Holiday Blogging....

I have been hammered by people about my blog not being updated more often, I didn't realize that so many people actually read my dribble. So all you people without a life, here you go (HAHA Kidding sheesh!)

I was out to a Christmas party with some friends a couple weeks back, up at the Garrison in Edmonton. It was with my good friends the Wilder's and their significant others. I had a blast, and needless to say I git really drunk. But it was a good time.

So I am in the 4th week of employment with TransCanada and I love it! I must say some days I feel extremely overwhelmed, and other days I think it is going to be easy. But when I get home at night(or the hotel) I feel good about what I am doing and the job i have. I have been traveling a lot lately and have been neglectful in updating this and other things. I am getting lotsa airmiles, and hotel points that's for sure.

I also have a very good friend of mine that is working at TransCanada as well, and I didnt even know it! We went to lunch my first week there, and I hope we will have the chance to do a few more.

I can't say much about what we are doing except it is pretty exciting work. I have never been at this level in a project before including all the legalities and nuances that happen behind the scenes. I had a nice chat with my project manager the other day when we were in Burlington Ontario during one of our team building events. It was a great chat as we had not had the chance to do so since i started, and I had struggling with some issues around approvals and direction, also around some communication issues.

I must say I was very relieved after our 2 hour chat. she was worried I was gonna quit and I was worried she wasn't happy with me. At the end we were on the same page, and the go forward for me is a positive outlook.

So I started my holidays technically, I have been working from my parents place. as I do not have enough holidays as I just started. They are great in letting me work from where ever I am. This week I am in Angus Ontario, and next week I will be at home in Edmonton, working from there. This will be good as I have lots of reading to do, 3-4 500 page contracts.

I am also looking forward to getting some rest over the holidays as the New Year will be busy for me. I need to start to prepare the house for sale, and start looking at a property in Ontario to purchase I also need to get all my taxes sorted out from being a contractor and an employee in two companies. I fear I may either owe a lot, or not be able to get it all done on time.

Well I have a million things to do today, starting with a shower, and its 2pm already! I love Christmas holidays, so much to do in so little time and my sense of urgency is slim to none.

I will try and update this again at least once more before New Years, but if I don't cut me some slack, then again, pestering me may work better to continue to update! Oh yeah and My banker brother(I am the good looking one) also has a blog now for those of you kthat know him and I.You can read it here http://williamstell.blogspot.com/2009/12/first-out-of-gate.html

Although he told me of his blog, and I asked him how many entries, he said one. I explained that Blog is something you write on a regular basis. one entry is a statement, not a blog! haha

Anyhoodle, all the best in the upcoming holidays everyone, and I look forward to speaking with you all in teh New Years!

A corner Turned...poster from Friday a little late

WOW, what a first week a new job. I left Regina on Friday, and drove back to Edmonton, spent the weekend unpacking and packing to head off to Calgary Sunday where TransCanada had rented me a furnished apartment. I have just about completed my first week at my new job , and I must say it was definitely an information overload kind of week. I had my orientation on Monday and then 2 days in a project kick off meeting Tuesday and Wednesday, and yesterday more meetings and information sessions. I still have to do all my safety and orientation type stuff over the next month, but it will be good as I don't have a lot of holidays(since I am new) and that will help fill in the time for myself. Ironically I even received my first paycheck on my first day at work, how sweet is that, no line ups , no waiting!

I must say they were very well organized when I arrived. They had my laptop for me, my blackberry ordered and programmed for me, like I said, my pay done. What a contrast to the other place, who took almost 3 weeks just to get me a computer of my own.

Today will be a relatively light day with me working the morning and meetings from 1-2 then off to the airport to fly home around 3:30. Its dress down day so jeans it is, and I feel, even though this week has been so much, that I am going to love this job and working for Transcanada. It is funny even though I feel sometimes I am not qualified for the jobs I apply to, or that I am way over my head, I seem to be able to grasp and learn and work within the scope that people hire me in. I think that the old saying about experience vs education comes into play, and that i can feed on my past experience to help me succeed at my future challenges.

Next week I will be heading off to Michigan to visit the EPC company that was hired to the Engineering, and then the week after I am off to Toronto to meet with the constructor and to be involved in a team building session. That will work out great for me as I can then stay in Toronto the next week for Christmas holidays with the family.

The Dash for the Finish Line

So I am feverishly trying to get things done to get out of Regina and head back to Edmonton by the end of the week. I have found that I relied too much on people committing things in a passing "Sure" or "Yeah I will buy that" I changed my mind leaving me with both an apartment to get rid of in the last couple days and some furniture. I suppose I should be pissed off, but I think I have come to expect this from even the most professional type people when it comes to money and haggling for stuff. I give them 30% off of furniture that is 4 months old, and they want 50% off. Give me a f#@king break! I give the discount to get rid of it knowing if I don't sell it I have to move it, and that's why I offer it at the price I do. Not so you can bend me over and take advantage of my leaving. These people are vultures. They actually think they are doing me a favor too! But you know, I will remember these yahoos going forward, and I am sure somewhere down the road we will work together again. And If I do have any furniture and stuff left over, I will give it away to a couple of the single moms that work with us as admin types. The ones that appreciate the hand and and appreciate what they have, not wallow in the fact they were able to jew me down another $100 on furniture.

Others were honest up front however and were a little more specific on what they wanted and I appreciated that. The fact is now I am 3 days away from leaving, and I still have my apartment and 1/3 my furniture. It is a bit stressful but I am not worried as I will hire cleaners for the house and move whatever I have to back to Edmonton. I will let the landlord try and rent it after I am gone, and hopefully it gets rented as soon as possible.

I really am hoping to be on the road by 3pm Friday, and call this place a memory. I am hoping to find some time over the next two days to pack all the stuff up, and come Friday, pack the Jeep and head er out.

Looking back to the future..

Well I have been looking back over the last year and I am amazed of what has happened both to myself and to the people and things around me. This time last year we were in downward spiral in the global economy, all the projects were being canceled and people were being laid off in droves. It was a very bleak time. I stopped by my old office the other day and three people said the same thing, it been a bad year.....I think how I resigned my job to go to another one, and then getting the shaft from that job, how a person whom I have been friends with and have worked with for many years screwed me over and didn't have the decency to even call me and let me know why the position went away. I think of all the people I tried to find work for, and couldn't and had to lay off, and the lucky ones that did find work. I think about the calls from employers for reference checks on some of the people that worked for me, that were being considered for other roles. I think of the countless resumes I sent out, and the numerous interviews I did, and the up and down feeling every time I received a phone call about a job, or a rejection email saying I didn't get the job. I remember talking to people, after being laid off, and how optimistic they were at the time that this was just a slow down and things would rebound quickly. I remember how relaxed I felt even though I didn't have a job, and how motivated I was to loose some weight and get in shape. I remember the day I received a call from Doug another person I worked with in the past, asking me to join him here in Regina on a project. I remember the excitement and the frustration of coming here, and having to deal with some inexperienced people, and working with some great people. The ups and down of again getting calls for jobs that I had applied to before coming here and even receiving a couple offers, not good offers, but none the less offers.

Yes that was my last year and I think now as I go forward again and move to a new position, and as I am preparing to leave here, how I might actually miss all these red necks, and newbies, and vendors and pain in asses, and friends I met. I think that whether I have spent 17 years or 5 months with a company, I always feel connected to the people I worked with, and I like to think that I made the place a a little bit better by being here.

As I look forward though I see a new and exciting career, I see excitement in the travel I will be doing, in the things I will be learning and the influence and hopefully the value added I will bring to the project I will be working on with TCPL. I see me being able to spend more time with my family and more time off for myself, reconnecting with some old friends in the east, and more time traveling visiting my great friends in the west.

But as I look back 12 months and I look forward twelve months, I realize how lucky I have been, with the opportunities I have had and have been given. I look at the change I have made and the difference i hope to make. I am excited and thank whoever looks after me up there or down there, for allowing me to be able to be me, and to have the family and friends I do.

One last note, I don't care what you say, when i am living in Calgary and Toronto, both hockey teams still suck ass!

The Turning Point

Well I have received and accepted an offer for a new position with TransCanada Pipeline. It is for a project down east in the Toronto Ontario Area. I was extremely excited to receive the job and it is something I have wanted to do for a while, work for an owner company on a project. I have done pretty much all the positions on the EPCM side of things, and this was a natural progression for me to move to the owner side. The only down side is I have to move, I can't go on LOA. Mind you, they pay for the move and everything, it is just tough leaving Edmonton which has been home for me for the last 9 years. I like to think I am coming back in after this project with TransCanada but who knows what will be going on in 3 years. I know I will miss the few close friends I have in Edmonton, and the not so close acquaintances even. The upside is I get to live and be close to my family, which I have not been for 30 years. I know it will be nice to see them on a more regular basis, and do a little more family things.

So my next year looks something like this... I leave Regina 27 November and drive back to Edmonton. I head down to Calgary on the 30 November and start with TransCanada. I put my house up for sale in Edmonton around February and move down east around March/April. I work and live in the Oakville area until late 2012 when the project ends, and then who knows....but you know what...who cares...it is exciting times for me now, and I am looking forward to the change. I will update some more on the actually job next entry when I have a little bit more time.

