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Friday, September 26, 2008

Work and the Bike...



Work has been pretty frustrating since August. It is a good thing that I ride my bike. It is a therapeutic way to deal with the stress. This year has been interesting with the housing market in the toilet, it is difficult to relocate people. This is definitely the most challenging market I have experienced since being in the world of executive recruitment. I still have time to hit my minimum goal for the year, but I am running out of time of hitting what I really wanted to do.

This brings about some stress as it is challenging at times to keep spirits up for sure. I had a horrible thing happen this week as a candidate of mine came down with cancer and obviously pulled herself from contention on a position that she was about to have an on site interview. This is awful as the cancer has run in her family. Bad for my biz, but I can always get back on the phone and find more candidates. My heart just broke for her and her family, so Christa and I are definitely praying for her as she will start chemo soon. The wind is a little out of the sails today as my heart is a little heavy. This is why I decided to take a break and blog about it. Keep Jeanie and her family in your prayers.

The bike definitely helps. Next weekend is going to be nice as I embark on the two day MS 150 Bike to the Beach from San Antonio to Corpus Christi. This weekend I will do some long rides to train and get that last bit of training in before I hit the road next Friday for the Hill Country. Tomorrow morning I will ride about 40 or so miles and then Sunday I will do 100 miles in the Lions Club Biking for Sight ride out of Montgomery. It is a great tune up ride that I have done before...good hills and great support.

The challenge this week started on Sunday afternoon. Christa and I went to the Humble Blood Center and I gave blood. Probably not the best timing with only two weeks to go at the time before the Bike to the Beach, but I felt like I needed to after the hurricane. I am O-, so I am the universal blood type. Therefore, whenever I go, they ask the inevitable...either double red cell donation or red cell and double plasma. This time it was double red cell. When they do this, the donor can not give again for 4 months instead the normal two. It really takes a lot out of you. I attempted to ride the next morning on my trainer and bonked 30 minutes into it. I was exhausted all day. I quickly adjusted my diet to something rich in iron and high in protein (spinach and chicken salad every night this week!). I have also had about two yogurts every day, oatmeal every morning and tuna at lunch. This has helped a ton as yesterday I hopped on my TT bike and went all out for 30 minutes, did 11 miles and felt great afterward. I will know more as I get to mile 50 or 60 on Sunday...lol

Thursday, September 25, 2008

This month...


Whoa...where to start...: 

1) Prep for home for hurricane

2) Take Friday the 12th off to find a generator knowing we would need one this time! Christa works her magic by finding one on kingwoodyardsales.com

3) Dad flees Clear Lake as he gets a mandatory evacuation

4) Hunker down in master bedroom for 12 straight hours as tropical storm and hurricane force winds slam kingwood and we get to listen to branches, pine cones, and other hard objects pelt the roof

5) Gaze out at destruction at 10 a.m. and notice that the gutter is jammed and the street is beginning to flood due to the debris blocking it

6) Walk out in wind and rain to unjam the gutters in the street and then watch as I realize that I just started a raging river! Where is my raft now that I need it?

7) Clean up and then go help the neighbor down the street who had a pine tree land on their house - realize how blessed we are that no trees fell on our humble abode!

8) Clean up more

9) Crank up the generator and move everything out of the outside fridge - meanwhile next door neighbor's generator dies and we now share our generator - a real blessing as we split the gas cost as well! Thank you Claudio and Debbie!!!

10) Monday hits and still no power...Tuesday...no power and laundry is starting to pile up. 

11) Wednesday - Good buddy invites us to his house - I get some work done and Christa gets 3 loads of laundry done and folded as my friend has power....

12) Dad comes through with a miracle by calling in a favor to a company he does consulting with in the Galleria and gets me an office space that I can use until my power comes back in my office space. WoooHooooo!

13) Thursday night - Neighbors two doors down show Star Wars on a big screen for the kids in the neighborhood - love all of our neighbors!

14) Got in a ride on Saturday! The bonus? Lights come back on during the neighborhood showing of National Treasure that night!!

15) We take in some Kingwood evacuees as they do not have power (and still do not!) yet. They stay with us until Tuesday. BTW...you are welcome back anytime Maddy!

16) Office power back Monday morning 

17) Been playing catch-up most of the week and am just now starting to get back into a rhythm at the office.

18) Realize that I have not updated this in quite some time due to the storm as I received a wonderful note from one of my favorite "teenagers" (ha...not even close any more...j/k Rebecca) giving me more memories of my youth ministry days (I loved giving you a bad time with the Michael W. Smith song...it always made you smile and laugh...thanks for the great memory!).

19) Rush to update my blog and realize that it is 8:21 and I still need to shower and get my booty to my office to get cold calling!!

Thank you to all of you for your prayers and support during Ike. Please be praying for all of those who are still without power, lost their homes and personal valuables, Galveston Island and all of those there, my dad as he puts his home back together in Clear Lake and my wife's sanity as Chandler starts back at school today finally and Spencer gets to go back to mom's day out as well this morning!

We love you. 

Monday, September 1, 2008

Wow!!

Having a Monday off is always a nice blessing. Being able to get out on the bike for a quick 4o mile ride is even more of a blessing. I took out my anniversary present this morning and was blown away at the speed in a pack of riders. My max was 34 mph...yes...that was on a straight, not a hill! Unbelievable. All in all we did about 42 miles and we ended up averaging 21.5 mph. It was a blast. 

Yesterday was FFL (Fantasy Football League) draft day. It is always a lot of fun and great camaraderie between all of us ribbing each other non-stop about pics, etc. Last night we were greeted with a bonus as our good friends from Austin were in town and dropped by for a glass of wine. Amy and John are always a blast to have over. We pick up right where we left off everytime. I just wish they were closer, so that the picking up was not so far between each other.

It will be a busy week this week as Spencer cranks back up Mom's Day Out, Chandler begins week 2 at CMS, and I will be getting ready for a wedding this weekend. Not to mention the normal cold-calling in a normal day. 

Gustav has hit land and has missed mom and dad in Covington...Praise God!!! They will get some wind and rain, but nothing like Katrina from 2005 for sure. Now the big prayer is that the levees will hold in Nawlins.