Another good week... mostly.

Off the euphoria of the Jets unbelievable win over the hated Patriots, I went to work this week wearing my Jets shirts and a huge smile on my face. The job is demanding physically and I am getting a little beat up, but nothing I can't handle... I made my first mispick this week and I'm pissed about it. (Can't let it get to me though, because too many mispicks and I'm gone). This job is tougher than workouts with the personal trainer... (who I stopped going to because of the 8-10 hours I'm "working" out at work). Between lifting 50 lb. bags of flour, 40 lb. boxes of chicken and 80 lb. boxes of beef, lifting weights in the gym seems a bit like overkill. Now that I'm sleeping regular again... (more like passing out from exhaustion), I will go back into the gym for cardio to help with my endurance. There have been some welcome changes in the way I look, but I'm not going into detail because I don't want to jinx the momentum. Let's just say there's less of me to see and what you see is looking better... (To quote Uncle Ray, "I look better because I never looked good!"). I have revamped my nutritional intake... (smarter food choices and better cooking habits) and "chef" Jim has really been cooking up a storm.

Spent some time on the road this week, driving into the mountains to watch the sun come up. The scenery here in Arizona is spectacular... (the mountains, cacti, the wide open desert) and never fails to raise my spirits even after the toughest day. I plan on driving up to Sedona on Tuesday morning to replace my red rocks pictures I lost in my computer when it crashed. I'm going right after work to miss the traffic and may catch a"nap" in the car, since the temps are about 20 degrees cooler up there. Should be a beautiful day...(what else?). I also plan to visit the two "finalists" apartment complexes this week to make my choice of the new home for the next year. Both are in Tempe and get me closer to work. The year I have spent here in Chandler was great, but I want to "taste" different areas before deciding where to buy a home. Besides, I have 4 years before I become an "active" adult, so what's the hurry. I may even change my mind and decide to move to a whole new place by then... (love to keep the readers guessing).

Jets win again! Too good be true... AND they were televised here again for my viewing pleasure...(Thanks to the Cardinals for playing tonight... although I'll catch some major traffic going to work tonight). Gotta get ready for work. The Jets are 3-0!!! WOO-HOO!

An open apology to the NY Jets

A wise man knows his limitations and when to admit he was wrong... (even an unwise man like myself). I was screaming and ranting and raving back in April when the Jets mortgaged their entire draft to select an unproven (only 16 games experience) player to be their quarterback (Mark Sanchez). I felt sure that he would be the bust that the Jets have been famous for with their first draft picks... (see Johnny "Lam" Jones, Browning Nagle, Blair Thomas, Mike Nugent, Dwayne Robertson, et al.). They have reversed the trend in past few years... (see Shaun Ellis and Darelle Revis). The jury is still out on Bryan Thomas and Vernon Ghoulston (decent but not horrible). But after the first 2 games with Mr. Sanchez as quarterback, I am humbly apologizing to the NY Jets. This kid has been nothing short of spectacular in engineering wins over Houston and the hated Patriots (ended an 8 game losing streak at home with last Sunday's win). First place Jets! Unheard of even though it's only been 2 games. The best prediction for them this year was at 7-9...(by the "experts"). He has shown some inconsistency... (horrible first half, but didn't turn the ball over). And who are these guys on defense?? The Jets have been ferocious on defense, making Tom Brady look merely mortal last week... (no offensive touchdowns given up by a defense that couldn't stop traffic with a barricade last year). Rex Ryan has got this group so fired up that they are smack talking and backing it up on the field... Is this a flash in the pan? Could be, but I am enjoying the ride while it lasts.

Two games does not make a season, but a win over the hated Patriots makes it seem so... Hopefully, other teams will watch the Jets film and copy their schemes and make life more uncomfortable for Bill Belichik and "Mr. Bundchen"... (sorry, ladies. Giselle is still prettier than Tom). Huge wins also for some other teams that have been struggling the past few (or more) years... Cincinnati over the Packers at Lambeau Field... Da Bears beating the Steelers... the Ravens winning at San Diego (Ray Lewis is still the dude!)... and the Giants winning in Big "D" and ruining Jerry Jones' debut in the new stadium... (not really an upset but "How 'bout them Cowboys?"). Useless factoid of the day... The Giants beat the Cowboys in the first game at Texas Stadium (the one before this new one). Unfortunately, the Lions have not tasted victory now for 19 straight games...

