Yep, we are having a baby. We have created a blog to track the progress, so I will probably be spending most of my blogging time over there for the next several months. Please visit us at that site:
http://makinghay.wordpress.com/
Proud Papa-to-be,
-Robert
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Lazy Thursday on youtube
Check this video out that Nick and Jeffrey made to advertise the Thursday rec event. It is a parody of the Lazy Sunday SNL Digital Short that Samberg and Parnell did on SNL:
Montreat Articles on PCUSA.org
Below is a list of news articles on pcusa.org about Week 3 at Montreat:
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2008/08502.htm
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2008/08496.htm
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2008/08497.htm
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2008/08495.htm
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2008/08492.htm
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2008/08483.htm
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2008/08487.htm
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2008/08488.htm
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2008/08491.htm
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2008/08499.htm
There are 10 articles about last week. Our team did a great job and we are just kicking off week 4 and I am sure it will be just as great!
Peace,
-Robert, Jr.
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2008/08502.htm
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2008/08496.htm
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2008/08497.htm
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2008/08495.htm
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2008/08492.htm
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2008/08483.htm
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2008/08487.htm
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2008/08488.htm
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2008/08491.htm
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2008/08499.htm
There are 10 articles about last week. Our team did a great job and we are just kicking off week 4 and I am sure it will be just as great!
Peace,
-Robert, Jr.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
MacBook and XP
Well, I have finally joined the MacBook cult. After ordering and receiving two broken Dell's (one had a bad video card and the other a bad network card) and not getting any sympathy from Dell for it, I have vowed to never buy from Dell again (which means my organization will never buy from them again since being the IT guy is part of my ever-expanding job description).
So, I looked at HP, Lenovo, and Mac and finally decided on a MacBook. I have purchased the regular MacBook with a 2.4 ghz processor and 4 GB of ram. It is smaller than my 15" Dell, but I think I am going to like being able to carry it more places more easily.
The new Mac OS (Leopard) comes with a utility called Boot Camp. Boot Camp allows you to easily partition part of your hard drive for another OS and to run another OS on your MacBook. So, since I have a few applications that I use that I must use on Windows (accounting package and medical billing package), I installed Windows XP in a Boot Camp partition. So, I can either boot to Leopard or XP. This is a great feature, but what I really need is the ability to access Windows while in Leopard. So, I have also purchased Parallels (actually I haven't purchased it yet, I am still in the trial period). Parallels essentially creates a virtual machine in a window within Leopard. The new version of Parallels allows you to use your Boot Camp version as the virtual machine. So, now I can either boot directly to XP or Leopard OR I can access XP from within Leopard.
I am still trying to figure out all of the different nuances of this configuration, but so far I love it. I am also trying to get used to the Mac OS and having only one button to click. And I am trying to figure out how to share documents between my Office 2007 setup in XP and my Office 2008 for the Mac in Leopard. So, anyone out there with advice or other ways to make this configuration work better for me, please let me know.
So, I am not a total MacBook convert, but I am now living more in the Mac world and only visit XP out of necessity.
"Hi I am a PC AND a Mac"
-Robert
PS- Anyone have tips on how to move Outlook 2007 .pst files into Entourage 2008?
So, I looked at HP, Lenovo, and Mac and finally decided on a MacBook. I have purchased the regular MacBook with a 2.4 ghz processor and 4 GB of ram. It is smaller than my 15" Dell, but I think I am going to like being able to carry it more places more easily.
The new Mac OS (Leopard) comes with a utility called Boot Camp. Boot Camp allows you to easily partition part of your hard drive for another OS and to run another OS on your MacBook. So, since I have a few applications that I use that I must use on Windows (accounting package and medical billing package), I installed Windows XP in a Boot Camp partition. So, I can either boot to Leopard or XP. This is a great feature, but what I really need is the ability to access Windows while in Leopard. So, I have also purchased Parallels (actually I haven't purchased it yet, I am still in the trial period). Parallels essentially creates a virtual machine in a window within Leopard. The new version of Parallels allows you to use your Boot Camp version as the virtual machine. So, now I can either boot directly to XP or Leopard OR I can access XP from within Leopard.
I am still trying to figure out all of the different nuances of this configuration, but so far I love it. I am also trying to get used to the Mac OS and having only one button to click. And I am trying to figure out how to share documents between my Office 2007 setup in XP and my Office 2008 for the Mac in Leopard. So, anyone out there with advice or other ways to make this configuration work better for me, please let me know.
