Reflections on the year that was...2012

     As I look back over the last year...(and better do it quick because time definitely flies) there are some things I accomplished and some things I learned about myself (good and bad) and some things we are going to have to try again in a seemingly endless battle.  I tested the "grass is always greener" theory when I took another job and found out that I was happier (although sometimes I didn't feel that way) where I was.  The crazy schedule and hours involved in event security is the reason I like it so much.  Being behind the scenes and inside the ropes is the place I want to be.  It comes with built in down time (move-in and move-out) and the flexibility of the schedule allows me time to do some travelling and play golf.  The thing I learned is that you can't take work too seriously...you need to when you are on the job (security and people's safety are important) but there is no need to take it so personally.  The feeling of being taken advantage of is a two-edged sword.  More work and more responsibility sometimes feels that way but it also shows trust in your ability to get the work done. The key is to communicate when the job gets too much and not internalize the feelings (something I am guilty of but working on).  Letting the bosses know when it gets to be too much is not a sign of weakness, but a call for assistance so the work quality doesn't suffer.  I expressed these thoughts when I returned to the fold at the Convention Center and my boss and I have an understanding now.

     Coming back to the Convention Center was a good idea...I have been welcomed back over and over by the employees of my company and by the Convention Center staff.  Everyone is very pleased that I have returned (or so they say) and I intend to restore the reputation of my company that my leaving seemed to have tarnished...(rumors that it went downhill after I left).  I am looking forward to the challenges of 2013 and plan to succeed.  Living the dream is contingent upon doing what I enjoy and I believe I have found my niche.

     You better sit down for this one... Guess who went out a jogged an entire mile yesterday? No, it WAS me!  I have been working out and I decided to test the war torn knees on a "test run".  It is exactly one mile to the Circle K down the street (coffee) and I laced up the old running shoes (after getting the cob webs off them) and set off on the road.  Believe me, Usain Bolt has nothing to worry about, in fact, his grandfather could probably win a race with me but I was able to make it the entire mile without walking (although my pace wasn't much faster).  It was cool and sunny and it reminded me of the fall and winter races back in Central Park.  It felt so good to be out there again.  Today, my legs are screaming worse than the teenage girls at a Justin Bieber concert, but the soreness is all muscular...no apparent knee damage.  So, I plan to make 2013 a "running " commentary of sorts. 

     In a recurring theme, I am single again...(technically, I've always been single).  The friendship with my woman golfer has not gone any further, so that friendship will remain exactly that...golf lessons and the occasional round of golf.  I have not given up hope that this might be the year (2013) I finally meet my match, but I refuse to waste any time worrying about it.  If it happens, it happens, if it doesn't, oh well.  No more online dating sites...no more "singles" clubs.  I'm going old school.  I work enough events to meet someone...(heck, I meet more people than most).  And again, I'm not going to sweat it.  Everyone has that "single friend who can't seem to find someone" so I will be that friend.  In the meantime, I will take the "me" time and continue to work on a new improved version of myself...

    

The Lord works in mysterious ways...

     And sometimes he puts the answer right in your face.  I have not been "feeling" the Christmas spirit this year, not sure if its the job uncertainty or what, but I have been indulging a bout of the "poor me's" and have not been able to shake a depressed mood and general malaise.  And then I got my work schedule, including a 4:30 am start on Christmas morning for the event at the Convention Center today.  I am not complaining about the work, it's what I love.  The event is the Salvation Army Christmas Dinner and it is open to anyone who can make it here.  They serve a sit down dinner and have entertainment and gifts and toys for those with children.  It is almost completely staffed by unpaid volunteers who have been here since Saturday, cooking and setting up the building.  There is a drive through set up in back of the building where volunteers collect food bags and deliver them to the people who couldn't come out of the house.  It is a very humbling experience to see the volume of people (over 1500) who have come today and it made me realize what a fool I am...(not that I haven't been reminded on numerous occasions).  There is a saying in the AA program "There but for the Grace of God go I" and that is the truth.  I have nothing to complain about. I have a roof over my head, a job that pays the bills and a life back that I almost drank away.  Sometimes you need a kick in the ass to make you realize how blessed you are.  And also it gave me the idea that this is something I want to do when I don't have to work anymore.  These volunteers bust their butts to put this event together but it is so rewarding to see the gratitude on the faces of the attendees, the smiles on their faces as their children pick out a toy and visit with Santa...I wouldn't mind being on the giving end. 

     So Merry Christmas to one and all and many blessings for the New Year... (since the Mayan calendar thing didn't happen).  I feel like Ebenezer Scrooge waking from his bouts with the Ghosts of Christmas and realizing he didn't miss it after all.  Many thanks to those who sent me updated pictures of the kids (they are getting so big) and thanks to Anna and Mike for the book (LOVE IT!).  Thank you all for being my friends and reading my ramblings in blog form...(guess its easier than listening in person, eh?). "God bless us all, everyone!" (smart kid that Tiny Tim).

