickers and all week wrist bands... in other words I was the farthest you could be from the stage and still be on the property... The people who ran the ticketing booths were from Canada and ran a similar event up there... They picked me out of a line-up ("you look smart") and put me in the booth to learn the system of sales, stickers and wrist bands... after 20 minutes they left me to take a break and I was running the booth... (my company will not allow you to handle money unless you take a "class") but there I was. The flow of traffic didn't stop until around 10:30 pm and at 11 they signed us out for the day... I set Paris on home and she performed beautifully as I weaved through the pitch black night (saw several coyotes, bats and prairie dogs) and made it home... Tomorrow the regular fans show up... I'm leaving even earlier because there is only one way in and out (dirt, single lane road, alot like Pocona Raceway) and I'm not sitting in a line to go work on a line...
Wednesday I got stuck in the line! 1 hour drive through nowhere, 1 hour drive at the entrance... I made there with 20 minutes to spare... The lead guy told me that I was going inside today and that meant crowd control and hopefully a spot near the stage... then the guy in charge of the ticket line saw me and told the lead he wanted me to stay because I did such a great job the day before (Curses!). I looked at the lead like "dude, take me inside" but he says "whatever the client wants" and I'm back in the booth... (One plus, the booth has both AC and heat and I used both because it was blistering hot on Wed. and freezing that night... God, I love this place!) At least it wasn't a repeat of the "Cheeto" gig from last week... Time flew by on Wednesday and Thursday... it was busy from the time I started until they came to relieve me and send me home... The concert had started and from my vantage point I couldn't see the stage nor hear one note of music...(I have to stop getting excited about these jobs until I'm assigned)... Oh, well...
As most of you know (and those who didn't now know), I am a huge country music fan... The chance to be at a show featuring such stars as Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, and Montgomery Gentry was a great opportunity for me to listen to some great music and get paid to do it... I was hoping that this would top my golf gig in Tucson where I was up close and personal with my golf heroes... I left Tuesday afternoon at around three pm (after a morning round of golf) because I had never ventured this way into the Arizona desert and 4 miles into the ride, civilization went away... (I'm not kidding). I was on a two lane highway going to "nowhere" and passing "nothing" on the way... (it was alot like driving through Texas, except there were no windmills)... I found myself talking to my Jeep and hoping nothing would go wrong with her especially on the rides home around midnight or 1 am... "Paris" got me lost (that's my GPS unit) and I ended up in the bustling metropolis that is Florence, Arizona... (four blocks long, general store and "travel back in time" feel to it). Reminded me of downtown Keokuk, Iowa only smaller. Several of the "towns" surrounding Florence were established in the 1920's reminding me that Arizona isn't even 100 years old yet (admitted to the Union on February 14, 1912--useless knowledge factoid of the day). So I whipped out my printed directions (sorry, Paris) and managed to find the entrance to the event. Of course it was on an alfalfa farm and I was really glad I had a Jeep. I parked the truck and walked up to find out what the gig was...
There were no shows scheduled until Wednesday, so Tuesday was check-in day for all the people who were camping out for the weekend... RVs, Campers, and Pop-ups filled the entrance and our job was to process their tickets, camping passes, porta-potty sales (oh, yes) and hook them up with windshield stickers and all week wrist bands... in other words I was the farthest you could be from the stage and still be on the property... The people who ran the ticketing booths were from Canada and ran a similar event up there... They picked me out of a line-up ("you look smart") and put me in the booth to learn the system of sales, stickers and wrist bands... after 20 minutes they left me to take a break and I was running the booth... (my company will not allow you to handle money unless you take a "class") but there I was. The flow of traffic didn't stop until around 10:30 pm and at 11 they signed us out for the day... I set Paris on home and she performed beautifully as I weaved through the pitch black night (saw several coyotes, bats and prairie dogs) and made it home... Tomorrow the regular fans show up... I'm leaving even earlier because there is only one way in and out (dirt, single lane road, alot like Pocona Raceway) and I'm not sitting in a line to go work on a line...