Until then keep your sticks on the ice!

Turbo Blogging

So here I am again, in less than a week I am blogging twice! Wow what a change eh. Well I have been really busy at work and forgetting to update this thing. I think if I had a dog, I would have a lot of poop on the floor forgetting to let him outside to do his business! So where to begin....

In the past week I have moved my office out to a Trucking yard where we have been storing our materials waiting for our onsite storage and warehouse to be ready. The trucking company is owned by 3 brothers and they are great guys. Matter of fact my main contact just retired from the RCMP. Now you know I don't like cops much, especially city clowns that can't solve a murder but can write a 1000 tickets in a day. I do have a lot of respect and admiration for the mounties. Yes even when they give me a ticket. They are more people orientated in my own opinion. Anyways, we moved our trailer out here and we started working out here this week. The y have this lil bgarage where they store their motor bikes etc that got turned into a bar of sorts. We were over there this week having a brew with some friends of theirs including ex NHL player Tiger Williams. Tigers brother Morgan an ex golden glove champ was there as well. It was fun, and we shot the shit. He is a big advocate of the supporting our troops, and we hit off right away. So that's the picture I have attached. BTW I have met several NHLers and I don't go gaga over them. I suppose that's why I get along with them.

Some how I have hurt my knee the last day or so. I am walking with a nice limp as it stiffens up and makes it impossible to put weight on it...old age maybe....or just old injuries haunting me. Hopefully I heal in the next week.

Last Friday I informed my boss I was most likely leaving the project and taking a new role with one of two potential offers. He was a little taken back but after we chatted he totally understood my drivers and actually supported me as he always has. That's the reason I came back to work with him again. Although when i told him, I was not 100% sure I had another job, but I felt it was my duty as a colleague and friend to let him know what was going on so he did not hear from someone else.

That being said , I did receive confirmation that I would be receiving an offer from one employer this week. I will update all the good stuff once I get it, sign it and send it back. There is a few things I don't want to make public yet just because I want to surprise some people if all goes well. Now i have a different set of stresses of trying to rent out my apartment and sell my furniture before I leave. I have decided because it is all new I would not sell it for a bargain but close to what I paid for it minus the tax and maybe a bit off. I don't want to loose to much on it yet. I also have to sell a vehicle either the Jeep or the X5 as I don't want to have 3 vehicles at this stage a I do believe I will have a work vehicle as well and I will be traveling lots again so I will not be driving much. So I will enlist my vehicle selling guru buddies Bill or Jon to handle getting it sold for me.

Well I will sing off now as I think I will be blogging again by Monday to update the world on the life of ME, so I leave with this thought on Remembrance day..........They shall not grow old as we who are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them...Lest we forget!!..

Turning a corner

SO I have been very slack in updating this blog, I think because I continue to be in a state of flux as far as where I am working. That coupled with the fact I am getting busier at work, has made me forget to do this on a more regular basis. But here I am today, Friday the 6 November, adding my thoughts on the past two weeks, and on the upcoming week.

The past two weeks have been ok, nothing to special other than I have been interviewed for a couple positions and feel I have a good shot at one that I think will fit me well. I won't get into details as I don't want to be too optimistic on where I may end up. I also received a call from one of the previous companies I have worked for inquiring about my availability. I think we all this in mind, my time at CCRL will be coming to an end before the end of the year.

I have been getting these god awful head aches the last lil while and I attribute it to stress. I think I am trying to think to much about all these things, when I should be taking it day by day and let the chips fall where they may. It is also because I have not been getting as much sleep as i should. Its not that I can't sleep, its because I stay up later and later each week I come back to Regina. Part of it is watching tv, the other part is trying to rip and encode movies. I need to slap myself and get back to my routine of in bed by 9:30 during the week!

As I approach the end of the year I also want to reevaluate loosing some weight. I have been able to maintain my weight for the past several months which is a positive thing. I think I just need to get into a routine again and make it happen. Right now I have not been able to get into the groove to make it happen. I think I am still not in a steady state so it makes it hard to focus on the new goal, But I will have to try.

Christmas is around the corner and I think this year it will be a lil quieter than other years. I don't think there will be as much gift giving as I don't think I can afford it. I need to get my line of credit paid down, and I need to pt my spending in check. I really should not need anything for a while as I have everything I need. Maybe just DVD's and video games from now on, and lay off the electronics!

Well I will try and update this again next week, and hopefully have better content.

Whethering the Weather

So it has been a while AGAIN since I have updated my blog and I figured today would be a good time for that. The last couple weeks I have been settling back into the job, this job, the one I fully planned on leaving. I feel I am gaining momemtum on my tasks and my worth to the project.I think by Christmas break I will be looking to come out from under the hiring agency that is currently managing me and taking $8 an hour to do so. It is highway robbery! I am not sure if Colt will fight to do so, but I think I will make my point known that I will be leaving if something is not done.

The project is still screwed up but we are getting some good people on board to work with us. I still am looking for a good second in command to work the warehouse which I do not have yet. I am getting connected with some local folks on getting some of my infrastructure challenges taken care of.

The weather has been nuts the last 4 weeks, We have experienced all four seasons! It plays havoc with construction, and with making plans. Hopefully we will get some consistency in the weather to be able to plan accordingly.

I have new roommates moving into my house in Edmonton,5 to be exact! Caryn,my friends daughter and family need a place while they are renovation their house. The place they are in now is being turned back into a garage, so they need room for them and their 3 small kids.It won`t affect me that much since I am away most of the week ,and on the weekend they will stay at Cathy`s so they can have grandma & grandpa time, and I can have my own time when I am home on the weekend.

Other than that, not much else happening here, however I will endeavor to write at least once a week, as long as I can remember. Maybe I will add a reminder to my blackberry. Until next week......

Random thoughts

SO I had a lobster boil this weekend and a few friends made it over which was nice. I was hoping for more and I do understand it gets harder to get a group together as people get busier. For the ones that made it, I think it was a great time, and for the ones that couldn't well next summer for sure....

I visited my old stomping grounds....company...job and seen a few of my former employees. It was nice to catch up on things but so little has changed, I actually felt a little taken back on how the atmosphere was very stagnant and dreary. I guess I am use to and comfortable with a more outgoing fun place of work. Everyone seemed happy to see me and catch up on things, and I think everyone felt a bit of relief knowing I was working and that there were jobs out there as they start to man down at that site.

I was a bit frustrated with the people at work yet again yesterday. I have so many infrastructure challenges and no one gets it, and I mean NO ONE! I have about 60% of my major tagged equipment coming to site in the next 3 months, and I have no staff to receive it, I have no permanent laydown or any equipment. I don't even have a pick up truck for the warehouse. This project, this site, is a joke, unfortunately I am not laughing. I hate not being in control of my area of responsibility or my chance at success. My best analogy for this site(I may have said this before) is I am in the middle of a mine field, and chances of making it out alive is very slim,and chances of making it out unhurt is even slimmer.

That being said , I will as we used to say in the military "Soldier On" and try and be as successful as I can considering the challenges and road blocks ahead of me at this time.

I have applied to join the reserves and have requested my documents from Ottawa to verify my former service in the regular force and reserves. I think this will be a long painful process to get back into the reserves and I hope I have the patience to wait it out.

My trip for February is booked.I am off to the Caribbean fora week of diving and sunbathing. I will need to shed a few more pounds so I do not look like a whale on the beach. I don't want green peace coming along and trying to throw me back in the water!

The time in Regina seems to fly by now during the week. I think now that it is starting to get busier it makes for a better time. Coming home on every weekend is definitely good. I enjoy my time at home in my house, and spending time with friends.

First day of Fall...routines and comittments

I didn't sleep very well last night and maybe it was just as well as I awoke early to do a new entry in my blog. I seem to be doing an entry once a week......or so. I suppose this would be easier if it was a daily blog, then at least I would have more of a routine. Routines are funny, they are hard to get into, but once your in one, it feels good to have some order in your life. Take the gym for example, I have been in Regina for 3 months now, and I want to join the gym. I haven't yet, I did however go visit the YMCA and check it out. So I am a a step closer to joining. I suppose I need to just sign up and make the commitment and then get into a routine of going. I think I am one step closer to going to the gym as I am making another commitment by joining the Army Reserves again. I will need to be in better shape if I want to do that and in order to be successful. I suppose once the gym becomes part of my weekly routine then the training in the reserves will also become routine once I make that commitment.

I went off to Minot North Dakota this past weekend and did some shopping. The only thing I can say about North Dakota is, it is pretty and it is pretty boring. More boring than Wyoming. I went on a Friday night and between the border and Minot which is about 80 miles, I seen maybe 12 cars on the road, past 3 on my side and 6 coming the other way, and 3 at stop signs. When I got to Minot they had a huge mall there with no one there! A Friday night and the mall was dead. Maybe there was a fishing derby going on somewhere, or everyone was off driving their combines. I will say this, Saskatchewan has a lot more going on then North Dakota.
Work is chugging along and although I have made the commitment mentally to be here for a while, I am still struggling with infrastructure issues , warehouse, staffing, equipment etc. I am making it work and able to get what I need done but it is not the perfect scenario for an $800 million job. I have decided to play nice with the other kids including the ones that are clueless, and rather than butt heads, I just ignore them now and do my own thing which is normally the right thing. That's the problem with inexperienced people, they normally get things right 50% of the time, based on a decision not experience. And experience is gained from making the wrong decisions. Unfortunately when they get it right, they think that they are smarter than they are, and the next 3 decisions bomb...and creates havoc. None the less, I have drawn the boundaries of my responsibilities and made it clear to these people where they will not make decisions when it comes to my area.