The Cardinals returned to the win column and not a moment too soon... They play Payton Manning and the Colts at home Sunday night... (should be mucho points scored in that one). Could be decided by who has the ball last. The Jets play the winless Titans and must avoid a "letdown" after the huge win last week. The defense must put a rush on Kerry Collins and keep Chris Johnson under wraps. And Mr. Sanchez must continue his positive growth and increase the confidence level this week. J-E-T-S! JETS! JETS! JETS!

Everything else is okay. Work, besides beating me up physically (I love that!) is enjoyable. The time just flies and the work is fun... (I love playing with the machines). The weather this week is starting to break (High in the low 100's and down to 70's at night--with a couple of high 90's thrown in). It's getting to the time of year where all the dry heat (and there was plenty) will be worth the wait. Today is simply spectacular with the bluest skies and bright clear sunshine... (pretty much the forecast for about 320 days a year or more). But the oppressive heat is missing and that is a bonus worth waiting for. Unfortunately, the price of golf will go back to the ridiculous level when the snowbirds from the Midwest make their trek back to sunny Arizona... but no worries, there are plenty of deals to be had. I have signed up for a 3 month deal on a dating website, "testing the waters" so to speak (only emails for now, with my schedule it may be difficult). Updates will come if anything happens... The move to Tempe is still a go. I have to finalize which of the places I want to move to. I am investigating the neighborhoods, the proximity of stores and amenities, entertainment options and the individual amentities each complex provides.

The "change" has come...

No, I am not menopausal... I woke up this morning fully refreshed and alert. I believe the changeover (sleep patterns, etc.) has finally come. My body has adapted to the new work and sleep schedules... Even yesterday, as I worked my "other" job (security at ASU football game), I finished around 11 pm but didn't go to sleep right away to keep the sleep pattern fresh. It worked. I woke up this morning to a phone call from Victor (wishing the Jets and I good luck), and I felt good for the first time since I started the job... (less aches and pains and well rested). I hope it's not just the fact that I am psyched to watch the Jets vs. the hated Patriots... (the gods are smiling on me by allowing me to watch the game at home). For a while, I didn't think I'd ever adjust. I was achy, my mind was fuzzy (more than usual) and I was tired all the time. What a difference now. I am multi-tasking to the max today. While I'm blogging , I'm doing laundry, cooking for the week, baking cookies and watching the games (with my free hand I'm patting myself on the back...). Basically, I'm able to do what normal adults do every day. I hope its not a fluke...

Working security at the football games is a pretty sweet gig... we start at 3:30 and nothing really happens until the gates open at 5:30 and I do bag checks and make sure nobody is sneaking stuff in... Once the game starts it stays quiet until halftime...(they allow people to walk out and come back in for the second half). So, I do the bag check thing again and hang around until the end of the game. Except for being on my feet for 8 hours, it's found money. And I get the same spot for every game. I can't see any of the action but I can hear it, see the scoreboard and the fireworks are fired right over my head (touchdowns, field goals and extra points). ASU has scored 88 points in 2 games (both wins) so there's been a lot of fireworks. The games are every other week and on Saturday, so it's ok with the primary job... (what a change, huh? from working once in a while to having two jobs!!). I like 'em both and if the sleep thing is finally in place, then its not a problem...(we'll see what happens tomorrow when I wake up).

Ok, I gotta go... 3 minutes left in the game and the Jets are winning!! The laundry is done and so are the cookies... (in touch with my feminine side). J-E-T-S! JETS! JETS! JETS!

Are you ready for some football???

Football season opens on a grand scale today and once again my hopes are high for a good season for my team...(although with a rookie qb I have my doubts--let's face it, as a Jets fan, I have my doubts). But, I am rooting hard for the Jets and their new coach (a defensive madman from the Ravens) and am looking forward to watching them play this season (whenever I can). The work schedule will interfere with a lot of games, but ESPN late night will give me all the highlights I can handle. The Jets have concentrated on shoring up their defense in the offseason (last year they couldn't stop the run in a stocking!) and who knows how good Sanchez will be... That's why they play the games...