So, I am not a total MacBook convert, but I am now living more in the Mac world and only visit XP out of necessity.
"Hi I am a PC AND a Mac"
-Robert
PS- Anyone have tips on how to move Outlook 2007 .pst files into Entourage 2008?
Monday, June 09, 2008
Golf (and BEER)
This past weekend I went to Myrtle Beach with a group of 27 other guys for a golf trip. This was the 7th annual golf trip, but this was my first time to attend. The trip was started 7 years ago by some fraternity brothers from VA Tech. They started with 5 people the first year and have reached 28 this year by adding friends and co-workers over the years. My friend Steve invited me this year.
So, we left on Thursday morning with 2 cars with 7 people headed to Legends Golf Resort in Myrtle Beach. We arrived around 2 pm and immediately began a round. This was the "practice round" and was not included in the group package but almost everyone played. I think we had 5 or 6 foursomes. Being the practice round there were no set rules for this round. My foursome played "wolf". I shot a 112 and finished 9 beers. It was about 105 degrees.
After the round we checked into the condos at the resort. We had 7 condos. 4 guys to a condo. Each condo had 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. Each bedroom had 2 queen beds. We ate dinner at the Pub in the resort. Great burger (not that it mattered because I was so hungry).
The official "group" rounds began on Friday AM. Tee times started at 7 AM. We all headed to the clubhouse and ate the included breakfast buffet and then headed towards the course. This round everyone played with their condo roommates and each person was required to keep their individual score so most groups played "wolf". I shot a 105 and finished 6 beers (it was early). Temperature started at 85 degrees and by the end of the round it was 100 degrees.
The scores from the first round were then used to seed 7 teams for the second round of golf so that the teams would be somewhat even. So a quick bite to eat at the clubhouse and then we started the second round with the seeded teams. Format for this round was Captains Choice with mandatory beer shotgun holes on #4 and #17. Also if anyone in the group didn't hit it past the ladies tees then everyone on the team would have to do a shotgun. The entire team must finish a case of beer before the round is over. Must use each person's drive 3 times. And each team was allowed 3 mulligans but taking the mulligan required taking a shot (Beam for a tee shot, Captain Morgan for a fairway shot, and Jose Cuervo for a putt).
My team was a perfectly matched team. Our A and B players both shot 90 on the first round and our C and D(me) player both shot 105 on the first round. Our rankings in the 28 were A-7, B-8, C-21, D-22. We were a perfect team for a best ball tourney and it worked out for us. We finished 7 under and won the round.
The final round was played on Saturday with tee times starting at noon. In this round everyone had been drafted to either one team or the other (2 teams). Each foursome was made up of 2 players from each team. So, the foursomes decided what formats to play and then which ever pair in each group won would then get a point to the team they were on. The team with the most points won and got their names engraved on the "Donkey Cup". Again, my pair won my foursome and my team also won. Similar rules to the previous round about mandatory shotguns on holes and mandatory shotguns for not passing the ladies tees. I lost count of how many beers I had during this round.
So, that was my weekend. Lots of guys being stupid. Lots of beer. Oh yeah and we played some golf too...
So, we left on Thursday morning with 2 cars with 7 people headed to Legends Golf Resort in Myrtle Beach. We arrived around 2 pm and immediately began a round. This was the "practice round" and was not included in the group package but almost everyone played. I think we had 5 or 6 foursomes. Being the practice round there were no set rules for this round. My foursome played "wolf". I shot a 112 and finished 9 beers. It was about 105 degrees.
After the round we checked into the condos at the resort. We had 7 condos. 4 guys to a condo. Each condo had 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. Each bedroom had 2 queen beds. We ate dinner at the Pub in the resort. Great burger (not that it mattered because I was so hungry).
The official "group" rounds began on Friday AM. Tee times started at 7 AM. We all headed to the clubhouse and ate the included breakfast buffet and then headed towards the course. This round everyone played with their condo roommates and each person was required to keep their individual score so most groups played "wolf". I shot a 105 and finished 6 beers (it was early). Temperature started at 85 degrees and by the end of the round it was 100 degrees.
