Making Up for No September Posts

Yikes! Until tonight, I had gone almost two months (from August 4 to October 11) without a post on my blog. I'd like to tell you this means that I have an incredibly exciting life and that I've been too busy to post anything. The truth is that after working on a computer all day long, I don't always think about posting something when I get home at the end of the long day. I find that I usually jump online to check e-mail, play a game of Canasta on Pogo and sign off.

Move Update
With that said, life has been pretty ho-hum the past two months. I returned to Portland during the last weekend in July. Of all the moves I've made in the past few years, this has been the easiest by far. While it is always challenging to learn a new job, I have not had the other struggles usually associated with a move (learning a new area, finding my way around town, finding a grocery, getting to know new people, etc.).

The toughest part of my move has been my morning commute. I love where I live, but it's a pain getting to work in the morning. I only work about eight miles from my home, but it can be quite a challenge making it to work in less than a half an hour. If I go one way, I hit major traffic heading into the city. If I go the so-called "backroads route", I hit school buses, speed bumps and speed traps. I realize that many others have a much longer and farther commute so I really should not complain. It's just amazing that it can take such a long time considering I do not live very far away from the office.

Jamie and Nick
In early August, I traveled to Spanaway to see my niece, Jamie, and her husband, Nick. The newlyweds moved there in June because Nick is in the Army. While there, I had the opportunity to see my nephew, Travis, who was visiting from Columbus. It was great to catch up with everyone, spend some time with Tiger and Stewart (the dog and cat!) and to see their nice house. It is great having family members on the west coast!

They Grow Up So Fast!
Speaking of family, my nephew Bo is a freshman at Kent State. He is planning on majoring in Journalism. A few weeks back, he needed help with a college project and called me. Naturally, I was happy to help him. He was very serious and professional, and did a great job with the interview. It seems just like yesterday that he was born!

Classy Baseball People
I had the good fortune to sit with John Boles of the Seattle Mariners for a few innings while the Portland Beavers faced Tacoma at a game at PGE Park in August. (Tacoma is the Triple-A club for Seattle.) I had known John from when he worked for the Florida Marlins and I worked for the Charlotte Knights. "Bolesy" is a Special Assistant to the General Manager for the Mariners. He was busy scouting players, yet he took time to speak with me. It was wonderful to see him again.

Speaking of the Florida Marlins, Fredi Gonzalez was recently hired as the Marlins' manager. Fredi was the Knights manager in 1998 and a joy to work with on a daily basis. I'm thrilled for Fredi and his family that he is getting the chance to live his dream of managing in the big leagues.

Work
I'm on a six-month contract as a MicroStrategy Report Developer. There is a lot to get done on a daily basis so time goes by quite quickly. The two biggest challenges for me have been learning about insurance and picking up projects that were not completed by the previous developer. Thankfully, I have very nice co-workers and we've got some great projects in progress that will be in production soon.

In August, I took a course to become a MicroStrategy Certified Developer. It was a weeklong course and very interesting. I was expecting the course to be like other MicroStrategy courses that I've taken in the past, but instead it was more fast-paced and had different course material. Thankfully, I passed the test and received my certification.

Barry Goldwater Documentary
In 2002, I had the priviledge to work on the crew of "The Dust Factory", a feature film shot in Portland. It was a once-in-lifetime experience as I had the chance to work with some incredibly talented people. My boss on the film was Tani Cohen, a producer from Los Angeles. Her latest project is Mr. Conservative, a documentary about Barry Goldwater that is currently showing on HBO. If you like politics, this wonderful documentary takes a look at Barry Goldwater the man, who also happened to be a politician.

I miss Giants Stadium!
As thrilled as I am to be back in Portland, I miss the Meadowlands! Last year, I had the good fortune to work all of CBS Sports' NFL broadcasts that took place at Giants Stadium. While Giants Stadium is not physically as nice as some of the newer stadia in the league, I miss working games there. I miss the drive on I-80 to the stadium, the New York skyline, the fantastic Chinese food place in Parsipanny, N.J., the flea market in the parking lot at the Meadowlands, Jim Cerny's Newark Bears, and most importantly, I miss the crew from CBS Sports.

Speaking of the NFL...
The Cleveland Browns defeated the Oakland Raiders, 24-21, on Sunday, October 1. Through six games, my beloved Browns are 1-5. Thankfully, they have an Open Date this weekend. I don't expect my team to go undefeated each season, but it would be nice if the squad was at least competitive. Also, it doesn't help matters that the Cincinnati Bengals are one of the league's better teams.

Thankfully, Ohio's "other" NFL team - the Ohio State Buckeyes - are ranked No. 1 in the BCS College Football poll. Coach Jim Tressell has done a wonderful job with this year's team. Hopefully, Ohio State will continue to play well, defeat Michigan in November and win another national championship. Go Buckeyes!