Wednesday I got stuck in the line! 1 hour drive through nowhere, 1 hour drive at the entrance... I made there with 20 minutes to spare... The lead guy told me that I was going inside today and that meant crowd control and hopefully a spot near the stage... then the guy in charge of the ticket line saw me and told the lead he wanted me to stay because I did such a great job the day before (Curses!). I looked at the lead like "dude, take me inside" but he says "whatever the client wants" and I'm back in the booth... (One plus, the booth has both AC and heat and I used both because it was blistering hot on Wed. and freezing that night... God, I love this place!) At least it wasn't a repeat of the "Cheeto" gig from last week... Time flew by on Wednesday and Thursday... it was busy from the time I started until they came to relieve me and send me home... The concert had started and from my vantage point I couldn't see the stage nor hear one note of music...(I have to stop getting excited about these jobs until I'm assigned)... Oh, well...
Monday, April 6, 2009
Sunday--Golf and more golf
Still behind a week in news but my fingers are warmed up and I'm ready to catch everyone up...Last Sunday, the day after "The Stand II", I decided to use my free passes to go watch the LPGA tourney at Papago...(Got them from the caddying gig on the previous Wednesday. They gave me one but I got back in line and scooped up another). I asked my new golf buddy Mary Ellen to go because we had a tee time later that day at the Phoenician in Phoenix (pics will be posted on Facebook later this week)... So after parking my car in the mud pit, we got on the school bus (last minute tourney change, crappy buses) for the 6 minute ride to the golf course... We walked around and watched a lot of golf waiting for Eun-Hee Ji to tee off...(she was in the third to last group with Brittany Lang). We got up close to the first tee and managed to say hello to her caddy and wished her luck. We followed her for about four holes and then watched Michelle Wie three-putt on 16 (I'm not the only one!) and then had to go to make our tee time... Golf course was in decent shape (the rough was low and dried out but the greens were immaculate) but I was disappointed in the spectator turnout... I realize that the venue was changed but the golf course was centrally located and still people didn't show... These women have tons of talent and work their butts off. I felt there should be some more love from the Arizona fans...(unless they were all playing themselves!)
We left the course, exited the mud pit (Mud Man had just been there...bad day for sandals)... and drove to the Phoenician... Used an extra bottle of water to wash feet and geared up for a round of golf... We had a new member join the "tour" this time. Danette is another E&A friend and she was able to come out and play the course with us... She and I are huge sushi fans, so we have been trying out sushi places in the Scottsdale area (trying to find places in the middle so neither of us has a longer ride)... The round was not good (by my standards) but we all had a great time. (I did drive a 303 yd. par 4, but missed the putt for eagle). Then we went to Los Gringos for Mexican food and cocktails (I had a Coke). Dropped off Mary Ellen at her house and headed home...(left the house at 8 am and got home at near midnight).
She and I have become very good friends... She says our meeting was fate...(the first time we played golf I had my Mets hat and ball marker and logo ball and was calling myself "Mr. Met". Her initials are M. E. T. So our meeting was written in the stars... She is from North Carolina (you know how I like southern girls!) and is going back East to be a paid volunteer at the Masters!! I am so jealous...(but she may be able to get me there next year). Speaking of golf (is there anything else I speak of?), my application was accepted to work as a volunteer (unpaid) at the 2010 U.S Open at Pebble Beach... I have already made arrangements with my timeshare people to trade weeks so I can get the timeshare near Monterrey, Ca. for next June... Lets see if they can come through with it...( I will probably reserve a backup hotel, just in case).
Working Country Thunder this week as a security guard. It's a four day outside concert in Florence, Arizona about an hour southeast of Chandler... I have to call on Tuesday for my schedule, but they have me working Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday... I'm hoping to get close so I can at least hear some music.