J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets...

     After last night's fiasco, my opinion of the team playing against the Tennessee Titans is correct.  The words "playoff contender" and "keeping playoff hopes alive" should never be uttered by anyone about the New York Jets without some kind of fine or slap in the face for being stupid.  That hideous display of ineptitude last night by the "San-chize" capped off a season where MY team was the laughing stock of the league and all the reporters covering them did their best not to laugh out loud at how horrible they were.  Fireman Eddie was right.  It's time to distant ourselves away from them before their disease becomes contagious.

     J-E-T-S... Just End The Season, Just Evict The Sanchez, Just Enjoy They Suck, Just Eliminate The Sadness, Joke Everything They Say, to name a few...

     I have reached my limit.  Year after year, they toyed with my emotions and stabbed me in the back with their end of season collapses and backing into the playoffs and just plain losing.  As of today, I resign as a fan of the New York Jets.  I will remain a fan of football but will no longer have a favorite team.  I will not watch their games when they are on out here...(and after last night, I doubt they will make another appearance on national TV).  I realize that this will not effect ticket sales or cost them anything because there are still plenty of fans to replace me, but they have just lost a fan of 50 years.  I refuse to root for the Cubs of the NFL (sorry Cub fans, but you know the pain I feel) anymore and in the next year or two I will probably pick another team to root for...(don't worry Victor it won't be the Giants).  Or I might just enjoy the games as they were intended...as entertainment. But one thing I will not do is be a fan of the New York Jets.  Thanks, Fireman Eddie.  Thanks Rex and Sanchez and Woody Johnson for another crappy season of unfulfilled promise.

     J-E-T-S... Jim Ended The Stupidity.

I forgot the best part...

     I did forget the best part of my last blog.  To those of you who have been following this blog since the beginning...(can't believe it has been 4 years), first of all thanks for staying awake, I mean, reading them, and you know that I have been reassured on occasion by certain songs and signs that I am doing the right thing or making the correct decision.  For example, the sermon in Kansas City at my cousin's church about hitting the "reset" button and starting fresh (notice I said MY cousin, Anna! :)), the song by Sugarland, Something More, that says I'm gonna take my chances, taking a chance I might, finding what I'm looking for, there's gotta be something more... Well, it has happened again.  I took that other job because, like every other human being and living thing on the planet, I am getting older (and better) and I'm going to need medical insurance down the road.  You also know that I applied to the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) to try and get a job working at Phoenix airport.  They contacted me for an airport assessment (the next step in a long list of steps) for Virginia, again.  But, this time a representative called and asked if was still holding out for Arizona... I told her I was and she directed me to call a number and change my primary airport to Phoenix.  It seems that the first airport you apply to is your primary airport, so I called and now when an opening comes up in Phoenix, I'm on that list.  It's a permanent part time position (about 20-25 hours), but it offers full time benefits.  I discussed this with the new boss...(actually the old boss who is new) and he is more than willing to work around my schedule at the airport if and when it happens.  And that is the "sign"...the representative called out of the blue (in fact when I contacted TSA about a question I was told to relax, eventually the testing would come up).  Because of that phone call, I now can revert to the old plan and work both (3) jobs if I want... with the other company I couldn't work for anyone else in the security field.  So, I am soooooo glad I decided to go back to the Convention Center.

     I can't begin to explain how much I enjoy what I do...to be able to get paid for a job you enjoy makes work (that damned four letter word) so much better.  Hanging with the Detroit Lions this weekend was a blast...(even though  the Cardinals woke up and spanked them on Sunday).  And seeing my friends at the convention center who all said that are so glad that I am back...(they don't know me at all, do they?).  There is genuine relief that I have, yet again, made the correct decision.  So, tonight I will go out and perpetuate one of the terrible decisions I have made and can't seem to get rid of...rooting for the NY Jets.  Once again, they have a back door open with a possibility of making the post season and I am not sure which game will insert the knife and tear my heart out this season.  If they follow tradition, they will win tonight and then, with destiny in their own hands, fall flat on their faces and drag into bitter disappointment again...(eternal optimist I am not with this team).  The best thing about tonight's game is the food menu at the place I will be watching it.  Ah, the woes of being a Jet fan. And with the Mets trading away last year's Cy Young winner for prospects, it looks like a bleak baseball season for the Amazin's.  But that's a rant I will save for later, after all the trades and free agent signings are over.  Have a great day!

Living the dream....NIGHTMARE!!

     As the title suggests, the Living the Dream Part 2 became a nightmare of tedium and outright boredom.  But let me tell you how I really feel...As you know, I left my job(s) as "Security Man" (superhero of event security) for a full time position at another security company.  I left because of the uncertainty of scheduling (never knew when I would be working) and the general feeling that I was being taken advantage of and under appreciated.  That, coupled with my need (I thought) of a job where medical benefits were available, because of my rapidly advancing age (I thought) and my need (I thought) of a more stable environment (I thought).  I now know what the major concern should be...STOP THINKING!!!  I couldn't have been more wrong if it was the only answer available on a test!  And Wah! Wah! Wah!... who doesn't feel under appreciated and taken advantage of from time to time at their job?  So, I found my "big boy pants" and did something about it... I got my old job back with some clarifications and new understandings with my old Boss.

