Hi again

I don't know if anyone is still listening, but hey, it's good to be back on the blog. It's only been 14-plus months. Call it an extended stretch of writer's block, I suppose.
Not much to report here, except I was feeling pretty good this weekend after Matthew's basketball team finished first and won their league tournament. Here are the kids in all their glory after getting their trophies (your friend Joe is the coach in the back of the photo doing his best to look like a lumberjack).

Long story short: one of the players complimented my three-day stubble at a practice early in the season, and of course I told him "maybe if you guys go on a winning streak, I won't shave until you lose." 

Open mouth, insert foot, and put razor into storage for a couple of months.

They lost one game in mid-January and never looked back. And it's good thing they didn't, because all they would see is a balding, forty-something basketball coach with Civil War-era facial hair screaming at them to keep their hands up on defense.

All kidding aside, it was a blast and it's a period of time I'll always cherish having shared with my son. I can't think of anything else to say right now, but just wanted to share the good news. Hope to talk to you soon.

Go the hell away, 2017

Hi there. Alright, I'll admit it, this wasn't the greatest year. Job problems aside for me personally, it seemed like the world was in constant turmoil. Hurricanes. Nuclear threats. A wave of disgusting revelations concerning sexual harassment among high-profile personalities.

And a killer clown. But I actually didn't mind that. Saw it in the movie theater and it was like a breath of fresh air amidst all this madness.

Rather than dwell on the negative, I went through all my freelance clips from 2017 and looked for some inspiration. I highlighted the best things I heard from interview subjects this past year. They are listed below in no particular order (with credit to the Washington Business Journal, where the articles appeared). I hope you enjoy them (and the random dog pic that has nothing to do with this blog entry).

Happy New Year to you all. Here's to a prosperous 2018. Talk to you soon.

"The best piece of advice I received was from the greatest mentor ever, my grandfather. He was a tool and die maker. He urged me to have a life 'toolbox.' I decided long ago to apply this to my professional life as well. When you admire something in someone, learn from that and put that 'tool' in your own toolbox. When you observe someone doing something that isn’t effective, or not leader-like, remember to never put that 'tool' in there." -- Marc Mentry, chief brand officer, Capital One Financial

"My least favorite work task? Meetings. Kill them if you can. And if they’re necessary, have an agenda, ensure everyone knows the topic in advance so they can come prepared, and limit the time to as few minutes or hours as possible." -- Charles Gold, chief marketing office, Virtru

"It’s never as good as it seems, it’s never as bad as it seems. Reality lies somewhere in between." -- Aaron Black, chief data officer at Inova Translational Medicine Institute, when asked about the best advice he has received from a mentor.

"I love to ski. My wife asks me why I wouldn’t want to be on a beach. When I’m on the beach, my mind usually starts wandering toward business. On a mountain, my mind is only on survival." -- Peter Barris, chairman and general partner of New Enterprise Associates, when asked what was his favorite way to relax outside of work.

“It’s important to understand that deaf people are autonomous. Ninety-nine percent of the time, they can do the same job that anyone else can. The deaf community is a historically marginalized group. Because of that, they are waiting for an olive branch." -- Jessica Moseley, CEO of TCS Interpreting, a provider of sign language interpreting services. Moseley, whose parents are deaf and who is the mother of a deaf child, was talking about the struggles that deaf workers face when looking for jobs.

“What I preach in this organization quite often is that the demographics in this country are shifting. We are quickly approaching a time where we will have a minority-majority. Being culturally competent is the most important skill you will have going forward.” -- Machelle Williams, general manager of diversity and corporate social responsibility for Volkswagen Group of America

“As human beings, we work, we set goals, and when we reach those goals, we are happy. [Achor’s] main point is, that’s not how you should go about it. If you enjoy the journey and you’re happy with the work, you will be successful even if you don’t reach the goal. Whatever you are doing, whatever the challenge you are facing, enjoy the journey instead of just getting hung up on the end goal.” -- Shyam Salona, CEO of REI Systems, talking about inspiration he received from author Shawn Achor's "The Happiness Advantage."

“Young people are very civic-minded and astute about the issues that face our communities and our country. My advice [to future leaders] would be, there must always be a balance between patience and fervor, and an importance of understanding the views of others. Sometimes, the roads we want to use to reach our goals might be dissimilar, but the objectives are the same.” -- Tamara Copeland, president of the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers

"I mowed lawns in a cemetery when I was 14. The priest in my church used to say, "Well, you’ve got several thousand people under you, that’s very impressive." -- Barris, when asked what was his first job.

Hello again

Hey there. I hope all is well. I'm surprised it's been this long since I've been on the blog, what with all this free time I've had. The truth is, I haven't felt like writing much lately.

I'm still doing some freelance/contract work, but it's obviously not enough. I actually hired an old colleague of mine to rewrite my resume, and I'm getting out and doing more networking. So I'm hopeful that some of this stuff will bring me some results.

