Jeep Radio(s)

This is a recurring theme, but it is important.

This happened a couple of months ago.  I had my Jeep parked out in front of the house, get up and find the glove box open and broke and the faceplate to the radio gone.  This is the second radio I have lost in the Jeep.  I am pissed about the radio, more pissed that it happened while it was parked in my driveway in front of house.

When I stop being mad, I start wondering why it happened.  It does not make sense to me.  They left a leather coat and a pair of expensive sun glasses sitting in the Jeep.  It bothers me a great deal, that I have Firefighter plates on the Jeep and that someone would chose it.  I call the Sheriff to come out and take a report.  To make my mood darker, this happened when I was on a roll, things really going well for me.  I am in the garage trying to find the original radio for the Jeep.  I am certainly not going to put another good radio in the Jeep if they are going to steal it.

Sheriff comes out and tells us that the whole neighborhood was hit.  There were varying degree's of theft and damage to cars.  The deputy says it does not appear to be well thought out or organized.

It starts to dawn on me that this is not a dark cloud following me, not the start of a run of bad luck.  This really is not about me at all.  This is one of the those crappy random events.  All over the neighborhood there are people getting up like me and wondering what they did to deserve this.  Like me, they are already making contingency plans on how to avoid it in the future.

We are all idiots and are breaking that cardinal rule.  You should never let what other people cannot do define what you can do.  The shortcomings or bad judgment of other people should never define or change who you are at your core.

The Jeep thing was a crappy random event.  I do not deserve a crappy radio because a thief took my good radio.   Now in retrospect, it seems stupid that for a moment I thought I may have deserved it because I left the Jeep out.  No one deserves to be have property damaged or stolen.  Some low life saw an opportunity to steal and did that.  It is not really more complex than that.

I replaced the faceplate and enjoy the hell out of the radio.  I take the faceplate with me when I have the top down.  Does not mean it will not happen again, random crappy things happen.  BUT I am not going to not enjoy the radio and the top down for all those days because of a single crappy event.

And I am not giving the dirtbag who did it another hour of my time.  Another one of those cosmic tests to see if I have my priorities straight..I do.

Live your life according to your own moral and internal compass.  Let those crappy people and events travel their own paths, do not make those events or paths your own. 

It would have been a sin to either not have a radio in the jeep or a crappy one because of one single event.  Yea, I am out $150 dollars but if you divide that by the number of days I have enjoyed the hell of a good song on a clear day...well hell it is damn cheap.

Love Dad

The Bike Chonicals #2

On the way to town, there is a long tough hill that I have to traverse before I get to a nice stretch of down hill.  It is on road 34 - it is about 2 miles of uphill riding. 

Every day I ride on that road, it looks a little shorter.  It is still a butt kicking ride, but I feel that it kicks my butt a little less every time I ride it.  I love that.  I feel like a king when I get to the top of that hill.  It makes makes the downhill after that seem so much better and I feel like I have earned it. 

When I was looking for the best way to town, there is a way that is more flat and where the hill looks smaller.  It never stops being tempting to take that road instead of that long hill.  I am like everyone else -  it is human nature to always consider the path of least resistance.  Flat and downhill never sounds bad.

The problem is that if you do a lot of downhill the trip back up hill will suck really, really, bad.  And make no mistake, you always have to go back up the hill.  That is one of those hard and fast rules in life.

You see despair in people when they find themselves at the bottom of a couple of long hills and they are contemplating how to get back up the hill.  There is no way around having to move back up the hill.  You can postpone it but that makes its seem more daunting than it really is.
 
Everyone understands the things that are meaningful are at the top of those hills.  Getting to the top does not require any magic or special gifts.  You just got to get on the bike and ride, no magic just pedal the bike.

If I knew how to post pictures on this blog, I would post one of me, sweating through my neon PIG ROAST t-shirt at the top of my hill - the undisputed king of hill 34.  I would want you to have that image when you find yourself looking up at a hill with your name on it.  You will be the undisputed king of a whole lot of hills in your life.  You already know what it feels like to get to the top of one.  I hope you never lose site of that.