Speaking of decisions, When I filled out the paperwork with the reserves this time, I have decided to enroll as an officer. I figure the challenges I have faced and the positions I have help in my civie life in the past 12 years would closer mirror that of an officer in the military. I think I have worked in all the operational areas of EPC work and taking on a "Command" role in the functional manager position with Bantrel. I desired to get back into the field and now am working on the operational side of things. I think this will be the case when I get into the reserves...if I get into the reserves...I just hope I am making the right decision based on my experience for this commitment.....it is amazing how well them three words come together eh....experience...decision.....commitment...and with that I welcome Fall in and say good bye to a decent summer!

What a great summer 2

So I was home this weekend and I managed to get my patio poured in my backyard. It has bee na busy and expensive summer for the yard as I just paid $2600 for dirt and sod fopr the front and sides of my house(remember my house is 72 feet long) and I paid another $1700 for final dirt in the back yard(remember my yard is another 150ft long by 50 foot wide. I haven't done sod in the back as I wasn't sure what I was planning on doing back there yet and no sense throwing good money after bad.

So the guy that did my dirt, a really nice guy named Don agreed to do my patio as well. I was pouring cement back there and the pad ended up being aprox 500 sq ft 17 x 23 feet to be exact. Don enlisted the help of his son and sons friends who happen to work for a concrete place. The end result was the pad got poured on Saturday and now I have a huge patio in the back! and it looks awesome! They did a bang up professional job. And on top of that they charged me only $5000 for everything. I got quotes from others and they wanted $8000-10,000 for that pad. So needless to say I made out like a bandit!

Hats of to my buddy Cathy who has been taking care of my place the last while, She has been nursing the grass and keeping the place in order. I do have to keep her creative mind stimulated with choclate and liquor so she doesn't go off planting big flower gardens though!

Now that the fall is coming along Starting next week I will be home every weekend up until Christmas.I find that weeks go by so fast when I travel home on the weekends. I am also finding I am a lot more relaxed when I go home on the weekends than staying here. Something about being in your own digs I guess.

I plan on heading down to North |Dakota this weekend and do a lil shopping. Something I haven't done in a while inj the USA.I miss the Super Walmart's there and the The Targets etc. I have noticed it is not much cheaper there for many things now. Matter of fact when you count in the gas, exchange rate and hotel, I really am not saving much at all. I do need to pick up my Prilosec which is not sold across the counter in Canada. It is a ac id reflux medicine that I have been taking for years since working in Wyoming. I also need to buy the candy for the counter and my desk. The big 4lb bags go a long way and are dirt cheap there. Some electronics are cheaper as well, but most are at par as they are made over seas so there is no deal.
I think the big thing is just getting away for the weekend shopping will be a nice a break.

Work wise , not much has changed here. I have become more tolerant to the inexperience and incompetence I deal with on a day to day basis. I guess I figure there is no sense me worrying about things when the client or PMT aren't. I have enough grey hair that I don't need more.

Weight wise I am hovering around the 244 mark again. I think If can get motivated and push hard the next month, I can break the 240 barrier and head towards the 230 barrier. !0 lbs a month is very achievable as long as I focus and have some self control. The good thing is my weight maintenance is good, I am not gaining weight when eating normally. That's a good sign. If i can loose a few more lbs and stay in teh same range when I eat normal then my body is adjusting as well as myself being more active. It all goes hand in hand.

Until next time.....

Summer was ok this year

Well after finishing an awesome long weekend at my friends in Ottawa, and having perfect weather, I have concluded that summer was OK this year. It started out a little crappy with the weather and cold temperatures. that coupled with the gloomy economy made for a pretty depressing out look. But as I look back now, and see what I have done, and where I am, and where I have been, I think the summer was OK. I have managed to visit most of my old and newer friends, most of my family and get at least 15 days of golf in, so again this has been a pretty OK summer. I have my lawn in the front yard and a patio now in the back yard and I didn't pay through the nose for it, so I am getting myself ready for an even better summer next year. I may even start to price out a hot tub for the patio!

Speaking of last weekend, I had a great time at Linda and Dave's in Ottawa last week. We used to be best friends when we were in Calgary during our first posting in the military. Last time i seen them was in 1995 before I got out of the military. It has been a very long time. It was nice to catch up and continue on from where we left off. I think it rekindled a friendship that will grow forward as we keep in touch. We have already planned and booked a holiday in February to the Caribbean for diving for a week. I also was able to catch up with a few other friends this past weekend, Ollie Todd Thane and Blaine. We got out golfing for a day and other than loosing a dozen ball, it was a great day of golf! The weather was perfect, and the company even better. The only bad part of the weekend was I gained 4 lbs!

Speaking of which, I have settled back into my regular routine. I have made the commitment to stay in Regina at least for another 6 months. I will look at it again in teh new year when we are reevaluating my Contract. I found that once I made this decision my blood pressure and resting heart rate has come back down to normal. It is amazing how things affect us. I can work a stressful day at work all day and not have my BP go up, but when I start toi think about where I will be working etc, it goes through the roof.

Oh on that 5 lbs I gained in Ottawa this past weekend, I have dropped that 4lbs this week, and even a lil bit more . I have not dedicated myself the past month to loosing more weight but I have managed to do weight maintenance. So basically, I haven't lost or gained and I have eaten when and how much I wanted. So now that I know I can eat right and maintain a healthy weight, I am now forging ahead with trying to loose the 44 lbs to get me into one-derland. That basically measn 10lbs a month until New Years. I think it is very achievable and I just have to want it again. I think now that all the summer travel is over and I am now back into a steady routine, I can make this happen. There may be a couple bumps along the way but really, its not a challenge I can't achieve! All the compliments I have received on my weight loss to date has been great, now I need to work hard and achieve the second part of getting to my over all goal. I am 60% of the way there and I did that in 10 weeks. I have 13 weeks to complete the other 40%. And lets face it, I want to look good on teh beach in February!

Summer is a great time of year in Canada

Ok, so I am going to sound a little positive here for a bit. My last few ramblings have been a bit on the negative side so I thought I would be a little more upbeat. What a fantastic August we had in Alberta. The sun was shining most of it, almost every weekend was nice, I was able to golf 7 days during the month, and it actually felt like summer.

It is times like that you grow to appreciate what little summer we enjoy in Canada. We are rounding the corner to fall and although last year we had a nice fall....it is still not summer. Summer is holidays with family, the kids, the travel, the patios, the sudden rain showers, the festivals. Even if September were to be 27 degrees everyday, it is still not the same as July or August in the summer. As we approach the last long weekend of the summer, the weather looks like it will be cooperating again to allow us to enjoy the end of summer. The last long weekend of camping, and the last long weekend at the cottage or festivals. I don't want to hear anyone complain about the summer in Alberta as I think we were very lucky to have a summer this year.

On to other things, so I was able to get my front lawn done, dirt and sod, but the beauty of that is I was also able to get the back yard done with the topsoil, AND the guy that did the topsoil is going to take care of my cement pad in the back. Just a really nice guy who is a retired heavy duty mechanic that wanted to do Bobcat work in the summer to make money to relax in the winter. I mean he is retired, and he loves doing this work. It was a breath of fresh air to deal with a guy like this. He obviously was not in it to make a huge amount of money, but to make a modest living to supplement his pension. What that means for me is, I saved about $3000 on my back yard and cement patio. I now have a 17ft by 27 foot cement pad in teh back of my house being poured and I didn't have to worry about a thing. This "Bobcat guy" too kit all on himself.

When I tried to pay him up front he said nope, too many contractors run off with other peoples money. When I tried to buy the lumber for the forms for the concrete, again he said no, he has some old lumber he can use. And he will book the cement through a person that he does work for so he will get a smoking deal. This translate into me getting the work done by a trusted guy, and him making a profit out managing the project. He is also the guy I will recommend to do other work for other people in a heart beat.

Whats left to do for me in my house, well I have to get sod for the back yard, and a fence. I plan on doing the sod for the back yard next june, and the fence when the neighbors are ready.

Speaking of which I was less than impressed with my neighbors on both sides, as they bought dirt and then bought sod to do their land without talking to me. I figured they would have called and said hey we are buying dirt and sod so why don't we all buy together for a deal, and so the lawns are all even. They didn't even ask me. So thats fine, they had family and friends helping them, and I had mine done professionally. Which means ,my land is a higher than theirs , its even and all the water will run down onto their properties. When it comes time for a fence I will make it clear that I want a say on which fence they are installing or I won't pay for it. They want to do their own thing then they can pay for it. It won't bother me in the least. I am tempted to buy my own fence that won't match either side of their neighbors fences so they can deal with having either to put up their own fence or look at two different fences on their property...but I guess I taint that much of an ass.