I am going to opening day at Phoenix Stadium for the NFC Champion Phoenix Cardinals (if the Cards can get to the Super Bowl, then anybody can get there... Sorry, Detroit, I didn't mean to include you in this discussion) and am now willing to put in writing my picks for the football year...(so we can go back and laugh at them in February). In the NFC, the division winners will be (drum roll please) the Giants in the East... (Sorry, Romo, but you still can't win the big game), Green Bay in the Central... (Sorry, Brett, but a traitor is a traitor), the Saints rule in the South... (sophmore jinx for Ryan in Atlanta), and Seattle in the West... (I don't think lightning strikes in the desert 2 years in a row--too many sunny days). The wild cards will be Philadelphia and "da Bears"... In the AFC, the hated Patriots will once again be East champs as the golden boy returns... (sorry, Sanchez and Chad, nice try), Pittsburgh will win the Central... (they find so many ways to win), the Colts will take the South (since when is Indiana considered the South?)... (are there any more Mannings out there? the Jets could use one) and San Diego will win the West... (Hey, Merriman, stop hitting women and get to the quaterback, will ya?). The wild cards will be Houston (the Cinderella story in this year's season--although the Jets will beat them opening day!) and the aforementioned Jets (it's my blog and I'm making the predictions--get your own blog if you don't like it). There you have it...call Vegas and get your bets down!!

Spent most of Friday night at work in the cooler/produce area... temps range between 50 and 38 degrees... (nice!). Need to remember to bring a hoodie and hat because it gets pretty damn chilly in there... Next week (tonight, actually) I am officially off training and run on my own just picking orders from the "box"... (they place the orders in numbered pigeon holes and you pick in number order. You can't see the orders so no one can "cherry pick" the easy ones...). We had a meeting the other day with the night manager and he went over the guidelines of what they expect... show up and do your job was pretty much the theme... Not much else to report for now, but I am finally getting the hang of this night shift thing... as the weather begins to get more manageable (read that: under 100 degrees) I will be doing some more outdoor activities (hiking and biking and such)... Oh yeah, one last thing-- J-E-T-S! JETS! JETS! JETS!

Time flies...

Time flies when your day is night and your night is day... Some observations about my return to the workforce on the night shift. You really have to be on your game to work at night... "See you tomorrow" doesn't apply... (unless you're starting a night off...) it's "see you later" or "see you tonight". Tuesday is my "day" (night) off, but I work Tuesday morning until 2 or 3 am... The "day" (night) off starts at 3am Tuesday morning and run until 5:30 PM Wednesday. Technically, I have EVERY "day" off... (confusing, isn't it?). Then there's what to say when you leave work. "Good night" is out of the question... (Enjoy your day? Sleep tight? Don't nod off on your ride home?). "Later" seems to do the trick for now until I can come up with something more clever.

The guys I work with are very helpful to the "new" guy. They go out of their way to show me the tricks on how to pick faster and check quicker and how to load the pallets so they don't fall over around a turn... (a lesson I have learned the hard way already). Riding around on the pallet jack is a hoot...(some of them can fly). I wear a headset and the computer announces the aisle, level and amount of cases to pull for each item of the order... (and keeps repeating it until you get there and pull the item, which is annoying at times). It keeps a running percentage of productivity for the night and that is what the company bases bonuses on and pay increases... (I'm still in training until next week). After my shift, I'm assigned a clean-up duty (usually plugging in equipment for next shift) and then I sign out and head home. Amazing how many people are still riding the roads at 3 in the morning...

On a lighter note, I finally saw my first snake here in Arizona on the golf course...(not a rattler). It was on the path ahead of the cart in front of me. He jammed on the brakes and it slithered into a storm drain and out of sight... (about 4-5 feet long). The temperature was 104 and a shiver went up my spine like I was in the cooler at work...(don't like the snakes!!). I gave the drain a wide berth and looked back a few times just to be sure he wasn't stalking me...(what a wuss). Didn't effect the game, though. Played well, broke 80, but still the putting is slow in coming around (about 35 years now)... Sunday, I'm going to the Cardinals season opener against the 49ers... (I hope they finish the game early enough so I don't have to leave too soon). It's close to the job, so I'll hang out as long as I can.

Still trying to regulate my sleep to squeeze more golf in... (not rushing it but I want to get some rounds in before overseeding starts into October)... Also working on moving again in November, closer to the job and other amenities (restaurants and such)... I have wanted to move to Scottsdale, but Tempe is the better location and I found two places that have received good reviews and are in the price range I'm looking for. (One of them shares a boundary with a golf course, hmmmm, will that influence my decision?). I am starting to pack up a room at a time, starting with the guest bedroom and working through the rest of the apartment... I will keep you posted as I tour the apartment complexes and set everything up. I've become quite the nomad... (this will be the 5th move in 10 years).