The scores from the first round were then used to seed 7 teams for the second round of golf so that the teams would be somewhat even. So a quick bite to eat at the clubhouse and then we started the second round with the seeded teams. Format for this round was Captains Choice with mandatory beer shotgun holes on #4 and #17. Also if anyone in the group didn't hit it past the ladies tees then everyone on the team would have to do a shotgun. The entire team must finish a case of beer before the round is over. Must use each person's drive 3 times. And each team was allowed 3 mulligans but taking the mulligan required taking a shot (Beam for a tee shot, Captain Morgan for a fairway shot, and Jose Cuervo for a putt).
My team was a perfectly matched team. Our A and B players both shot 90 on the first round and our C and D(me) player both shot 105 on the first round. Our rankings in the 28 were A-7, B-8, C-21, D-22. We were a perfect team for a best ball tourney and it worked out for us. We finished 7 under and won the round.
The final round was played on Saturday with tee times starting at noon. In this round everyone had been drafted to either one team or the other (2 teams). Each foursome was made up of 2 players from each team. So, the foursomes decided what formats to play and then which ever pair in each group won would then get a point to the team they were on. The team with the most points won and got their names engraved on the "Donkey Cup". Again, my pair won my foursome and my team also won. Similar rules to the previous round about mandatory shotguns on holes and mandatory shotguns for not passing the ladies tees. I lost count of how many beers I had during this round.
So, that was my weekend. Lots of guys being stupid. Lots of beer. Oh yeah and we played some golf too...
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Movies (and BEER)!
Yeah, I know I have been a slacker updating this blog. 2 years ago when I was updating my blog all the time I was doing it because I had nothing better to do at work. However now I actually like my job and stay busy (for most of every day). So, you are just going to have to be patient with me as I try and get back into this routine (and try to find time to do it).
Morgan and I have been really busy since my last post and I have thought several times "I should blog about this". There was the weekend in Memphis (highlight was ribs from Rendezvous and the piano bar Silkys). There was Morgan's birthday (yes she has joined the 30s club). There was moving my brother into my house (he doesn't have a job yet so he is living with us). But, what I really want to share is my experience at the Movie Tavern.
The Movie Tavern is a new movie theater near our house in the Northlake Mall area. Morgan and I went to see the new Indiana Jones movie. I dont' want to spend a lot of time talking about that movie because I think people built it up in their heads too much and so they were disappointed. However, if you watch it right after watching any of the other Indy movies then you will quickly realize that it is exactly on par with the other movies. I enjoyed it.
We also went to see the Sex and the City movie. Okay, I know you are thinking to yourself, "This guy is a big wimp if he went to see this movie. I should take his 'Man Card' away!". You are probably right and I would say the same thing about any of you men out there reading this. However, let me defend myself with two very important points:
1- I am leaving tomorrow (Thursday) for a golf trip with 27 other guys (From what I can tell from what the friend who invited me has told me about this trip the golfing is just an excuse to go act like college frat students again. I will post about this trip when I get back) so going to the movie was a preemptive way of avoiding the guilt of leaving my wife home alone while I was off being stupid.
2- They serve BEER at the Movie Tavern!
Point 2 is the important thing here. You see the Movie Tavern is a great concept. Why didn't I think this up. It works like this; it is a movie theater that also has food and BEER. SIMPLE!
First of all the ticket prices are cheaper than anywhere. It is $7 to see a movie. If someone can find a cheaper new movie ticket price in the ATL area I would like to know about it. Since I am a cheapskate they get me with the ticket prices. Then you walk in and they have a snack bar like any other theater; candy and popcorn and soft drinks. BUT WAIT, they have burgers and pizza and cheese dip and chicken wraps and french fries and BEER! So, you order what you want and they give you one of those table flags (like you get at Jason's Deli) and you go into your movie theater.
Once in the theater you will see that every row of comfortable and reclining chairs has a long table in front of it for your food. As you watch the previews and gulp your "tanker-sized" beer (more on this below) the wait staff delivers your food to you. The food prices are reasonable; $4-8 for an entree (ie. burger and fries). And the beer is reasonable; $3 for a domestic or $4 for an import.
But wait, there is more. They also have the "TANKER". It is a 38oz glass mug that you can purchase for $9 (that doesn't include the beer) and then you can fill the tanker with whatever domestic draft beer you want for $7. You get to keep the mug (you bought it for $9) and you can bring it back with you every time you come and refill it for $7. The only way to beat this price is to head back to the Plains for $5 pitchers...