On the work front, I turned down the one offer I was looking for. Apparently they dint understand what my lowest acceptable salary will be $XX. They came in at almost $18 less an hour. Now again I may sound greedy here but I worked very hard to get up in my career and make the money that I have been making. I do understand market conditions and I did correct my asking rate accordingly. Most people adjusted 10%, I adjusted 15% before I even talked to them. I think they tried to pay me the same as the other guy they have without taking into consideration that I am a lot more qualified than them. Also I think the plan was to bill me out high, pay me low, and pocket the rest as profit. It was a good eye opener for me and a relief, and It made me realize what it is like interviewing with people again that don't know what you bring to the table. So I have mentally settled into this job at least until Christmas when I will reevaluate whether I want to stay or not. I also will be looking to get out of this ATS deal that they got me in. If nothing moves on that work front, then I will be leaving this project for sure and I will be content in knowing I gave it a chance. It is funny, I also received a call from Enmax in Calgary yesterday in regards to a position there that I was interviewing for to see if I was still interested. I need to call them back and decline the position although I am tempted to explore it.

BUT in the meantime, I am going to work the next two days and then enjoy my last long weekend of the summer in Ottawa with some good friends and catch up on the last 12 years with them........

Those were the days..

I miss the stability of working in the military. You know, you never had to decide what to wear, you never had to worry about where you wanted to live as they would send you to the places that best suited you and them, you never had to worry about a company car, you never had to worry about what to make for dinner when you were working.You didn't have to worry about the downturn in the economy as your job was secure, and you never had to worry about taking trips and they arranged all your travel around the world for you in far off exotic lands, and lets not forget the camping in camouflage!

I do miss those days and I do miss hanging with friends. I know I have a good life and I have enjoyed what I have done since leaving the military. I also know I am well off because off the military. The training they gave me helped make me what I am today.

I do appreciate what the people and companies I have worked for in the last 12 year's have done for me as well. I have made some good friends in the oil patch, and I have learned a lot from the best. I have had some great opportunities to succeed and I have moved up with the help of others trusting my talents. My advantage to succeeding in my current positions though started from the training and discipline the military gave me.

So this is another reason I am so torn right now. I typically like stability in my life and I like to know where I am going to be in a year from now. In this industry I had that, up until a couple years ago. Now I don't know where I will be from one month to the next. This is really hard on someone that likes to be organized and stable.

That being said, I do like challenges and changes of project work but without the worry of of employment or having to change positions. I suppose if I wasn't so driven to succeed then I could settle into a 9-5 manager position and just enjoy myself...maybe in in 10-15 years. I suppose then I will also be looking back to now and saying Those were also the good old days!

Do you ever......

Do you ever get that feeling that your not in the right place or the right time for where you are in your life? Do you ever wonder what the next month...2 months...year will bring? Do you ever get frustrated and angry at people and things, but it is really not their fault, it is just the mood your in? Do you ever want to just shut every thing down, turn off the lights and go for a 7 day walk? Do you ever want to just sell everything, pay off all your bills, and move away to a small country and live the quiet life? Ok Ok maybe not that bad but still, that's the way the last month has felt for me.

My week was one of those weeks again where I felt like I wanted to stay where I am at 1 minute, and then leave the next. My BP(blood pressure) and RHR (Resting Heart Rate)have been high the last while. In my earlier blogs you will see how happy I was to have both in the normal to excellent range. Another thing, I have not been able to loose weight(mind you i have not tried) but actually have put on a couple pounds. It has been fluctuating the last 3 weeks, up and down. I know all the factors why, being in hotel in Calgary for a few days, the drinking and eating at the 3 day golf tournament this week, the late night snacks at home here, and not sticking to recording what I am eating and tracking my calories. That all has played into it. I did have a lot of people however comment on the weight I loss this week, so It has motivated a lil more to get back on track and loose the 30+ lbs I want before December 31. Even to loose 10 lbs a month for the next 4 months would be awesome. It would put me into one-derland(in the 100's for weight) where I have not been for almost 8 years.

I also have not been doing my company finances and it is going to turn into a mess if I don't start entering all my receipts into my finance program that I paid $400 to manage my company finances. I haven't done the DVD for the reunion that I wanted to do yet. I haven't done anything around house or garage that I wanted to do. I have had no drive at all the last month and a bit.

I think it has a lot to do with my work situation and the fact that I have not allowed my self to settle in mentally. I have physically committed to a lease, and bought $5k in furniture and $2k in household goods and a $25K jeep, but I have not committed in my heart to being there long term. I think that I need to make a hard a decision in the next two weeks in regards to where I am and where I am working. I am thinking that if I do not take the position, or am not offered the position with ?????? company, I will just accept my position in Regina, hunker down and get it done. I will stay there until next year and re-evaluate what i want to do then.
If I do take a new job, that's it,same thing, I am going to stay there for a while and commit to improving both myself and my lifestyle. this jumping around sucks, and I like stability in my life.

Now back to the fun things this week, I really enjoyed the Log golf tournament. Seen a lot old friends and made a few new ones. I played 2 good days a of golf, and was very happy with my game for the most part. I think that I am getting better and i just need that consistent play, and to be able to relax more when I play. ( slow it down, concentrate, don't think).

I plan on having a get together in the near future with friends at my house, a BBQ and a game of cards. Again all hinging on whether I change jobs or not. I am looking forward to going to Ottawa and visiting with Dave and Linda for the September long weekend, and catching up on the last 12 years. that will be a nice mini vacation. October I plan on going to Mexico with them and doing some diving and relaxing again. First real away vacation in years.

Ok, that's a lot of thoughts for one blog. I hope my week goes well in Regina, and I hope that I can make some huge gains on some of my infrastructure short comings in I have in regards to the warehouse, and forklifts and jersey barriers and furniture.

I am back home on Friday again for the weekend, flights are booked, and I am already looking forward to being back here. Golf next Sunday as well wit hthe Crown and Anchor!

Until the next time.....

Too many gaps....

So it has been a while since I updated this blog, almost a week. Thats a big gap. I have not been very diligent at doing a lot of things lately. I have been off my game the last couple weeks. I have several things going on in my mind and life, the most obvious has been work. I have done a couple more interviews and have another one tomorrow(I think). I do like MOST of the people I work with now except I feel it is a failing cause. I cant get any traction with getting things done there. I can't get people hired or things in place. The people there is key positions have ZERO experience yet they try and run the the place and give people that have been doing this for a long time direction. These people actually think they have a clue too. They are oblivious to their inexperience and bad decisions. On top of that they try top bully people into doing things.

I had enough and have had a couple melt downs with one person, and I struggle to keep trying to do my job. I feel it is so childish yet if I let her bully and boss and continue to make bad decisions, then i am not doing the project any good, but I see no one else stand to these people and when I question people why, they want to avoid conflict, which equals that person thinking they are in charge and their decisions are correct. Sigh.....I again struggle to accept this as a former functional manager, I think behaviors need to e corrected and people need to know their limitations and their responsibilities.

I like my job and the type of work I do, and I thrive on a challenge to be successful, but I am not seeing success. Its like walking in a mine field, There is a slim chance I will get out alive but not likely. I suppose once I get out of August, I will know what I will be doing, and will have a path forward for what I will be doing the next year. If I am still in Regina by 15 September, then I will stay there, no more job hunting. If some one calls I will entertain offers, but I need to focus and get on with it.

Oh well, I head home again and golf Thursday and Friday, so this should be a great end to the week, plus hanging with my buddies on the weekend will help me relax a bit and maybe focus on the path forward.

Congrats to Caryn and Derek and their new Baby boy Benjoshua!!

So its another week down, and up and down....

I had a relatively OK week except for the run in with the Doreen II the sequel. I absolutely hate bullies in the workplace especially people who have no clue what they are doing, and I hate people with no experience working on 100's or million dollar projects , and running them like its a business out of the back of their barn. When you work on a project you need infrastructure and you need common sense. With out common sense the project because a very bad place to be. I have been there and I have done that and I won't go there again. So I finally had enough. I have this person who thinks they can bully you, lecture you, and is 8 pay grades below you. Ok enough venting on this, the end result is I ignore them, and I basically am doing what I do best, my job. I spoke to the boss and he agrees, and here we are the end of the week.

I head home tomorrow to Edmonton and I am looking forward to it. I have some plans and time to relax. I think it will be a lot of fun. I will be hanging out with Sean and I am sure Danni, so again we will get some movies and gaming in this weekend which is always fun! I need to deal with a couple home issues as well including a friend that wants to live at my place while I am away. After a few emails from various people and him, I should at least give an answer. But I am not happy being put in this position in the first place. I will vent more on this another time

I also have to head to Calgary for Monday , but I am not leaving until Monday morning. I am kind of disappointment with some of my old friends from Calgary, except for Rod, it's funny how people want to hang out when your not in that city, but when your actually there, they never have time OR I have to go out of my way to see them. I guess I am used to being sociable and going out of my way to host people that come and visit. I understand people have lives, but I guess if they were a friend on any level other than an "Acquaintance" I expect at least a coffee visit.