Caught in a time warp....sort of

I can't believe so much time has gone by since my last blog... (I hope you have missed me as much as I have missed you). A major change has come to the Arizona Kid's life... he has gotten a full time JOB! (a pause here for you to pick yourself up off the floor). That's right, my faithful bloggees, I have returned to the workforce. But, before you lose all hope for this adventurous blogger, please keep in mind that this return is on my terms and doing something that's right up my alley...(no, I am not a pin-setter at the local bowling facility).

The job I have is as an order selector for a food distribution warehouse in West Phoenix... (I have mentioned this in previous blogs). The reason for the title of the blog is that I will be working nights (my idea) starting at 5:30 pm and finishing sometime in the early am...(so far between 2:30 and 3 am). The idea is to keep days free to continue my pursuit of MY "Great American Dream" (all together, now---Golf Every Day!!). That pursuit is going to happen but for right now the plan is on hold...the reason being is that the adjustment for working nights (sleep patterns, etc) takes awhile and the work for the first week was brutally physical. The first week consisted of being "pallet boy" for all the order selectors. Each selector rides a motorized 2 pallet jack around the warehouse and I had to put down pallets for them to use. Consider that on the average, there are between 35 and 60 selectors a night pulling 40,000 to 50,000 cases per night, that's a crapload of pallets... (and a world of hurtin' for "pallet boy"). But the system works...if you can't cut it as "pallet boy'' you don't move on to selector... Needless to say, I passed pallet training and have moved on to pallet jacks (a very cool toy I must say). I traded my vat of sunblock (from my Ronnie parking Lott days) for a tub of Icy Hot (for the muscles in my shoulders and back and legs...even my butt hurt!).

Now you may say "What are you crazy?? This job will kill you!" (I said it to the mirror when I couldn't reach up to scratch my head), but it's all good. I wanted a physical (sort of) job to keep me active (even though I won't be officially "active" until I'm 55--don't get me started). It's constantly moving and reaching and lifting. It's completely computerized...you have a headset that directs you to the aisle, slot number and number of packages to pull and you stack them on the correct pallets. It takes you from one end of the warehouse to the other and the aisles are one way so there's few "run-ins". After you pick the orders you shrink-wrap the pallets and bring them to the door assigned and start again. The computer tells you how long you have to pick the orders and grades you accordingly with a productivity percentage. So, that is it in a nutshell. I am in "training"for the next couple months and if I make the grade, they will offer me a contract (including health benefits, raises, etc). The work is actually fun, the other guys are really helpful with shortcuts and tips and the trainers are cool...(they've all come up the same way I have and the more people they help get in, the higher seniority they get). The main thing is to be accurate (no mis-picks). It's all about customer service and getting it right (which is what I'm about).

So, the hardest part of the job now is absorbing all the information needed to do the job (which is fairly easy for the "fountain of useless knowledge"). And don't forget the perks of working with food...there is a cooler section for produce and meats that is kept between 40 and 50 degrees and a freezer that gets down to -10... I have been in the cooler and it reminds me of New Jersey in November/December (delicious, because I can walk back into 90 degrees anytime I want). I keep my water bottle in there and it never gets warm. I have clean up duty after all the orders are pulled (low man on the pole) but they give me the cooler dock to clean up... hooded sweatshirt and hat for that...dry cold is WAY cold). Now that there's a new "pallet boy" I ride around picking orders all night and the time flies... Traffic is another "perk". I drive against the traffic around 4:30pm (everyone is leaving Phoenix) and at 3am I pretty much have the road to myself... My "days" off are Tuesdays and Saturdays. Once I get the sleep thing down, I think this will be a welcome addition to the "new" lifestyle...

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change (the economy, cost of living, taxes and living expenses...i.e. groceries, rent,etc.), the courage to change the things I can (where I live and what I do to afford it), and the wisdom to know the difference... The serenity prayer, to those who know, was taught to me by my recovery friends at AA and group therapy. This prayer along with "one day at a time" has kept me alive and well and clean and sober for a lot of years... It's not just a prayer for recovery but a prayer for every situation no matter how large or small...