We left the course, exited the mud pit (Mud Man had just been there...bad day for sandals)... and drove to the Phoenician... Used an extra bottle of water to wash feet and geared up for a round of golf... We had a new member join the "tour" this time. Danette is another E&A friend and she was able to come out and play the course with us... She and I are huge sushi fans, so we have been trying out sushi places in the Scottsdale area (trying to find places in the middle so neither of us has a longer ride)... The round was not good (by my standards) but we all had a great time. (I did drive a 303 yd. par 4, but missed the putt for eagle). Then we went to Los Gringos for Mexican food and cocktails (I had a Coke). Dropped off Mary Ellen at her house and headed home...(left the house at 8 am and got home at near midnight).
She and I have become very good friends... She says our meeting was fate...(the first time we played golf I had my Mets hat and ball marker and logo ball and was calling myself "Mr. Met". Her initials are M. E. T. So our meeting was written in the stars... She is from North Carolina (you know how I like southern girls!) and is going back East to be a paid volunteer at the Masters!! I am so jealous...(but she may be able to get me there next year). Speaking of golf (is there anything else I speak of?), my application was accepted to work as a volunteer (unpaid) at the 2010 U.S Open at Pebble Beach... I have already made arrangements with my timeshare people to trade weeks so I can get the timeshare near Monterrey, Ca. for next June... Lets see if they can come through with it...( I will probably reserve a backup hotel, just in case).
Working Country Thunder this week as a security guard. It's a four day outside concert in Florence, Arizona about an hour southeast of Chandler... I have to call on Tuesday for my schedule, but they have me working Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday... I'm hoping to get close so I can at least hear some music.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
The Stand--Part II
Sorry, folks... I have fallen behind in my quest to keep you informed about the adventures of the the "Arizona Kid". When we last got together I regaled you about what a great time I had caddying and walking "between the ropes". Then came my second parking lot experience at the LPGA tournament on Friday and Saturday... I was scheduled to work Friday and Saturday (6am-6pm) and arrived at the "command center" at 5:30 am for assignment. A little background about the tournament is necessary before we continue. For years the tournament was sponsored by Safeway Supermarkets and played at Superstition Mountain Golf Club. Safeway dropped their sponsorship this year and the golf course went into receivership and was changed to Papago Golf Club at pretty much the last minute. A local winery picked up the sponsorship and the venue was prepared for the tournament. So, the general parking area became a open field about 10 minutes from the golf course. No pavement, just trampled weeds and dirt. And here, the nightmare begins again...
For those of you who don't understand the literary reference of the title, "The Stand" is a novel by Stephen King about the end of the world and the ultimate battle of good and evil. In this case, the stand is a battle of staying on your feet in blistering sunshine (no where to hide) for 12 hours and getting the people into non-marked spaces in straight lines as quickly as possible... But this time, there was a new villain introduced... I'll call him "Mud Man". Because the parking lot was a dirt field and because cars were driving back and forth, the amount of dust blowing around could choke an army... "Mud Man" was a tanker truck of water that rode around and sprayed the ground to keep the dust down... and made the parking lot a mud pit! By the time I finished my sentence (I mean shift), I was about four inches taller from the mud caked on the bottom of my shoes... And the best part of the job was that the only bathroom (a lone porta-potty) was about a quarter mile away and you had to radio to get someone to take you there... So Friday at 3:30 pm the flow of cars is slowing down and the supervisor comes by and asks for volunteers to leave early (shorter sentence for good behavior and time served)... needless to say I took one for the team...
Saturday was the typical case of too many chiefs and not enough Indians... We had twice as many parking lot dudes and dudettes but every one of them (except me, the worker bee) had the ultimate way of parking cars... (I didn't know that parking a car required a degree program).