I will be back in Edmonton on the Wednesday night for the log golf tournament. Again that should be a lot of fun. I look forward to seeing my buddies again. I don't get to spend enough time hanging with my old army buddies. That's always fun and the prices are pretty amazing. I feel so connected to my army buddies even when I don't see them for months at a time, They treat you with respect and they go out of their way to see you.

Ok so this whole blog has been like the stock markets this week, up and down and down and up. I guess that's why they call it a blog, to vent and let people know..."Hey, he is a fricken nutball!" Later people.....

Whew, its heating up....found Summer!

What a beautiful week weather wise in Regina. We went golfing on Sunday and the weather was absolutely phenomenal and it has been that way all week. It has been between 25-30 degrees. It makes for a nice week at work, although i do hide out in my Air conditioned office!

Work is starting to get busier and I have more things to do now. Most though relly on others to get back to me which is always a slow process it seems. I am still trying to rent some offsite warehouse space, and get some equipment but again have been unsuccessful to date. I am waiting for a work truck and a cell phone, and on and on and on.....oh the joys of setting up a site.

I have done another interview as well, one with Epcor and although I think I did well, I don't think I will be considered for the role just because of my background and salary expectations. Sometimes I think I do that on purpose, because II don't want the job or I want to see where they will go. With the slow market place now, they have more choices, I don't think better choices, but they can get a cheaper person for the role which some companies seem to do. I often see teh same position I have applied to advertised again a month later.

I head to Edmonton this weekend and Calgary next week, so that will be a nic e break. I am golfing next Thursday in Edmonton at the Log Golf Tourni so I will enjoy that as well, two weekends in a row at home.

I strated todays blog late and I have to run to work, so I will either finish it there, or pick up again tomorrow........

WHAT?

So Friday I had my ears totally blocked , that's right I could not hear a think. Somehow I managed to, while cleaning my ears Thursday with a Qtip, push wax into the canals of the ears. The right side closed up first and then the left. I have never had a problem with my ears and excess wax before so this took me by surprise. Friday I figured I would just bring some Qtips to work and clean them all day, bad idea! All I do was totally make my ears sore AND totally block up my ears to the point where I couldn't hear anything. I went toe the walk in clinic here in Regina. I hate these things cause you get there and sit and wait for a couple hours. To my surprise, by the time I walked in the door, seen the doctor and walked out was 12 minutes. Now that is something of a record!! I would go back again to that place knowing I can get in that quick. ANYWAYS I seen the doctor, and three was nothing they could do at this point. What she suggested was put warm olive oil in my ears 3 times a day, until the wax soften and then it would fall out or I could come back in a week and they would flush my ears.....a week...nope...not gonna work for me. So I went to the pharmacy picked up some eye droppers, olive oil, and an ear flusher.

I went back to work and put olive oil in my ears every 30 minutes. When I got home that night I flushed my ears, and then again put olive oil in my ears every 20 minutes,. By 9:30pm I had flushed my ears again, and the left one came unclogged. Man was my TV loud! I am surprised the neighbors didn't complain, then again if they did I probably didnt hear them knocking at the door! By Saturday afternoon my other ear was clear. I have flushed them a couple a day and they seem fine now. So now I know the cure for waxy ears, olive oil !

Saturday I spent the day picking up the odds and sods I needed around the apartment. I was not feeling the greatest because of my ears so I was happy to get back home and have a nap. I also had to golf Sunday so I wanted to try and rest so I was feeling up to that. So I basically rested Saturday, made a roast and watched a couple movies. I was in bed by 9:30pm that night.

Sunday I was up bright and early and off to golf. It was an awesome day for golf. Hardly no wind. We started at 7:56am and it was already 21 degrees. We had no line ups, no waits and I played not half bad. I actually felt really good about my game, except for the one or melt down holes. However, I did not use one mulligan that day. I usually use 4-5 a game so I guess that's a good sign. My score was not that much less however the fact I didn't use a mulligan is a good sign I may be getting better. Oh and I did break a hundred which I have not done for a while this year. It was a par 73 course and I got 99 so not bad!

This week I should be busy at work trying to get a warehouse rented. I also have shipments coming in, and stuff to pick up. I need to try and get some things done before I leave Friday as i am working in Calgary again next week so I won`t be back here until the 21 August. I am hoping to hire a couple people in the next couple weeks to start to get things organized and set up. Things here seem to go at a very slow pace, so i have to push hard to get them done.

Well time to take on the week....enjoy the day.....

Back in the Shit!

So at work I discovered mouse poop on my desk, so I guess I truly am back in the field and I love it! We will hunt these critters down and terminate them with no prejudice! I found it hard to get motivated at work this week. I have accomplished a few things, but not as many as I would like. I also am finding it hard to concentrate on future issues as I still don't see myself being here that long. I feel like a plane circling the airport waiting for my turn to land, or waiting for a message that I need to divert to a new airport.

I received a couple more phone calls on new opportunities, and I like both of them. The other thing I am struggling with is the longer I am here, the more I am getting into the project. I have bought a vehicle, bought all my furniture and have made several commitments(lease ect) so the longer I don't change jobs the more likely I won't. I still am not happy with the current compensation package, and I think that is what is driving me crazy and driving me to want to change. I have always been a hard worker and done a good job I believe, and been rewarded for them efforts in my previous roles. Here it seems they want to low ball you and give you as little as possible.

Ok I am done venting about work for this week, so on a positive note, I have lost the weight I put on while on holidays and while in Calgary. I mean it wasn't a lot of weight, but I feel comfortable knowing now that I can loose weight through just eating normally, and not dieting. That being said, I do want to loose 10 lbs this month, so I need to start working on that. My goal the next 4 months is to loose 30 lbs. That would put me on target for my overall goal. December will be a month off, and then my next goal is to loose 20 lbs by June. So the goals are realistic and achievable, and I have enough time and room to work it should I plateau or have a bad week.

My weed problem has been eradicated. It cost me $650 and 55 garbage bags of foliage! That's right 55! The gentlemen that did it will come back two more times to make sure they are gone for good. I need to put a budget in place to put a lawn down by next year. I was hoping to at least get my cement pad in the back. I guess that I something I will look at later this year. I should pay down some of my debt first that I accumulated while not working and coming here. Then concentrate on the back yard next year. Bah! Too much thinking. Its the weekend! Enjoy....blog ya later!

Mid week meltdown....

Well day one down after the long weekend and it was pretty uneventful. I really didn’t get a lot done other than my expenses and a few phone calls on my cell phone since I still don’t have a phone at my desk. This is, in my opinion, one of the most poorly run projects I have ever been associated with and the frustration level is pretty high with most of the staff on the project. I think in the next couple months we will see several people leaving the project and company for better and greener pastures.
I myself have not stopped looking for any opportunities that may arise as although I DO NOT like the company I am working for and the people I work with, I do like the Project, client or Toronto office that I am attached to. In typical Marty fashion I will stick it out for a while and get things set up and running, and going in the right direction. My task this week is to find a place where I can rent some indoor space to put materials until I have a warehouse built which won’t be until at least January if I am lucky.
Anyways, enough venting about work today. I do not want to get my BP up so early. Speaking of which, it seems to have been on the rise the last couple weeks. I need to relax and get that back in check. I was doing so well the longest time, and for some reason I have let things get to me the past while. The small stuff that should not matter piss me off lately, to the point where i work myself up into a bad mood.
I think it has to do with the shitty work environment, and the fact that I don’t feel like I am in the right place yet, that I am still circling looking for a place to land and relax and work. I suppose once this week goes by, and I don’t hear from the two jobs that I just interviewed form, then it will be a done deal and I can concentrate a little bit more on this place. I am also signing up to the gym this Saturday and going to try and get out golfing for the day Sunday. That will give me a sense of belonging here I guess.
I am already looking forward to my next trip home on 19 August for the Logistic Golf Tournament. It should be fun to see some of the old guys again. Also it will be 5 days home for a rest. The next trip is the September long weekend, where I am heading to Ottawa to hang with some old friends of mine I haven’t seen in 14 years(until the reunion) This way we have the weekend to catch up on a lot of things from the past decade. We were such great friends back then, and it was a shame that we parted for so long. This should be good to reunite and get together a couple times a year to hang out.
Work time, catch y’all later!

I'm the guy the weed........,,problem

What a great long weekend I just had at home in Edmonton. I was able to get out golfing a couple times and was able to spend time with some friends at a BBQ and even had time to get out to a movie, not to mention the 15 hours spent playing Xbox Rainbow 6. On top of that the weather was absolutely phenomenal! I was able to finish up in Calgary by 10:30 and head to Red Deer for a meeting there to look at some equipment. I was home in my house by 5pm Thursday night so my long weekend started right on time.
I had a little surprise waiting for me when I got home a register letter from the city because my lawn had too many weeds. Well I fooled them, I had no lawn, and my lawn was ALL weeds, none the less they had no sense of humour. I even called the city and said “I am the guy with the weed”. So I need to get someone over to cut and spray all the weeds so I don’t infect the world! Of course being away i received the notice on the 31 July written on the 24 July and they want it fixed by 3 August. I was able to get a week extension so hopefully I can call my dealer....er ...my lawn care expert over to cut and bag my weed and spray the land.
As I stated i was also able to have people over for a BBQ and I had a wonderful choice of food, like 6 choices...no not because I am a great host that allows people to eat what ever they want, it was because I left the freezer door open on the fridge, and everything defrosted around the outside edge of the freezer. See my fridge has an annoying alarm when you leave the door open, so annoying I turned off a while ago. Now I understand the annoying alarms purpose. The Frigidaire Gods have taught me a valuable lesson in meat management. Good thing it was just the fridge freezer and not my stand up one or we would have been eating buffalo for weeks!
I have let myself go again the last 10 days with staying in a hotel in Calgary, and the long weekend home, I did not eat right or controlled all week. I even drank twice. So I need to get back on track with the weight loss. I was fortunate that the damage was only minimal, I think I am .5 lb heavier this morning than I was the Saturday I left to come home, tight on the 240.2 mark. I feel good about one thing though , and that is that I can eat normally, and even splurge a bit now and it does not turn into instant weight gain. I hope once I shed a few more lbs that my weight maintenance program will be fairly easy if that is the case. I think I eat fairly decent and not overly indulge, and with me working and golfing, I am active enough to burn a lot of calories during the day as well. My new short term goal is to be down to 234 by the log golf tournament on 19 August. That gives me two weeks to lose 6 lbs which is very achievable.
One thing though I have found I have been a little stressed out lately with the job interviews and the travel etc and my blood pressure has been slowly climbing back up. My resting heart rate has been average to good. I think once I sign up to the YMCA this weekend and start going 2-3 times a week that will help with that.
Well time to get ready for work, I will try and update this more often again. Have a great short week!

Don't sweat the small stuff

So I am just getting ready to head to the interview and thought I would take a quick couple minutes to update my blog. The interview is just south of Saskatoon about 30km so it will be a nice relaxing drive before I get there. I need to relax a lil bit more as it seems I have been feeling a little bit uptight with some anxiety because of the inability to make a decision what I want to do and where I want to work at.
My worry is this interview will go well and I will want to work there but then the money will suck. The job I am currently at is the right work for me, but I am not too sure about the client or the people I work with. There seems to be a lot of pissed off people there and all based on the way they are being treated, not as leaders and supervisors but as just another person. Most of the people there are really good and seem really nice, I just am not sure if it will be a positive environment to work in for 3 years.
Hopefully by the end of this week, I will have a clear path on what I want to do and where I want to be.
Also it seems this past week or so have been really annoying in that a lot shit is going wrong. And maybe its not that a lot of things are going wrong as much as I am letting it get to me. It seems everything I touched the last week broke or didn't work, or got lost etc. I feel angry all the time and that too could be because of of the way I am feeling about what I want to do. I need to take my advise from this here and now, and not sweat the small stuff. To just laugh at the things that happen and be happy with the positive things.
I should run and get dressed and head out. Wish me luck!

Back to back to Back....

What a great couple days it has been in regards to the weather. When I left to go on holidays the weather in June was dry dry dry and the farmers were not getting enough rain to sustain their crops. The time I was away apparently they received a lot of rain including the mother of all storms. In speaking with my family and friends in Ontario I guess they have been getting nothing but rain, and the week I was there it was about 50/50 with the weather. It really has not been a perfect summer. I suspect this weekend was good for Edmonton because of Capital Ex and the Indy being here.
I head off this afternoon to Calgary and then onto Saskatoon for the night. I wil be meeting some folks there tomorrow and most likely a final interview for a position I started interviewing for almost 4 months ago. It will be interesting as this is an owner company with little construction experience. I am not sure how I feel yet about the position, but I guess I will get a better feeling once we have the interview. Financially it may be a bust as well depending on the offers on the table.. I do have the options of contract versus Staff. So we will see.
I must say I am almost all settled in Regina, and I am content for now, not happy, but content. I think that I like a lot of others at the site, am waiting to see if there are some positive changes going to happen. I think I am building a relationship with the client, and I will be comfortable in that aspect. I am trying not to sound greedy but it’s the compensation that really sucks on this job. None the less when you are pretty much the only dance around (for now) you can dictate the terms. Once things start to turn around, and they will, that all changes. I can survive and I can wait. In the meantime I will finish off the couple interviews I started before this role just in case there is a better opportunity.
My back has been killing me the last lil while. It has been a while since I have had back problems, and for those who don’t know I injured my back in a car accident 25 years ago and then again in a helicopter crash in Africa about 15 years ago. Have been able to build enough muscle and use them that it has been a non factor most days. I realized as I typed this though, I have stayed in so many different beds the last while9stop thinking dirty) I mean with the trip home, the reunion, Toronto trip, Regina and now back home. That’s 5 beds in 2 weeks. And now it will be 4 beds in 5 nights, Regina, Edmonton then Saskatoon tonight, then Calgary tomorrow. I bought Robaxacet and it seems to be helping. I think that I just need to start working out again and build the muscles up a bit more.
Speaking of which, I am now exactly .6 lbs away from loosing 50lbs! That’s right; my first MAJOR goal will be reached hopefully within the next few days. I have reached all my short term goals in pretty much the time I allotted. In most cases it was within a couple days.
SO Officially I have lost 49.4 lbs as of today. What I think is amazing is I went on holidays and gained maybe 2 lbs back in 10 days, and I dropped them almost 2 days after I got back. I have been eating pretty much normally, not diet like the last week, even had Steak 3 nights is a row (long story). I basically have been trying to fill at least half my days with salad and the other half with normal foods. I even sucked back a big bag of BBQ chips last week! I believe my metabolism is picking up and I think that I am burning more calories daily now. I know I still need to focus on eating right, I think I am aware of the foods I eat and the calories in them and I think that definitely helps with the portion controls. I have a couple more plans for my health kick right now, and once the dust settles and I see where I land, I will institute them. Hopefully the next time I blog I can say I have reached the -50lb mark!
That being said I think I should have some interesting blog schtuff later this week after Saskatoon and Calgary. Stay tuned!

New clothes for the newby

Wow, it’s been a week since I updated this Blog. I think it isn’t because I was overly busy, more so because I was a little busy and tired. One of those things that you say “I will get it done tomorrow” I guess I am a closet procrastinator! I got back to Regina on Monday afternoon, finished setting up the apartment. I do have more furniture etc coming today (was supposed to be here last night but didn’t show up from Calgary. (Good ol’ The Brick) So I will spend the evening putting that together. Did manage to get a good portion of my shopping in for grocery; however it was for mostly reusable items as I was only going to be here for 5 days and I fly back to Edmonton tomorrow morning.
It will be a quick trip home again, basically repack the suitcase and head to Calgary Sunday(Saskatoon for a day for a job interview) I need to get out and buy a suit jacket as all the others are swimming on me. Yes it is amazing how loosing 50lbs will affect how clothes look on you. I will most likely get a haircut and get some new pants and maybe a fancy schmancy shirt as well while I am at it. Might as well look good!
Yes I did manage to, not only loose the two lbs I gained over my 10 days off, but I have lost an additional 4 this week. I sit at 241.4 which again is the lowest I have been in 4 years. I think I was this weight when I was in Houston back in 2004.I probably would be down more but I have not reverted back to perfect weight loss eating habits since holidays. I went for a HUGE lunch at Boston pizza yesterday, so that doesn’t help. The logistic guy in I work with always wants to go to lunch even though bring mine to work every day. I need to just say no and stick to the plan!
Speaking of work, I have basically got back to work now, and things are still pretty slow there. More so in getting the infrastructure set up. I still don’t have a phone on my desk, so it is frustrating trying to get things done. I am on the hunt for some rental space for a temporary warehouse as my facility will not be ready for at least 6-8 months. I am trying to get Purchase orders set up for a lot of little things we need and I am making head ways there, just not as fast and proficient as I would like.
I am still not happy here on how they are treating the CM staff in regards to the micro managing and cattle treatment. We are bussing from the parking lot to the site, and then a vehicle from the site gate to the office. So basically it takes 3 vehicles to get from my house to the office and it is a 4 minute drive normally. Most of the senior managers don’t care since they have their own trucks and go from house to office in a straight shot. I also don’t like the double standard of the area managers having vehicles and the department heads don’t. It has really made me question why I am here now and how long I will be here. I really like the construction manager, but I can’t see myself staying in a place where it feels like a cast system, where some people get what others don’t. I find wit the site assignment policy, salary etc are all along the same lines. One contractor gets OT, I don’t, one gets a truck, I don’t. the project on the other side gets $300 more a month in LOA, and 2 flights a month, we get 1 flight every 5 weeks and the LOA is less.
It is ok to do these things when you’re the only dance in town however; once things get busy in Alberta again I think things will change here. You can only take advantage of people for so long. If the interview Monday goes well, I will be hopefully negotiating a decent salary and moving there. We will see.
On a positive note, it is good to be working again and dealing with the day to day things. I am looking forward to the challenges this year will bring no matter where I am and am looking forward to some more trips and holidays I have planned in the next 5 months!.
I will try and update this more often, Until next time….

When it pours it rains!

Well today I am winding down after a week of fun with friends and family. I haven’t really done much since the reunion this past weekend but it is also nice to have nothing planned. Tonight I have some friends and family coming over for a BBQ and beers, so it should be a fun time. Tomorrow should be a quiet day not just because of the hangover but because I will be leaving early Sunday to get home and do a few things around the house before I fly out to Regina again on Monday.
Mom has made her normal 150 person spread for 10 people, so lots a left over’s tonight no doubt. A couple other friends couldn’t make it as 1 is working and the other is having to deal with his wife being away. It is too bad as they are fun people to have around when you’re partying.
My sister Darleen and Brother in Law Al will be over as well so Dar is normally a lot of fun to be around when were drinking a few beers. I am sure we will have the odd guest stop by as usual; it seems to be party central in pops garage.
Speaking of dad, took him in town today so he could buy his truck. He is a very happy camper now that he has a brand new Ford ranger truck. It has been something that he has been talking about for a while, so he finally did it. I think this will be his last vehicle, at least new vehicle.
Well this is short and sweet, time for me to go get ready for the company, My part of the meal is the salad, and pineapple. The rain has stopped (it just down poured here for about the last 90 minutes!) and its time to go organize schtuff!

Holidays and Meetings....

So I am at the tail end of my holidays, and head home in about 3 days. T he last couple days have been nice with not much going on although I would have liked to have got some golf in. None the less I was able to get out and do some shopping with my mother. I cooked dinner for them yesterday, mom enjoyed it Dad well who knows lol.
I am actually going into work for a day at the Markham office for Worley Parsons. I drove down last night to avoid the rush hour traffic. I figured I would get in here and meet the expediters and buyers and take off people for the project and start to build a bit of a relationship with them. I figure I will only be in the office for a few hours and I can get back to my holidays. I will charge the company for a 10 hour day(travel time included) for taking time out of my holiday to come here. I do however have an interview with Enmax on the phone at 10am today. I didn’t want to take the interview but they insisted. They also said they could match my salary which I doubt they can. None the less, I can graciously decline the offer should they make one.
Speaking of which, I have to fly to Saskatoon on the27 July for a final interview with Agrium. This was the job I have done 4 interviews for already, and the one that I would be the client on. I was excited about the opportunity way back when but now that I am working, I am not as excited. I am not sure what the salary will be as a contractor, I do know there is LOA and flight allowances unless I go as a staff, and then they will pay to move me and a whole bunch of other benefits. The job is a term job for 5 years for a group of projects so the longevity is good. It is in Saskatoon, so a lil closer to home, and I am the lead Procurement guy so I have a good opportunity to show my stuff (or fail).
I am a lil torn right now after all the running around I did on this project and getting the apartment set up. I put so much work in, that to pack up after a month and leave now would be tough, however if this project vault pays more and offers more, than I am definitely out of here. I have to take care of myself when it comes to jobs now. And this job did not do a good job of taking care of the employees.
So I will have to make some more decision before the end of the month on what I am going to do. Ok time for me to get ready and go into the office, I will chat more about this tomorrow!
Later!

Remember When........

What an amazing weekend. You know you get prepared for months to go on a reunion, to see old friends, and catch up on what has happened in everyone’s lives. You get to meet the new wives, see the old wives and hear the stories of the kids and……. Grandkids! It has been over 25 years since I seen some of these guys. I was amazed how most had not changed, they were a lil older but for the most part they were the same people. The ones that changed were the ones that never came. The ones that I thought would be there, and didn’t come. I am not talking about the guys that had plans or a reason and had sent a note, I am talking about the guys that couldn’t drive a couple hours to see some old friends.
The ones that did come, ALL had a blast. I mean it was such a great time that I wonder why we didn’t do this earlier and more often. It was a typically reunion with the “remember when’s” and “Where is So and so now” and “You heard about so and so who passed away”. Although the sadness of hearing about a buddy dying is not fun, the first thing you do is “Remember when he ….” That’s what’s great about reunions. We remembered the good. I don’t think we even talked about bad times. I mean even the times we were in trouble that seemed bad, were funny to us today. That’s what reunions are, the good times.
I posted 463 photos from the weekend on my Facebook and photobucket for people to enjoy. I also have 30 minutes of video that I will use for a DVD later on. These digitals memories will allow the people that could not make it to see not only the fun we had, but prod them to make the commitment next time to come. I have been assigned to the next reunion committee to help organize it. I think that will be fun but I think it will be hard to beat the time Peter and Duncan did put into this year’s (not to mention Duncan’s family!!)
The other thing that came out of this is I was able to meet back up with one of my bext friends ever, I should say friends because his wife was as close as he was to me as well. Someone I haven’t seen in 14 years. I stopped in for dinner before I flew to my parents and seen their son whom I use to babysit!, And their grandson(we are getting matured people!) I am already committing to going to mexico with them in October and planning a weekend in Ottawa in August. We need to catch up on 14 years and 2 days was not enough!
I also have reconnected with some other friends in Edmonton, my buddy whom I haven’t seen in 3-4 years and his wife whom I have not seen in probably 19 years. So we will be getting together when I get back, as a matter of fact, her and I have to set up meetings to plan the reunion of 2011.
The final to this reunion is I have all the guys that live within 30 minutes of my parents coming for a BBQ Friday night at my parents just to shoot the shit some more as well.
What an awesome time, this is the one time I don’t regret being older……

I don't care, I'm on Holidays!

Alright, holidays have started. I headed back to Edmonton yesterday in preparation for my much anticipated holiday. The trip was annoying, lots a rain at the airport, luggage took 40 minutes to come off the plane (Way to go Westjet) but I made it home around 6pm last night. It felt weird just starting a job and then taking off on holidays BUT the job is slow right now and now is the time to take holidays. I know that in 6 months I will be wanting holidays again and we will be extremely busy.
I am a pretty tired today with the last 3 nights I have been getting only 5 or less hours sleep. I think this weekend will not allow for much more with the reunion and all, and I think Monday Morning will be the time I will be able to get a good night sleep at my parents place.

It will also probably be Monday before I update this blog again as I will neither have the time, nor be coherent to be able to do it. I also am taking the week off counting calories and taking my vitals. I figure I might as well enjoy myself, and if I put a couple lbs back on, oh well. I will deal with it when I come back. I am pretty sure I will be ok, and that I will be eating more, but still following the same basic routine to try and lose (maintain) weight while on holidays. During the week won’t be so bad nor hard to do, this weekend will be VERY hard. We have a pig roast and did I mention copious amounts of alcohol to drink?

I notice coming home I have a few calls to make to sort out things that I had previously sorted out. It is amazing how incompetent people are in the service industry. My car insurance is all screwed up, WI didn’t pay me my last payment, my bank has not done a good job at setting up or maintaining my business account. I could go on BUT I am on holidays and for the next 8 days I don’t give a shit!
Oh by the way, I found the lost camera, sitting on my dresser, in plain view .......camera gnomes maybe??? Until next time...

It's just water under the sink

Work was ok yesterday. Didn’t really get anything done but I did have a chance to speak to the reginla procurement manager about the project. We kind of compared notes and amazingly we are on the same page for the way we want to run the job. I will be going to going Calgary in a couple weeks to do some introductions and to do some training on their MM system. I was tired of the lack of stuff at the work trailer so I went out and hit Costco, the Dollar Store and Wal-mart and brought in kitchen supplies, a coffee machine, a fridge and utensils so we can at least be comfortable until our supplies get in. Also the logistic guy was in so we got acquaintance, and touched base on how we wanted things done. He and I were also speaking the same language which means hopefully the project will be a success at least from a people stand point.
I was able to get one of the guys from work to help me go with a work truck and pick up my new TV. We dropped that at the house on Monday, so I would be all set for the cable and furniture people.
Last night was my hook up furniture night at the apartment in Regina. I had the Sasktel guy in to do the internet and TV hook up. Unfortunately the apartment only had one Telephone jack for some reason and the guy needed two for two boxes. We ended up stringing a cable wire across the living room floor. That was pretty much our only solution at the time. So I needed to come up with a way of protecting said cable either with tape to the floor or a runner across the floor. Well it doesn’t matter now because I have already tripped over it and ripped the cable out of the jack and broke the end. So I need to call the phone company to have them come and fix it. Hopefully it doesn’t cost much to fix and hopefully I can get it fixed in the next day or so.
My furniture I purchased from the brick finally showed up from my 6pm appointment at 10pm. I was a lil tired but understood sometimes things get busy. I actually felt more bad for the two young guys tha had to lug 15 pieces of furniture up three flights of stairs in the dark. Every time they would bring a piece in, I would hear a one liner from them. It was quite comical and they were actually pretty good sports about it, right up until the point we discovered that they delivered my couch to someone else, and I had someone else’s couch. Now I will need to call the brick today and try and arrange to have the couch replaced with the correct one. They also forgot one of the area rugs that I had ordered. I am assuming that it is sitting on a floor somewhere at the brick.
While waiting for the two guys to show up at the apartment I thought I would be productive and washed more dishes, Tupperware, bowls etc. Once completed I went to drain the sink, and I heard the distinctive sound of water running on the floor, I looked under the cupboard and sure enough the PCV piping was not even joined, Either the glue had dried up, or it was not installed right. Needless to say I called the landlord and hopefully someone will be there today to sort that out.
I celebrated my night with a big bowl of buttered popcorn last night in the apartment, kind of break in the new place. It was so good, and then I thought probably not a good idea for someone trying to loose weight , I figured oh well, I can always run up and down my stairs taking boxes and garbage from the furniture to the dumpster. The 3 flights of stairs seem to be a good source for a work out. Speaking of which, I actually have now surpassed my goal of losing 45 lbs and I am now down another 2, that’s right, 47 lbs! I may even hit the 50lb Mark by the end of the week, the way things are going!