You have to be equally careful to not kill yourself riding uphill all the time.  That is as bad as riding downhill all the time. Downhills are the rewards for the up hill climb.  If you don't take time for the downhills and enjoy them, a lot of real joy will be sucked out of your life for no reason at all. 

Joy belongs in your life.

Love Dad.

The Bike Chronicals #1

I have started riding my mountain bike to town.  I log 10+ miles each way.  I can manage the round trip now.  At the age of 51, this is no small feat for me.  I have discovered the wisdom of padded bike shorts and padded gloves.  Like I always tell you, I am constantly learning the lessons that I am trying to convey to you.  At the beginning, I turned up my nose at padded anything.  Numb hands and a seriously sore ass (despite the extra big seat) helped me see the light.

Like a lot of things, it is easier to turn your nose up at things when you are not involved in them in any kind of meaningful way.  For me, I just had not ridden enough miles to have a sore ass and numb hands.  

There is a life lesson there.  Opinions, motivations and drive change in direct proportion to the amount of time you put into something.  If you have strong opinions about things you are not fully participating in, you are going to sound like an uniformed dick.  Be willing to listen to people who are putting in a lot of time and effort in the pursuit of that specific activity.  Listening never stops being one of the most powerful things you can do. 

You will be happy to know that I follow the old school / old guy rules of fashion and dress age appropriate when riding my pedal bike.  My padded bike shorts have a shell that is baggy and loose.  I have recycled all of the PIG ROAST VOLUNTEER t-shirts.  Those great neon orange & yellow colors help people see me and I like arriving at my destination profusely sweating in a PIG ROAST t-shirt.

Grandma called today and asked if you were both wearing sun screen.  I told nobody was wearing a thing and that she should call you both up and yell at you.   I will yell at you as soon as I start wearing some myself.

Love Dad

Resolutions - Mid Year Report.

In the interest of full disclosure I wanted to tell you at the mid point where I am with all of my resolutions. 

Resolution 1 - I want to lose 30lbs by my birthday in June.  Update:  As of this morning I am down 37 lbs and I am continuing to drop.  I am always relearning the lessons I am trying to teach you.  In the end it comes down to what I am always telling you.  No magic, just hard work and a commitment to change a path that was not working for me.

Resolution #2 - I want to complete the Field Instruction Paramedic Process for the new FD.  Update: Part of what I said in the orignal resolution was this.  **Look back at the things that you value in yourself and in the people close to you.  These people and things will reach out to you and help you when you need it the most**.  With that in mind, and after careful reflection I retired from the FD to work more on the things I value and the people closest to me.  This I am working on.

Resolution #3. - I am going to set aside 30 minutes a day to reach out to my family and friends for things that do not have anything to do with the things I am trying to accomplish.   Update:  Hmm, jury is still out.  The intent here is to spend 30 physical minutes doing this a day..and that I am not doing.  6 more months left to get this ironed out.

Resolution  #4 - I want to learn how to play the guitar and do at least 3 cheesy magic tricks.  Update: Again the jury is still out.  I can play part of Sweet Home Alabama, and the big book of magic is still on my night table waiting on my considerable magic potential.  

Resolution #5 - I want to see the ocean this year with mom.  I want to plan a Griswald family type trip.   Update: Almost...we had a great road trip, truly memorable.  Missed having you both there but like you guys always do, someone stayed back to the heavy lifting.  Seeing the ocean with mom is still on the list.

Resolution #6 - I want to commit to send you at least 3 blogs a week, whether you need them or not.  Update: Tragic failure here.  But I intend to get back on track.

I turn 51 on Sunday.   When I think back, of all of the great things I have been able to do.  Being a dad, is far and away the best thing I have done and will do.  One of the perks is that I still take credit for the way you turned out, even when it is you doing the hard work.


