Week 6

I'm sure you've all experienced this...you're digging through your things and you come upon something you haven't used in a long time and rediscover something about it. Perhaps it's last winter's jacket which you miraculously find $20.00 or you find a letter someone sent you a few years ago in a desk drawer...well this is something I found tonight. I was looking for my camera to start putting things up on Craigslist and found Colleen's camcorder. I found our ski trip toDurango last New Year's and it also had some camping trip video's from that summer (2008).

I know you're all probably looking for the photos that are from the wedding, but we are keeping those all locked up until we get both the reception and ceremony photos. So this is week 6 of our marriage and maybe you all have questions about what to expect for a month and a half. I can't really say to expect much because we all experience different things at different times.

On that note I want to let you all in on something Colleen and I have experienced in our first month and half together. Just love each other up and cherish all the time you can together! I miss the honeymoon! You get to spend every hour and minute together and then you go back to everyday life and it splits you apart. Colleen and I had experienced a weird twist of fate or perhaps you could say an odd example of switching shoes. Back in May and the months leading up to May; Colleen was in a job that just killed her. She was always stressed, they put too much on her plate, didn't pay her enough, and they belittled her and made her feel less than the exemplary employee she is. So she had started looking for a company that would "take care of her". Luckily she found that in USAA. It was a wonderful turn of events that she finally found a company that respected her as an employee. All the while I kept saying how awful her old company was and how good mine was.

Amazing how only a few short months can change all of that!! Now Colleen is in a great job, where they do respect and take care of her and pay her accordingly. Now I'm in her shoes. I'm in a dead end job, with no respect, too much work, too much stress, and it's physically exhausting. It totally changes you as a person...and not in any good ways. You become easily irritable, and are cranky, tired, and generally not even fun to be around. Of course Colleen was always a joy to be around even during all of her stress. She's astounding as to how much she can take on and still be an amazing person through it all. I; however, am not so amazing. I probably haven't been at all fun to be around through all of this. This whole economic down turn has been a massive pain for those of us who are "lucky" to still have jobs. I think that has got to be the worst expression I've heard through this whole thing. I don't feel lucky in the sense that it doesn't give company's the right to treat their employees like cattle! It should not give them the excuse to trample all over us and to flex their muscle of, "Hey at least you're lucky to still have your job."

I think we all deserve better. Although it may be a tough job market, for those of us who are working and are working our asses off because company's have trimmed the fat and are running lean, make sure you are putting yourselves out there on the job market. You deserve the best for you, and your family, and especially your spouse! Those of us that are still working, have been able to weather the economic storm and are the "fittest surivors." Use that to your advantage! Go out there and get something better. Don't settle for less than you are worth.

Lastly I'll leave one bit of lesson I've taken from the past two weeks. Your family ALWAYS comes first. No job is worth your health. No job is worth your marriage. And NO job is worth your life. We all work to live; not live to work.

5 weeks

Another week has come and gone and we're getting into the comfortable part of living in Phoenix. October has been a very busy month. We've been trying to unload as much of the wedding supplies we had to buy for the ceremony and reception so that has been a big chore. We've also been trying to get a start on our thank you notes...so there in the works, no need to check the mail box just yet. We figure 10 a day should help us knock them out pretty quickly, without killing our hands of arthritis doing it all in one day.

Ian just went through his Vendor Expo this weekend and that made for a long weekend. Luckily they give you plenty of free stuff to almost make it worth your while. Rory had ruined the wii remotes and we were going to be forced to buy new ones from Ian's work, but Ian got brand new ones at the expo because he knew the vendor and told them our story...so voila problem solved thank goodness. A wii with no wiimotes isn't much fun at all, it's just a white piece of plastic that can work as a bookend at that point.

As for Colleen she has been busy taking care of business at home and making it pristine, clean, and organized. She's also been busy applying for classes for the mid-fall session since USAA pays for tuition reimbursement. Colleen has also been helping Ian immensely with his work, and helping him get through an extremely stressful time at work. Seems like the ones of us that are "lucky" enough to have jobs are getting worked to the point of exhaustion. We just saw a stat on the news the other night that pink-slips for tardiness at work are down 3% from last year. But people having to take time off because of burn-out are up 28%. So how lucky do you feel to be working right now? Exactly...

We hope all of you who are dealing with a bad company situation are working through it and keeping your head up high. We wish you guys the best of luck in your search for a better company. The best advice I ever received in business school in my Human Resources 310 class was that no matter how much you love your job or hate your job and have one...alway, always, always be looking for that next opportunity. Because rarely is it that opportunities come knocking on your door. It's up to you to create your own opportunities, you are the one that has to be in charge of your career and it's progression. No one else owns that but you.

So that is my weekly advice or words of wisdom for this week.

1 Month Anniversary

Well it's been one month of married bliss, and I bet all of you thought we had forgotten about our blog. It's funny how life gets away from you. Two weeks has flown by and September has come and gone. Denver experienced freak snow, I turned a quarter century old, the Niners lost a nail biter to the Vikings, which I placed a bet on. So the bet was if the Vikings won I would have to wear a Vikings Jersey sometime that following week. So being a good sport I had to wear a Vikes jersey the entire day on Wednesday. Everyone that came up to me said ah...must've lost a bet. It was at least funny although it stung and I died a little each time. The most important change this week has been the fact that DBL has instituted a new dress code policy. So that meant getting a brand new wardrobe.

Colleen has been an amazing wife. She did an entire day's worth of shopping for me to get my wardrobe back in style. She took my measurements and went to town. And what a deal shopper she is. She got me 8 pairs of jeans and 8 dress shirts and 2 sweaters all for $250.00. She then spent another whole evening getting me 2 suits and 3 pairs of dress pants...all for an astounding $200.00. Her secret, I'll never tell...you'll have to go to her direct. I'll give you a hint...she's got mad hookups when it comes to coupons.

I have to say I have by far the best wife a man could ever ask for. She has been amazing getting me new clothes and making sure I'm ready and on time for work everyday. She has been my biggest supporter and and the crutch I lean on everyday. It really is true that behind every good man is an even better woman!