This job search is getting increasingly frustrating, and I've definitely had some days where I'm questioning my abilities. But there is one piece of writing that I've done recently and wanted to share with you all. My son turned 10 this month and I wrote him a letter (below). I hope it's a good read.

Take care and keep in touch. Talk to you soon.

What It Means to Be a Man

10/01/2017

Hello and happy birthday, Matthew. It’s hard to believe you are 10 years old today. Mom and I are very proud of the person you have become, and I’d like to share some advice with you as you get older and take on more responsibility in your life.

Please keep this letter and read it on your birthday each year as a reminder of what’s expected of you as a member of this family and as a good member of our society. Don’t worry, you’re not in trouble! I just wanted to tell you what I’ve learned over the years and how I think it can help you as you go forward.

OK, here goes.

Stay true to your family and friends. And yourself. Life is not easy, Matthew. Nobody goes through it alone, and when you need help or someone to talk to, call on your family and your close friends. In turn, you must be there for those people when they need you the most. And don’t forget to trust in yourself. Be an individual. A good man does not necessarily follow the crowd; he does what is right, no matter what the situation may be. When you are confident in your own abilities, you will also be a better resource for those around you.

Show respect for others. There is too much hate in this world right now, Matthew. People are discriminated against based on their religion, race, appearance, background, you name it. Who are we to judge anyone based on how they look and talk, or where they come from? We are all human beings and we all deserve respect. It’s how we want to be treated ourselves, and we should extend that courtesy to others.

Don’t shy away from hard work. Or working with your hands. It’s easy to quit when things aren’t going our way, whether it’s a school assignment, a chore, a sport we play, or anything else. Don’t take the easy way out. Your grandfather (Papa) always told me, “Nothing worthwhile in life comes easy.” I will never forget that, it’s an incredibly valuable lesson. If you want to achieve success, you must work for it and earn it yourself. And don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty, either. Manual labor is noble and satisfying work, trust me.

Offer a firm handshake and look people in the eye when you’re talking to them. It shows you’re serious and interested in what someone has to say. And it helps when you’re looking for a job.

Lend a hand to those in need. OK, here’s another lesson from your Papa. If you’re capable and have a skill or talent to share, don’t keep it to yourself. “Do some good for your fellow man,” as Papa would say. Volunteer in your community. Shovel a neighbor’s driveway. Participate in a fundraiser for your school. Just do whatever it takes to make a better world around you.

Remember you’re not perfect, and own up to your mistakes. We all mess up from time to time, Matthew. It doesn’t necessarily make us bad. It makes us human. A real man admits when he is wrong and he learns from the experience, so that he doesn’t make the same mistake down the road.

I think that’s it for now, Matthew. I’m sure there are other things I didn’t include on this list, but we can always talk if you have questions on anything. I love you, son. Now go out there and make me proud.

Love, Dad

Happy 4th

I hope everyone is doing well. I just realized that it was one year ago when I started this blog. It has been a lot of fun, and while it's been hard to fill the space on many days, I wanted you all to know how much I've appreciated your feedback. I hope you still enjoy hearing from me occasionally as I figure out what the heck to do with my life.

All I ask today is that you take a minute to breathe and try to forget all the nonsense in the news. I've started tuning it out completely on some days because it's too damn depressing. But I'm hopeful that things will get better in the future. So enjoy your families and friends, get some time at the pool, eat a hot dog, watch a parade, do whatever feels good.

Happy 4th of July. Take care and I'll talk to you soon.

Odd jobs

Hi again. Sorry to have been out of touch. The freelance work has been sporadic and I've been applying for jobs in between. But the flexible schedule does have its benefits. Took a nice walk with my wife one day at Great Falls Park (pictured here) and have managed to get a lot done around the house, as well.

Looking for work can be a depressing exercise, to say the least. There's a lot of rejection, a lot of waiting on phone calls and emails that never arrive. But you also have to find the humor in the whole process. And I occasionally get a good chuckle from my daily job alerts.

I've generally been searching for writer/editor/content manager positions, and every so often, the job search boards provide some interesting suggestions for my employment. Here are a few of my favorites:

Program Officer, Anti-Corruption. This one does sound kinda cool.
"The candidate. . .must demonstrate interest in anti-corruption practice and theory."
Well yeah, I'm all for that. Seems to me there's a big need for that sort of thing these days. However, I get dinged on the requirements for the master's degree and the experience in "working on anti-corruption programs in emerging markets."
Might be a job better suited for Austin Powers. Moving on.

NA GBU Lead Sanofi-Genzyme (Senior Director/AVP). I don't know what to make of this one.
"The Global Diabetes Therapy Area (“TA”) Head will be responsible for leading a broad portfolio of development and marketed products in the Diabetes therapy area."
Good God. I don't know anything about that. It sounds too important, anyway. Pass.

Fixture Installer. I'm mildly intrigued. Let's see.
"Primary responsibilities of the fixture installer:
Resets consist of reading plan-o-grams (schematics, diagrams) and pulling products off the shelf.
Moving or replacing the shelving systems and re-stocking in an organized fashion.
New store installs involve setting up new fixtures and stocking shelves as needed."
Hmmm. Says I need to be able to travel up to three weeks at a time (insert game show buzzer sound). Would probably not be good for my marriage. But I just learned that "plan-o-gram" is a word. And I like it.

Personal Shopper Eastgate Marketplace. OK, I'm not a big fan of shopping, but I'll happily spend other people's money if it's worth my while. So let's take a look at this one.
"Primary responsibility is to Take Excellent Care Of Our Customers by satisfying each customer’s needs, exceeding their expectations, and making every shopping visit a pleasant and satisfying experience. Is responsible for nearly every aspect of the Personal Shopper program, from downloading internet orders to loading customer vehicles During down times, the Order Selector also performs the duties of bagger and/or cashier."
Whoa, whoa, wait a minute, this sounds like a fancy way to say we'd like you to join the Harris Teeter team. This would be a step back. My first job was at a grocery store when I was 15. I'm just not ready to go back down that road. What's next?

Lactation Consultant. Um. Are you sure? 'Cause I'm not against it, but. . .
"The lactation consultant functions as a member of the health care team to promote support and protect breastfeeding by. . .assisting women to learn the skills to successfully initiate and maintain lactation and to overcome obstacles to breastfeeding, thus enhancing maternal role satisfaction."
Wait, it's based in Indianapolis. Sigh. Over and out.

I'll keep you guys posted. Take care and keep in touch.

Joe

Sold

I have some good news. We closed on the sale of my old house in Connecticut yesterday, and it's a huge relief. It has absolutely nothing to do with the money. It does mean that the kids will have a boost for their college funds and we'll have a little extra cash tucked away for retirement. Oh, and I can now put in a bid to have the Rolling Stones play at a cookout at our house this summer. 

Sigh. If only.

Truthfully, I'm just glad that this chapter is closed. I talked a lot about this here a couple of months ago. It's hard knowing that I won't be coming up very often to Wethersfield in the future, because I still have a lot of friends here. But now it will be a lot easier to focus on what's in front of me at my home in Virginia.

A good friend (and occasional reader of this blog) told me that I shouldn't get upset about losing the house, because the memories I've accumulated there over the years are what really counts. I think she's right.

And with that. . .so long, 8 Cedar St. And thank you.

Random thoughts

Just had a few things on my mind lately and thought I'd share. . .

I was wrong. A little while back, we talked here about the fear of the unknown and how we shouldn't let that fear take over our lives. Well, it's been roughly six weeks since our new president took office, and holy hell, what a mess he's made. It's embarrassing for our country, and I know he'll never realize that he's in over his head.

Can impeachment be that far away? I hate to get my hopes up. But I like what I'm seeing from the judicial system, the Fourth Estate and efforts like the Women's March on Washington (shameless plug for my wife here, who was in attendance that day). Let's keep it up.

When I wrote that post back in November, I hope nobody misinterpreted my optimism as indifference to other people's concerns. I just figured we could wait and see what happened before we came to any conclusions.

Well, my conclusion is this: I'm still a glass half-full person, but these days, that glass better contain some Scotch.

When things are slow, the dog keeps it interesting. It's also been roughly six weeks since I quit my job, and while I've landed a couple of freelance assignments, there's been some down time in between. So you know, quality time with the dog! The other day, he spent about 20 minutes trying to climb a tree in our backyard. Now, he's not a fitness freak, but he apparently chased the neighbor's cat up there and was on a "rescue" mission of sorts. A mission that would have ended with that cat firmly clenched inside his jaws.

I finally got him inside when I told him I'd take him for a walk. No photo available, I apologize. This random shot will have to do.

Scrumtrulescent is not actually a word, but now my son thinks it is. Back when Will Ferrell was on Saturday Night Live, he had a terrific recurring skit when he did an impression of James Lipton, who hosted a show called "Inside the Actors Studio." He had this one bit when he interviewed Charles Nelson Reilly (played by Alec Baldwin) and he described Reilly's work as "scrumtrulescent." So of course I watched the clip the other day, then used the word in a random conversation around the house, and my son subsequently used that word to describe my scrambled eggs. Thank you, son. You made my day.

Getting back in shape is slowly killing me. Quitting the job also meant losing out on the company gym, where I would go on my lunch hour while in the office. So I took the cheap deal at Planet Fitness, and I'm now paying $10 a month so I can wake up every day feeling like I got hit by a bus. I don't know if it's because I had gotten so far out of shape, or if it's a function of getting older. But man. Sometimes the aches and pains show up in places I didn't know existed.

I think it's time for a glass half-full of Scotch. . .