So, whenever one of the "chiefs" took a break, the system changed... Saturday was more of "The Run" than the Stand... They had me running around directing cars all over the place... I enjoyed the change but the footing was pretty treacherous thanks to Mud Man... I felt like I was working on a chain gang on steroids! But I did meet some interesting folks...(met Se Ri Pak's uncle through an interpreter---South Korean, and Paula Creamer's aunt and uncle--she didn't play because she got sick in Mexico the previous week). I did the "chicken without a head" routine for about 5 hours from 7 to noon...(keeping the pedestrians from incoming cars and avoiding the spray of Mud Man). The sun was beating on me like a rented mule and the "break" mobile never showed to take me to the "potty"... (I ended up in some scrub bushes while the shuttle buses rolled on by---do you think they knew what I was doing in there?).
At 12:30, the cars just stopped coming... maybe two or three at a time but not the steady flow. The "break" mobile finally showed and I went up to command just to get out of the sun for a few minutes... While I was there getting my skin temperature to drop, the supervisor asked me again if I wanted to leave... I graciously said that I would do it and allow others to stay (GET ME OUTTA HERE!). So I packed up my Jets cooler, knocked the mud (about 3 lbs) off my shoes and drove as quickly from there as my Jeep could go. The things I put myself through to entertain my blogging constituents!! I felt like a Cheeto (baked to a crackily crunch). All in the name of "will work for greens fees"...
For those of you who don't understand the literary reference of the title, "The Stand" is a novel by Stephen King about the end of the world and the ultimate battle of good and evil. In this case, the stand is a battle of staying on your feet in blistering sunshine (no where to hide) for 12 hours and getting the people into non-marked spaces in straight lines as quickly as possible... But this time, there was a new villain introduced... I'll call him "Mud Man". Because the parking lot was a dirt field and because cars were driving back and forth, the amount of dust blowing around could choke an army... "Mud Man" was a tanker truck of water that rode around and sprayed the ground to keep the dust down... and made the parking lot a mud pit! By the time I finished my sentence (I mean shift), I was about four inches taller from the mud caked on the bottom of my shoes... And the best part of the job was that the only bathroom (a lone porta-potty) was about a quarter mile away and you had to radio to get someone to take you there... So Friday at 3:30 pm the flow of cars is slowing down and the supervisor comes by and asks for volunteers to leave early (shorter sentence for good behavior and time served)... needless to say I took one for the team...
Saturday was the typical case of too many chiefs and not enough Indians... We had twice as many parking lot dudes and dudettes but every one of them (except me, the worker bee) had the ultimate way of parking cars... (I didn't know that parking a car required a degree program).
So, whenever one of the "chiefs" took a break, the system changed... Saturday was more of "The Run" than the Stand... They had me running around directing cars all over the place... I enjoyed the change but the footing was pretty treacherous thanks to Mud Man... I felt like I was working on a chain gang on steroids! But I did meet some interesting folks...(met Se Ri Pak's uncle through an interpreter---South Korean, and Paula Creamer's aunt and uncle--she didn't play because she got sick in Mexico the previous week). I did the "chicken without a head" routine for about 5 hours from 7 to noon...(keeping the pedestrians from incoming cars and avoiding the spray of Mud Man). The sun was beating on me like a rented mule and the "break" mobile never showed to take me to the "potty"... (I ended up in some scrub bushes while the shuttle buses rolled on by---do you think they knew what I was doing in there?).
At 12:30, the cars just stopped coming... maybe two or three at a time but not the steady flow. The "break" mobile finally showed and I went up to command just to get out of the sun for a few minutes... While I was there getting my skin temperature to drop, the supervisor asked me again if I wanted to leave... I graciously said that I would do it and allow others to stay (GET ME OUTTA HERE!). So I packed up my Jets cooler, knocked the mud (about 3 lbs) off my shoes and drove as quickly from there as my Jeep could go. The things I put myself through to entertain my blogging constituents!! I felt like a Cheeto (baked to a crackily crunch). All in the name of "will work for greens fees"...
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