So, as you can see the Movie Tavern is my new favorite place to go to the movies. I will even go see stupid chick flicks at this theater because I can eat cheese dip and drink beer (and score brownie points with the wife)!
Peace and Cheese Dip,
-Homer
Morgan and I have been really busy since my last post and I have thought several times "I should blog about this". There was the weekend in Memphis (highlight was ribs from Rendezvous and the piano bar Silkys). There was Morgan's birthday (yes she has joined the 30s club). There was moving my brother into my house (he doesn't have a job yet so he is living with us). But, what I really want to share is my experience at the Movie Tavern.
The Movie Tavern is a new movie theater near our house in the Northlake Mall area. Morgan and I went to see the new Indiana Jones movie. I dont' want to spend a lot of time talking about that movie because I think people built it up in their heads too much and so they were disappointed. However, if you watch it right after watching any of the other Indy movies then you will quickly realize that it is exactly on par with the other movies. I enjoyed it.
We also went to see the Sex and the City movie. Okay, I know you are thinking to yourself, "This guy is a big wimp if he went to see this movie. I should take his 'Man Card' away!". You are probably right and I would say the same thing about any of you men out there reading this. However, let me defend myself with two very important points:
1- I am leaving tomorrow (Thursday) for a golf trip with 27 other guys (From what I can tell from what the friend who invited me has told me about this trip the golfing is just an excuse to go act like college frat students again. I will post about this trip when I get back) so going to the movie was a preemptive way of avoiding the guilt of leaving my wife home alone while I was off being stupid.
2- They serve BEER at the Movie Tavern!
Point 2 is the important thing here. You see the Movie Tavern is a great concept. Why didn't I think this up. It works like this; it is a movie theater that also has food and BEER. SIMPLE!
First of all the ticket prices are cheaper than anywhere. It is $7 to see a movie. If someone can find a cheaper new movie ticket price in the ATL area I would like to know about it. Since I am a cheapskate they get me with the ticket prices. Then you walk in and they have a snack bar like any other theater; candy and popcorn and soft drinks. BUT WAIT, they have burgers and pizza and cheese dip and chicken wraps and french fries and BEER! So, you order what you want and they give you one of those table flags (like you get at Jason's Deli) and you go into your movie theater.
Once in the theater you will see that every row of comfortable and reclining chairs has a long table in front of it for your food. As you watch the previews and gulp your "tanker-sized" beer (more on this below) the wait staff delivers your food to you. The food prices are reasonable; $4-8 for an entree (ie. burger and fries). And the beer is reasonable; $3 for a domestic or $4 for an import.
But wait, there is more. They also have the "TANKER". It is a 38oz glass mug that you can purchase for $9 (that doesn't include the beer) and then you can fill the tanker with whatever domestic draft beer you want for $7. You get to keep the mug (you bought it for $9) and you can bring it back with you every time you come and refill it for $7. The only way to beat this price is to head back to the Plains for $5 pitchers...
So, as you can see the Movie Tavern is my new favorite place to go to the movies. I will even go see stupid chick flicks at this theater because I can eat cheese dip and drink beer (and score brownie points with the wife)!
Peace and Cheese Dip,
-Homer
Monday, May 19, 2008
Whew!
Well it was Columbia Theological Seminary Graduation weekend this past weekend. My brother received his MDiv (or as he said, he has now "Mastered Divinity"). So, of course the whole family was in town. Staying with me was my parents, my cousin Lisle, and my grandmother (Nana, my dad's mom). My cousin Douglass who just graduated from App State also came and stayed with his sister (and my cousin) Rebekah who lives here in Atlanta.
So Friday night we all headed to the Baccalaureate service at Columbia Presbyterian Church. Will Willimon preached a very good sermon. He was funny and irreverent, but I think he got his point across. For those of you who don't run in the preacher circles, Will Willimon is widely known as one of the best preachers in the world. Although I have to agree with my Nana that his delivery was not the best, but that his content is exceptional. Here is a link to his wikipedia entry and a link to his blog.
Saturday AM we all headed to Peachtree Presbyterian and were joined by my grandmother on my mom's side and my Uncle Joe (mom's brother) and Aunt Ann. We sat in basically the same place we sat last year for Morgan's graduation. It was a very similar service. One major difference is that after Kevin received his degree and hood, he headed back to his row and gave everyone on the row behind him a high five. Morgan didn't do that.
After the graduation and the pictures in the lawn and the reception in the fellowship hall everyone headed back to my house for a cookout on the new deck. We had a pleasant afternoon and the weather was wonderful.
Then Saturday night Kevin, my dad, Lisle, Rebekah, Douglass, and I headed to the TED for a Braves game. Despite the loss, fun was had by all!
Sunday morning Morgan preached and so everyone came to church! Morgan did a great job leading the service without the other pastor who was out of town.
Finally about 2 PM on Sunday afternoon everyone left and Morgan and I both sat down and relaxed. It was a wonderful weekend and it was great to see everyone and to honor Kevin. However, my introverted self was soooooo ready for some quiet time.
Next weekend we head to Memphis for Morgan's Nanny and Pap's 60th wedding anniversary and a family reunion. Another weekend of family, here we come!!!!
So Friday night we all headed to the Baccalaureate service at Columbia Presbyterian Church. Will Willimon preached a very good sermon. He was funny and irreverent, but I think he got his point across. For those of you who don't run in the preacher circles, Will Willimon is widely known as one of the best preachers in the world. Although I have to agree with my Nana that his delivery was not the best, but that his content is exceptional. Here is a link to his wikipedia entry and a link to his blog.
Saturday AM we all headed to Peachtree Presbyterian and were joined by my grandmother on my mom's side and my Uncle Joe (mom's brother) and Aunt Ann. We sat in basically the same place we sat last year for Morgan's graduation. It was a very similar service. One major difference is that after Kevin received his degree and hood, he headed back to his row and gave everyone on the row behind him a high five. Morgan didn't do that.
After the graduation and the pictures in the lawn and the reception in the fellowship hall everyone headed back to my house for a cookout on the new deck. We had a pleasant afternoon and the weather was wonderful.
Then Saturday night Kevin, my dad, Lisle, Rebekah, Douglass, and I headed to the TED for a Braves game. Despite the loss, fun was had by all!
Sunday morning Morgan preached and so everyone came to church! Morgan did a great job leading the service without the other pastor who was out of town.
Finally about 2 PM on Sunday afternoon everyone left and Morgan and I both sat down and relaxed. It was a wonderful weekend and it was great to see everyone and to honor Kevin. However, my introverted self was soooooo ready for some quiet time.
Next weekend we head to Memphis for Morgan's Nanny and Pap's 60th wedding anniversary and a family reunion. Another weekend of family, here we come!!!!
Monday, May 05, 2008
What is with the +/- indicator?
No! All you folks out there reading this blog who have children, are expecting children soon, are trying to have children, or who just think that it is time for Morgan and I to have children, THIS POST IS NOT ABOUT the +/- indicator on a pregnancy test!
Nope, this post is about a stupid system at some institutions of higher learning. Yep, I am talking about the +/- system of grading. On the rolling plains of Auburn, we only had letter grades A, B, C, D, F, and occasionally if you tried really hard you could get an XF (failure due to not completing all requirements) or a WF (failure due to dropping the class too late). We didn't have pluses or minuses. We just had letters. If you got an A, then you got an A. It couldn't be demeaned into an A- just by adding a - after it. It was an A and that is all that it would ever be.
So, now I am back in Grad school at Georgia State and they use the +/- system. So, I got a 92 in my Microeconomics class (YEAH) and I was proud of myself because at Auburn that would have been an A, but at GSU it is an A "Minus". Okay, so an A- in grad school is good and considering the amount of time I actually put into the class it is actually really good, but still, I feel like an A "Minus" is bad. I think a B "Plus" would have felt better than an A "Minus". Maybe it is just the negative connotation that goes along with the negative sign. Maybe it is the arithmetic that occurs when you see the subtracts sign. Mabye it is the sound of the word minus that makes me feel less. Whatever it is, I don't like it. Matter of fact, I think I am not going to use that sign to proceed my signatures anymore. I am going to use a more positive sign.
Peace,
+Robert
Nope, this post is about a stupid system at some institutions of higher learning. Yep, I am talking about the +/- system of grading. On the rolling plains of Auburn, we only had letter grades A, B, C, D, F, and occasionally if you tried really hard you could get an XF (failure due to not completing all requirements) or a WF (failure due to dropping the class too late). We didn't have pluses or minuses. We just had letters. If you got an A, then you got an A. It couldn't be demeaned into an A- just by adding a - after it. It was an A and that is all that it would ever be.
So, now I am back in Grad school at Georgia State and they use the +/- system. So, I got a 92 in my Microeconomics class (YEAH) and I was proud of myself because at Auburn that would have been an A, but at GSU it is an A "Minus". Okay, so an A- in grad school is good and considering the amount of time I actually put into the class it is actually really good, but still, I feel like an A "Minus" is bad. I think a B "Plus" would have felt better than an A "Minus". Maybe it is just the negative connotation that goes along with the negative sign. Maybe it is the arithmetic that occurs when you see the subtracts sign. Mabye it is the sound of the word minus that makes me feel less. Whatever it is, I don't like it. Matter of fact, I think I am not going to use that sign to proceed my signatures anymore. I am going to use a more positive sign.
Peace,
+Robert
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Back in the saddle
Well, it has been a really long time since I posted on here. My last post was on August 7, 2006 as I was getting on a plane for my first travel assignment with Amdocs. A whole lot has changed in my life since then, so let me see if I can catch everyone up:
For those of you who are new readers to this blog, "The Quest" was my very long struggle with trying to find my calling in life (if you are interested you can read the archives). If you read the few posts prior to this one, you will see that I quit my job at CGI-AMS which was my first job after college and where I worked for 5.5 years and I took a new job with another IT Consulting firm called Amdocs. My reasoning for the change was to determine if I was sick of consulting or if I was sick of CGI-AMS. Well, God answered my question real quick.
4 weeks into my new travel job with Amdocs, I got a call out of the blue from Chuck. Chuck is the Executive Director of the Care and Counseling Center of Georgia, which is a nonprofit located in Decatur, GA. He asked me to interview for a new job he was creating. This was the answer to my years of struggle and prayer. Long story short, I took the job in October of 2006 and have been the Director of Finance and Business Operations ever since.
This career shift wasn't easy. It meant a big paycut and it meant limiting Morgan's job search to the ATL area. However, with much prayer and consultation, Morgan and I both agreed that this was what God was calling me to do.
It all happened so fast that I kind of felt that my "Quest" was over and so I stopped blogging. So to those of you that I know used to wake up every morning looking for a new post from me, I apologize.
Well, since October of 2006 I have really lived into this new calling. And this past January of 2008 I started a masters program at GSU to further this career calling. I am seeking an MPA (Masters of Public Administration) with a Nonprofit Management concentration. Taking classes part-time while I continue to work at CCCG full-time I hope to complete the degree sometime in 2010.
To catch you up with Morgan, she graduated from Columbia Theological Seminary with a Masters of Divinity in May 2007. She then accepted a call to St Andrews Presbyterian Church in Tucker, GA as the Associate Pastor for Youth. She has been working there ever since July 2007. In August of 2007 we moved from Decatur to Tucker so as to be closer to the church.
So, that should catch everyone up with what is going on in our lives. Several of our friends started blogs and that encouraged me to shake the dust off this old blog and get it going again. It was very therapeutic for me during a tough time in my career and so I am hoping that it can continue to be therapeutic and a good place for me to goof off (along with Facebook).
Peace Out,
-Robert
For those of you who are new readers to this blog, "The Quest" was my very long struggle with trying to find my calling in life (if you are interested you can read the archives). If you read the few posts prior to this one, you will see that I quit my job at CGI-AMS which was my first job after college and where I worked for 5.5 years and I took a new job with another IT Consulting firm called Amdocs. My reasoning for the change was to determine if I was sick of consulting or if I was sick of CGI-AMS. Well, God answered my question real quick.
4 weeks into my new travel job with Amdocs, I got a call out of the blue from Chuck. Chuck is the Executive Director of the Care and Counseling Center of Georgia, which is a nonprofit located in Decatur, GA. He asked me to interview for a new job he was creating. This was the answer to my years of struggle and prayer. Long story short, I took the job in October of 2006 and have been the Director of Finance and Business Operations ever since.
This career shift wasn't easy. It meant a big paycut and it meant limiting Morgan's job search to the ATL area. However, with much prayer and consultation, Morgan and I both agreed that this was what God was calling me to do.
It all happened so fast that I kind of felt that my "Quest" was over and so I stopped blogging. So to those of you that I know used to wake up every morning looking for a new post from me, I apologize.
Well, since October of 2006 I have really lived into this new calling. And this past January of 2008 I started a masters program at GSU to further this career calling. I am seeking an MPA (Masters of Public Administration) with a Nonprofit Management concentration. Taking classes part-time while I continue to work at CCCG full-time I hope to complete the degree sometime in 2010.
To catch you up with Morgan, she graduated from Columbia Theological Seminary with a Masters of Divinity in May 2007. She then accepted a call to St Andrews Presbyterian Church in Tucker, GA as the Associate Pastor for Youth. She has been working there ever since July 2007. In August of 2007 we moved from Decatur to Tucker so as to be closer to the church.
So, that should catch everyone up with what is going on in our lives. Several of our friends started blogs and that encouraged me to shake the dust off this old blog and get it going again. It was very therapeutic for me during a tough time in my career and so I am hoping that it can continue to be therapeutic and a good place for me to goof off (along with Facebook).
Peace Out,
-Robert
Monday, August 07, 2006
On my first flight
Today is my first of many flights to kansas city for my new job. I woke up at 5:15 and was at the airport by 6:30 am. After checking my bag and going through security I was at the gate by 7 am. Chris (a co-worker whom I also worked with at my last company) and I grabbed breakfast and then we boarded the plane. It is now 8 am and we are waiting for everyone to get seated. Let's hope this travel job isn't as bad as I have heard. More updates later in the week.
"Somebody's got a case of the Mondays"
-Peter Gibbons
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Wednesday, July 12, 2006
New job
Well it is my third day at my new job and I have officially done nothing. In the consulting industry everyone is assigned a project. When you are not on a project, then you are waiting to get on a project. Every company has a name for the waiting time. My old company called it "on the bench" which is a common name in the industry. My current company calls it "on the beach". Well, I was actually on the beach last week and this cubicle looks nothing like it...
Wishing life actually was a Corona commercial,
-Peter Gibbons
Sent via BlackBerry from Cingular Wireless
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
A quick recap
Yeah, I know I have been dormant for a while. And I am sure that every morning you all click with excitement to my blog just to find disappointment due to my lack of blogging. Well, I apologize. I have been pretty busy the last few weeks. Let's see if I can give a quick recap...
Jury Duty ended after 3 days with a guilty verdict and the defendant receiving 15 years in jail for two different counts of 'aggravated assualt with a weapon (gun)'. Basically it was a gang shooting between the 18th street gang and the Laraza gang. These are both hispanic gangs. For those of you familiar with ATL, the shooting occured behind the Advanced Auto Parts store at Clairmont and Buford Highway. The defendant basically shot at 2 different people and shot one of them at point-blank range in the chest with a 9mm. The shot went straight through the guy and he lived and showed us his scars in court.
So court ended on Wednesday and then Thursday was my last day at CGI-AMS. It was un-eventful... Just like any other day. I did nothing all day, went to lunch with Steve and Warren, and then packed up and left. I am going to miss the people at CGI-AMS and I owe a lot of them for the knowledge and experience I have gained over the past 5.5 years. However, it is time to move on.
Friday through Tuesday was spent running errands, cleaning the house, doing laundry, etc. Morgan got back from Montreat on Saturday and we spent some quality time hanging out and getting ready for Montreat West.
Wednesday we headed to the airport (via Ryan, thanks). Our plane had some trouble. End result was we were on the plane for 5 hours for a 2.5 hour flight while they fixed the plane. It sucked. After the flight to Denver and the 2 hour shuttle to Ft Collins, we finally arrived only about 1 hour late for the meetings.
Wednesday through Sunday was spent with the Montreat West Planning team getting things ready for the conference. Finally Sunday night arrived and we started the conference. I dressed up as Nacho Libre for the opening skit (will share pics later)and we were off...
The conference was awesome. Jeffrey Harper (Music), J Herbert Nelson (Preacher), Cindy Edwards (Keynoter), and Kenneth Slifer (Recreation) all did a great job. Our planning team (made up of 4 adults- Rick, Kari, Chris, and Myself, 4 youth- Missy, Rex, Alyson, and Matt, and 2 co-directors- Lita and Leslie) did a wonderful job. It was one of the best teams I have worked on/with in the past 10 years of volunteering with Montreat. It was a great conference and in the end, the 4 hours of sleep each night was worth it...
The conference ended on Friday night with worship. