I read an interesting news article that narcissism is on the rise. Blogs, YouTube, twitters and the like are blamed for it. Funny enough, one of the first things I wanted to do when I passed my latest certification exam was blog it.
So, everybody admire me!
Anna pointed out that I did not yet get a certification that I was halfway through. It is a two part test and I needed to take the second part. Now that I have one year left before I switch modes to Facilities Management and leave IT behind, it's now or never.
I signed up with one week to study. I casually looked at some study material, did some last minute cramming last night and as of 10:30am this morning became the latest person to join the ranks of certified CompTIA A+ Remote Support Technicians. And just to emphasize how great I am, guess how well I did... Go ahead, guess.
I got 874 out of 900. My math may be wrong, but I believe that's just a touch over 97%. Yeah, it's easy to be narcissistic when you are me...
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
The Big Promotion...Right...?
I've been keeping this on the "down low" until now in case it didn't happen or I would do something to mess it up. But now it's happening and I am free to speak.
Late last year a co-worker of mine, Joe, in a different department told me that he is now looking for his replacement (he is retiring). And one person he had his eye on was me. His department is Facilities Management and Project Management. Basically maintenance and construction.
When I was a kid, I used to do some side jobs with my dad. He was a finish carpenter. He was the sole employee of a contractor. On smaller tasks my dad did the work himself. On larger jobs he hired Mexicans or specialized contractors and would oversee the work. When I worked with him it was tuff work. Sadly, it was probably the most exercise I ever got as a kid. And as much as I liked the money, I really didn't like the work.
That was one of the reasons why I chose the work I did. I got the education and then a job in radio where there was no fear of breaking a sweat. I transitioned into computers again comfortable in the knowledge that I had an inside job. And now someone wants to take me out of that?
Well, truth be told, I was not so sure I would want the job at first. But I learned that it's more about managing the work and people. My new mentor says we are in the business of people, not buildings. That sold me. Well, that and there is a serious promotion involved.
So I took this special $900 talent assessment test last month (at the Church's expense). The results must have been positive because shortly after that, I got the call and was asked to come aboard.
On Monday it was announced that I would be the new protege. Joe will retire in about a year, so I will spend the next year at his side trying to soak everything up like a sponge. While doing this, I will still be fulfilling my full time responsibilities as the only IT guy in Guam. And until Joe leaves and I go solo, my pay will remain unchanged. Yeah, this is an investment for me.
Six months ago I was speaking with my niece, Sammie, about my work. She honestly thought that I did construction already. I am pretty sure an old post about a one time side job I did gave her this impression. Or do I have that vibe? Am I just destined to do this? My dad might have had me work with him over those horrible summers knowing something because he never really did get his money's worth. Is construction in my DNA? Well, either way, it's about to become so. Watch out world, Jared The Builder is about to be let loose!
Late last year a co-worker of mine, Joe, in a different department told me that he is now looking for his replacement (he is retiring). And one person he had his eye on was me. His department is Facilities Management and Project Management. Basically maintenance and construction.
When I was a kid, I used to do some side jobs with my dad. He was a finish carpenter. He was the sole employee of a contractor. On smaller tasks my dad did the work himself. On larger jobs he hired Mexicans or specialized contractors and would oversee the work. When I worked with him it was tuff work. Sadly, it was probably the most exercise I ever got as a kid. And as much as I liked the money, I really didn't like the work.
That was one of the reasons why I chose the work I did. I got the education and then a job in radio where there was no fear of breaking a sweat. I transitioned into computers again comfortable in the knowledge that I had an inside job. And now someone wants to take me out of that?
Well, truth be told, I was not so sure I would want the job at first. But I learned that it's more about managing the work and people. My new mentor says we are in the business of people, not buildings. That sold me. Well, that and there is a serious promotion involved.
So I took this special $900 talent assessment test last month (at the Church's expense). The results must have been positive because shortly after that, I got the call and was asked to come aboard.
On Monday it was announced that I would be the new protege. Joe will retire in about a year, so I will spend the next year at his side trying to soak everything up like a sponge. While doing this, I will still be fulfilling my full time responsibilities as the only IT guy in Guam. And until Joe leaves and I go solo, my pay will remain unchanged. Yeah, this is an investment for me.
Six months ago I was speaking with my niece, Sammie, about my work. She honestly thought that I did construction already. I am pretty sure an old post about a one time side job I did gave her this impression. Or do I have that vibe? Am I just destined to do this? My dad might have had me work with him over those horrible summers knowing something because he never really did get his money's worth. Is construction in my DNA? Well, either way, it's about to become so. Watch out world, Jared The Builder is about to be let loose!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Easter 2009...
Just because you don't have kids does not mean you cannot have Easter fun. We didn't really do much, however. We stayed home all day. We watched conference in the morning and slept in the early afternoon.
When we got up we boiled 6 eggs and began to create. Well, ok, I have to admit that we were not very creative this year. It was very low on the creativity scale when compared to previous years. But we had fun.
The only problem with making these eggs is that Anna won't eat them. The coloring seeps through the shell and slightly colors the egg below. It has never bothered me, or anyone else that I know. But Anna just can't bring herself to eat them once they are stained. Which means for the next week or two, I have to be creative and find ways to eat hard boiled eggs. Are there others who go to all that effort to make eggs but won't eat them because of the color?
It may take extra work, but I try to make sure I use every egg we make. I don't want to end up doing what we did once in my childhood home. My parents hid candy and real hard boiled Easter eggs around the house. The kids then scoured the place looking for hidden goodies. We found them all, except the one behind the couch. We did later find it - the following year on Easter. I don't remember how we determined it was a year old, but I'm pretty sure it involved a very disappointed and disgusted kid expecting something else.
We bought a Shrek pack to make it easier for us to have nice looking eggs with minimal effort. Also, it was on sale last April for $1 and have been holding onto it for a year.
When we got up we boiled 6 eggs and began to create. Well, ok, I have to admit that we were not very creative this year. It was very low on the creativity scale when compared to previous years. But we had fun.
The only problem with making these eggs is that Anna won't eat them. The coloring seeps through the shell and slightly colors the egg below. It has never bothered me, or anyone else that I know. But Anna just can't bring herself to eat them once they are stained. Which means for the next week or two, I have to be creative and find ways to eat hard boiled eggs. Are there others who go to all that effort to make eggs but won't eat them because of the color?
It may take extra work, but I try to make sure I use every egg we make. I don't want to end up doing what we did once in my childhood home. My parents hid candy and real hard boiled Easter eggs around the house. The kids then scoured the place looking for hidden goodies. We found them all, except the one behind the couch. We did later find it - the following year on Easter. I don't remember how we determined it was a year old, but I'm pretty sure it involved a very disappointed and disgusted kid expecting something else.
Our collection of simple Easter Eggs this year.
We bought a Shrek pack to make it easier for us to have nice looking eggs with minimal effort. Also, it was on sale last April for $1 and have been holding onto it for a year.
I make Shrek, Anna made the other two and she is very proud of her Fiona.
The left is a "school teacher" style. The center is, well, what it is. The right one is Anna's "Ocean View" featuring the sun, a dolphin, air balloon and sailboat; all on a different scale.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
My First 5K...
After running around my apartment parking lot for a few months now, I decided it was time to take my exercise to the next level. After a few weeks I started to clock and measure my route. It turned out I was running as much as 8k every other night.
For what ever reason, I felt the next logical step was to join an organized 5k run. I went to a local sport store and grabbed a banner for the next 5k in Guam. It happened to be just about the largest Guam has ever had.
The 5k was sponsored by Pay-Less Supermarkets, which is the largest supermarket chain in Guam. With my $5 entrance fee I got a reusable bag and a sports bottle that would be just about big enough for me to use for sacrament on Sundays.
The worst part about this 5k for me would be the time. I run at night, when it’s cool and I’ve finished dinner and rested a bit. This 5k was to start at 6am, with a show time of 5:30 or sooner. ‘nuff said.
Anna and I got up about 4:45 am and slowly got ready. It was torture. At least I had Anna with me. She refused to run it with me, but she was there for me the whole time.
I was floored when I got to the meeting point. The crowd was massive. If you take a walk around the mall’s food courts in Guam you’ll think there is not one person on island that could do 1k, let alone 5. Where were all these fit people hiding? Well, apparently not in the food courts and fast food joints I frequent.
When time comes to roll I find myself in the back of a very large multitude. I never expected to get first, but being this far back in the pack I knew would lose a good minute or two until the herd thinned out some.
I ran like I never have before. Was I fast? No, but I never stopped. I never slowed down and I never walked a foot.
Also, along the way, I took the liberty of filming the monumentous event. I got many an odd look, but the video preservation of the memory is worth it.
I came in at…well, not first place. But I did get my fastest time ever on a 5K. And I had the satisfaction of saying that I’ve done it.
But don’t just read all about it. I’ve put together a documentary style video of it all. A caution now, it’s a full length video, 22 minutes long, broken into 3 bite size pieces. If you like documentaries, you’ll enjoy this style. If not, I still want you to watch it…
Enjoy.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
For what ever reason, I felt the next logical step was to join an organized 5k run. I went to a local sport store and grabbed a banner for the next 5k in Guam. It happened to be just about the largest Guam has ever had.
The 5k was sponsored by Pay-Less Supermarkets, which is the largest supermarket chain in Guam. With my $5 entrance fee I got a reusable bag and a sports bottle that would be just about big enough for me to use for sacrament on Sundays.
The worst part about this 5k for me would be the time. I run at night, when it’s cool and I’ve finished dinner and rested a bit. This 5k was to start at 6am, with a show time of 5:30 or sooner. ‘nuff said.
Anna and I got up about 4:45 am and slowly got ready. It was torture. At least I had Anna with me. She refused to run it with me, but she was there for me the whole time.
I was floored when I got to the meeting point. The crowd was massive. If you take a walk around the mall’s food courts in Guam you’ll think there is not one person on island that could do 1k, let alone 5. Where were all these fit people hiding? Well, apparently not in the food courts and fast food joints I frequent.
When time comes to roll I find myself in the back of a very large multitude. I never expected to get first, but being this far back in the pack I knew would lose a good minute or two until the herd thinned out some.
I ran like I never have before. Was I fast? No, but I never stopped. I never slowed down and I never walked a foot.
Also, along the way, I took the liberty of filming the monumentous event. I got many an odd look, but the video preservation of the memory is worth it.
I came in at…well, not first place. But I did get my fastest time ever on a 5K. And I had the satisfaction of saying that I’ve done it.
But don’t just read all about it. I’ve put together a documentary style video of it all. A caution now, it’s a full length video, 22 minutes long, broken into 3 bite size pieces. If you like documentaries, you’ll enjoy this style. If not, I still want you to watch it…
Enjoy.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Anna's Momisms...
When I was a kid, my family's favorite subject of discussion were Momisms. These are usually quotes, sometimes actions, of our mom. The kind where you wonder what was going on in her head. Like the time we all were escorted to our van and my mom freaked out that the van carpet had been stolen. They didn't take the stereo or anything else, just the carpet. A few minutes later it was discovered that she just put us into someone else's van. Or one time my mom was reading the news about a girl that had been raped. One of my siblings asked my mom what was for dinner and without flinching she said, "Sex." We all assumed she was just thinking of the article and didn't actually mean that...well, we hoped at least.
I did a post about the freakishly similar attributes I notice between my wife and my mother a year ago. I still frequently think of new things. And I'm glad that even though I have moved out, I still get new Momisms through my wife. Her latest two had me laughing for days on end.
And just like my mom, if you ask them about the story or even just bring it up, they will tell their version of the story to explain what they really meant. Of course, this only makes it worse and in the end no one really cares what they meant. What they said was just too funny and must be shared with the world.
P.S. I love you, Anna. Don't hurt me for posting this. :)
I did a post about the freakishly similar attributes I notice between my wife and my mother a year ago. I still frequently think of new things. And I'm glad that even though I have moved out, I still get new Momisms through my wife. Her latest two had me laughing for days on end.
- We were driving home in the evening and as we passed a homeless guy with his shopping cart full of garbage Anna asks me, "Where do all the homeless people live?"
- It's the end of the day and we are getting ready for bed. I reach over to get some blanket coverage and Anna warns me, "Careful, my hand is full of fingers."
And just like my mom, if you ask them about the story or even just bring it up, they will tell their version of the story to explain what they really meant. Of course, this only makes it worse and in the end no one really cares what they meant. What they said was just too funny and must be shared with the world.
P.S. I love you, Anna. Don't hurt me for posting this. :)
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