Love Dad

Pick Me

This was more than a couple years back but again, it is a true story.  There was a round of layoffs coming and I was part of the group that was at risk.   The affected group was encouraged to apply for a series of new positions.   As luck would have it (and at the 11th hour), a  couple of positions opened up.  A perfect fit for my skill and experience level.  I applied for both.  Surprised the hell out of me when I did not get either position.  It would be nice to tell you that I was just barely edged out but the truth is I was not even in the running for either position. 

Things happen for a reason. 

I have always believed that the shortest distance between two points in the best and preferred way to go.  When I see the most direct path no longer available to me, I have to always be careful to not to second guess why that direct path is no longer available.

Occam's razor -  the simplest explanation is most likely the correct one.   I did not get those positions because there were better qualified, experienced, people that fit that group of people. 

You always run the risk of over analyzing things like this.  When doubt creeps in, you can end up in that doubt spiral that is so hard to get out of.  When that doubt creeps in, I just count up all the wins I have had.  There is a recognizable pattern in the wins.  They happen because I work hard, believe in myself, and put the occasional thing that does not happen in the right perspective.    

The way it worked all those years back was that after not getting looked at for either of those remaining positions, I ended up getting a better position with more pay at the  very last minute.  There was no magic there, just hard work, perspective, and a belief I have in myself to always end up in the right spot.  As it turned out, those two positions I did not get ended up being rolled up in the layoff's a couple of months after they were filled. 

Things happen for a reason.

So if you encounter a situation where you are not selected or picked, appreciate the people that did not select you.  You always want to be picked by someone who see's who you really are.   This is true in employment, relationships, roommates, and the people you hang out with.  It is early on and you both have had a tremendous amount of success.  You should without much effort see in your own lives that it is not magic.   Old school stuff,  hard work, believe in yourself, and let the other stuff go.  Perspective is a powerful thing.

Never, ever let what someone else cannot see, define what you can see.

Love Dad

Battle Ready

The Pilgrimage was from a point in Espanola, NM to a church outside of Chimayo, NM.  10.2 miles up and 10.2 miles back.   I have developed OCD from my years with the FD.  It is a great thing for a Firefighter to have but kind of annoying in everyday life.  I check things more times than I need to and I always assume the very best plans will go right to hell by a twist of fate that I cannot anticipate. 

So when I started out at 05:00 AM on Friday, I was carrying cold weather gear, rain gear, water, and assortment of fruit and snacks..my backpack was not light.  Weather was forecast to be in the mid 50's.  Thick socks, hiking boots, and I am already dressed in layers.   I am ready to adapt, improvise, and overcome any obstacle.

I am starting to learn (a little late in life, but what the hell) the importance of planning for and adapting to plans that go much better than I could have imagined.  This is one of those life skills that is important.  I am hoping you will master this skill very early on in life.  Being able to identify those situations that do not require the ability to improvise, adapt, and overcome is as important as identifying those that do.

The 10.2 miles up is all uphill and a daunting hike.  Despite the clear, warm morning, I did not take the cold weather gear out of my backpack.  I missed other opportunities to lighten my load along the way.  Every couple of miles on the uphill climb there are tents where there is free cold bottled water, apples, banana's, and oranges.   In retrospect, the best thing here would have been to drink my water and eat my fruit and lighten my load.  By mile 4 I could have been comfortably been traveling uphill with a very light backpack.  I did lighten my load at about the 18 mile mark. 

Planning for worst case is relatively easy.  Planning & adapting to best case can be much harder and is less intuitive.

The walk was beautiful and peaceful in a way that is difficult to describe.  I certainly could have made it much easier than I did.  I can't escape the feeling that I was the guy who was in armor and battle ready ...at a pool party.

There are plenty of times to wear your armor and be battle ready.  Learn how to recognize when to not be battle ready.  There are plenty of times when you will have to carry a heavy ass backpack and other times when there is no need to do so. 



Love Dad

Say Thank You

I will be traveling down to NM to do a pilgrimage on Good Friday.  

For me it is a celebration of everyone and everything I have in my life...and there is a LOT to celebrate.

It is a great weekend to celebrate things like this.  Don't forget to do this in your own way.

The battle will resume early next week.

Love Dad