Reserve a place for me...

I did it! I made the goal and then some. I lost 45.8 lbs in time for the reunion(with 3 days to spare!) I was worried that I would not make it, and may even have put on a pound or two as I had cheated and had some snacks the last couple days. I think now that I have lost the weight, and now that I am back to work I am moving a lot more and burning more calories than I realize. I know I feel better during the day, and I am walking a lot more. I climb the 3 flights of stairs to my apartment with ease and my heart rate and BP have been in the excellent zone for the past while.
I have also decided I think I will go back and join the military reserves while I am in Regina. I have been out for about 10 years, and I have never really been part time. I think joining now will actually be fun, like being paid for a hobby. Also with the recent lifestyle change and weight loss, it would be good for me to be doing that and help stay in shape.
It will also allow me to meet new people here and since this project will be around 2-3 years, it would be a great hobby! And who knows, when I am done I can always work full time with them if I have no job to go to right away. I wonder if they will give me back my sergeants or demote me. I was actually even thinking that I may want to commission as an officer. That would be fun.
Anyways the job here is going really slow and getting things done is like pushing a rope! A couple more people have started and experienced the same level of frustration I did the first. Hopefully we will be able to come up with a package to send people before they arrive on site. I am also hoping to hire another warehouse supervisor soon to help get the lay down plans together.
It is 3 days before I head to Ottawa; I am so excited to be going on the reunion. Some people I haven’t seen in 15 years. The reunion is for a bunch of us that were with 1 Service Battalion in Calgary in the early 1980’s. Most of the guys are still in and there will be a handful that are civies like myself. All in all though, it will be a lot of fun. I am hoping to bring my camera and video camera so I can make a reunion DVD for everyone. I will have to make sure I get plenty of photos.
Work time, later doods and doodetes!

Casa Del Regina

Yesterday was one of those days that you felt like it was the last mile on a run, and you’re not sure if you can do it, but when you figure you can, it feels good to finish. It was pretty much my last shopping day for things for the apartment in Regina. I actually was up around 7am and out the door by 9am. I finished the majority of my shopping list by 11am and headed to the apartment to start putting things away and washing bed sheets and towels and dishes and putting together other things like my office chair.
I spent almost the whole afternoon cleaning and unwrapping and assembling. I even made me a salad, my first meal in Casa Del Regina. Of course by 4:30 I had discovered a few more things that I needed like a new shower curtain rod, a pressure cooker, a wall clock, some water, and a few odds and ends. I think I truly have bought everything so all I need is my furniture to show up and I am good to go. Well except groceries which I will do when I come back from holidays. I may pick up a few things this week, but anything fresh will wait til I get back. I did end up ordering a small 5 cubic freezer. I hate not having options and a small apartment refrigerator freezer does not provide enough room to have options. The great thing is it is black, and matches the rest of my appliances and I have a ton of space in the kitchen for it.
On the work front, I am looking forward to getting things going at work today. I hear the IT folks are in town and I may have a computer and the ability to print as well. I need to set up a couple meetings while I am in Toronto, and now that most of the people I deal with will be in Calgary as well, I will need to travel there in the next couple weeks.
So Thursday I head to Edmonton before my holidays. I have a few loose ends to clean up there in the night I am there, and then it is off to Ottawa to see some old friends and party and play some golf. And of course off to see the family, and play some golf. Well shower time….

Confessions of a Shopaholic....

Well it was another busy whirlwind shopping day for me. I managed to hit Bestbuy and pick out a TV. I had been to The Brick the day before and picked out all my furniture including a really great deal on a mattress set. So I was down to the basics for the house. I had also already did a couple runs to the Wal-Mart and Dollar store and picked up several Jeep loads of stuff (A jeep load is not much!) One thing I did fail to do was do some comparison shopping so when did take some time and sit at the computer and look at a couple flyers from Canadian Tire and Zellers, I discovered several Items I had purchased was more from Wal-Mart.
For example Canadian Tire have a Black Decker coffee machine on for half price, programmable etc. I picked up the cheapest one at Wal-Mart (Sunbeam I believe) for 30, double the sale at CT. I also picked up my food scale from Wal-Mart, but CT had the one already have in Edmonton on sale as well. So I packed up my Wally World stuff and took it back! Yes I did! I stood in the customer service line with the rednecks and returned stuff at Wal-Mart. You know you can return just about anything at Wal-Mart. When your that big and make that much money, what’s a few returns between friends.
Anyways when I was at Bestbuy they had a great deal on a TV that is a 120hrz and 43” Sharp Aquos. SO I bought it and asked for it to be delivered because it will not fit in the Jeep In or out of the box). The soonest they can deliver my TV is 2 weeks. Now why would I go into a store and buy something that is stock and wait two weeks to get it. So I asked them to use another delivery service, surely they can find someone to deliver this damn TV. Nope! No can do! So I cancelled the delivery told them off, and now have to try and get a vehicle to pick this thing up and deliver it to my apartment.
So today I will be heading off and picking up the last few items I need. I forgot how expensive it was to outfit a place again; it has been a while since I needed to have two complete houses. And this time I have nothing just like the first time s I had given it all to my niece when she moved out to Edmonton. But the good thing is enjoy shopping, the bad thing is I have to lug it up three flights of stairs; the good thing is I am trying to lose weight so that helps, the bad thing is I have to lug it up 3 flights of stairs.
The Brick guys are coming with the furniture on Tuesday, man they are going to hate me as there is no elevator and they have to lug ALL my furniture upstairs Tuesday night. They will be tired puppies. I most likely with give them a $20 for a tip but still, not sure if they will use that to put out a hit on me!
I have 4 days this week to make the apartment livable. I head out Thursday afternoon on holidays(Back to Edmonton Thursday and Ottawa Friday and Toronto Sunday), and I will need to have the apartment pretty much set up for when I get back here on the 20 July. I may take an extra day off when I get back to do any final set ups, but we will see what I get done this weekend.
On a health note, I am .8 lbs away from my goal of losing 45lbs before the reunion Friday. I figure another hectic day at shopping, burning calories and stair lugging, I will reach my goal by Tuesday, with a couple lbs to spare by Friday, then I am going to pig out at the pig roast!

Birds, Jeeps and all things neat

SO what an exciting day yesterday was. I got up and headed off to pick out and pick up a new vehicle. Yes I got a brand new Jeep Wrangler! I was like a teenager in love. I walked into the showroom of the dealership and our headlights and eyes met, and I knew she would be mine! Ok Ok , kind of sappy, As I said yesterday I wanted a vehicle and I got it. I am posting a picture on this blog for you!
So it was a very busy day yesterday. I went and picked up the vehicle had to fight to register it as they wanted me to change my Alberta license into a training license, That’s a Saskatchewan licenses cause they don’t know how to drive here haha (jk my SK friends) So needless to day I picked it up, paid the price and drove back to the city. I had two complements from strangers yesterday on nice Jeep!
So after that I went shopping and picked up a load of stuff for the apartment, house stuff, and then the afternoon I spent at the Brick buying my furniture and and more stuff. I managed to get a smoking deal on furniture. And it is all nice stuff. Dining room set, couch loveseat, coffee tables, end tables, 7 pc bedroom set a $2100 mattress for $900, a computer desk, 3 area rugs, BBQ, TV Stand all for $4100. Not bad eh! The guy was really good and I figure I can toss him some more business. On top of that I just put it on the brick card for no payments or interest for 8 months, and that way I can get paychecks in the bank before paying it off. All the furniture except the dining room gets delivered on Tuesday and the Dining room when I get back from holidays. The Phone/internet/Cable guy also comes Tuesday night, So Tuesday and Wednesday will be spent setting up furniture and cleaning out the packaging and stuff.
A side note, a bird flew into the windshield of my new jeep, luckily it didn’t break BUT this didn’t happen on the highway, this happened on the main drag, of the city doing 50kmh. Needless to say I was not impressed. Dumb birds!
I also did another Wal-mart run last night and picked up a jeep full f things, small appliances, kitchen stuff, bedroom stuff etc. I made my list and every trip I make it is getting smaller. So I figure by tomorrow I will have most of the household items picked up and all I will need is to pick up groceries, which I will do when I get back. I picked up 7 bags full at the dollar store, and one more run there as well I should be good to go as well. I also have a box full of stuff need to bring back from Edmonton for here, phones a blender etc.
On the weight loss front, I guess all that running around and shopping is paying off as well, as I am now 1.2lbs away from my Friday goal of being down 45lbs(244lbs) by the time I get to my reunion. I am so excited! I need to run a couple times this week and get to the driving range a couple times as well before the tourney in Ottawa on Friday.
Ok I am getting too far ahead of myself, I will update this more later…….