     But first, the nightmare...I was hired to go to work at the airport, because they needed someone who could handle "high profile"areas.  I thought it meant in the terminals assisting travellers and securing the shop area, etc.  Oh no! I was trained to watch a gate in a guard shack outside of the terminal where about 12 people came by in an eight hour shift...(and that includes people coming out for a smoke).  And I went from supervisor/event manager to low man on the totem pole.  I was told the hours would be flex...(night shift one week, day shift one week, etc.) and that they would remain constant during that week.  Oh no! The shifts remained constant but they plugged me in wherever there was a need.  I worked 1pm-9pm, 5am-1pm and 9pm-5am all in the same week.  It seems I "misunderstood".  I was "flex" not the position.  And I was scheduled to work as "guard in the box" for two weeks before I moved to another position.  And when I "trained" 8 hours to learn a new position (which I could have learned in 2 hours), I was paid minimum wage for that shift.  Another thing I "misunderstood".  And there was a mistake on my first paycheck...So after 5 days "in the box" I called my old boss for a sit down.  We met, hashed a few things out between us and I accepted an offer to return.  I told him I didn't want to be a salaried employee because I can make more hourly and with the extra money I could purchase my own health insurance.  So, tomorrow I don the uniform of "Security Man" again as I help keep the fans away from the Detroit Lions' players at their hotel in downtown Phoenix.  Our company also secured the Barrett Jackson Auction again in January and I will be able to walk with the golfers at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.  The best thing about a dream (nightmare) is waking up.  The coffee was on and luckily I smelled it and was able to right the ship before I died of intense boredom...Lesson to us all... Don't burn the bridges if it might be the only way back to happiness.  I missed the excitement and uncertainty of event security more than I "thought" (reminder to self...STOP THINKING!!!)

Let's test some more...

     I don't think I tested this much in school!  I was hitting practice balls on the driving range with Karen when the phone rings and it's the job.  Can you come down to the airport?  Your fingerprint info came back and there are some videos you need to watch to get your security badge.  So, instead of making a tee time, I go to the airport and four and a half hours later, (including seven videos and tests), I now have security clearance to be at the airport.  I didn't get out of there until almost five o'clock, so I made it just in time for rush hour... (still nothing compared to East Coast or LA traffic).  I was helping Karen move back into her house on Saturday when I get another call from the job.  Can you begin training Saturday and Sunday?  No, last minute Louie, I had plans for this weekend.  So I will officially begin training at the airport on Tuesday at 1300 (1pm).  I have to go in uniform but I still don't know what I'll be doing or where or when I will start...(this company is so secure even they don't know what's going on).  In the meantime, I have a tee time for Monday morning and I'll let you know about future developments on the job.  Leisure time was well appreciated and much needed, but the bills ain't going to stop coming and Jimmy needs to go back to work.

     Another reason to go back to work is that I am becoming a slave... (my fault) to the television.  Thanks to the disastrous season both the Cardinals and the Jets have put together, my Sundays are free to pursue outdoor activities.  My bicycle was stolen...(someone cut my security chain and made off with the bike I bought from Craig for $1).  I went to Wally World (Walmart) and got a cheap mountain bike to replace it, so now I'm back on the road peddling my ass off.  Sons of Anarchy has its season finale Tuesday, so I will be free...(the show is on FX and is phenomenal!).  I have vowed to DVR all other shows and devote one day a week to "catch up" on my stories.  It's not like I have a rainy day to sit inside and watch TV... (hasn't rained since mid-October).  Every day has been 80's and sunny and crisp and cool at night... (in other words, absolutely perfect).  I wouldn't feel right if I didn't remind you guys how beautiful it is here in the fall, winter, springtime...(if you visited, you would know!).

     Sheba (aka. Mrs. Wafflepuss) will be five months old this December, and she is healthy and completely crazy.  Sleep, eat and play, play, play!  She is definitely my cat, because her favorite toys at the moment are a golf ball...(which SHE removed from my golf bag) and a plastic golf tee that she hides under the front door mat which Daddy finds when walking around barefoot.  Next month she goes under the knife to be spayed, but I hope it doesn't slow her down any...she is truly a trip to have in the house.

     Good luck to Fireman Ed (official Jet chant leader) on his retirement.  Took a lot of years and heartbreak to finally realize that rooting for the Jets just isn't worth it.  Give it up and root for the other team in the building, the one that knows how to win and run an organization. 
                                                         J     Jesus,
                                                         E    Everyone
                                                         T    They
                                                         S     Stink!
     Have a good weekend.... Talk to you soon.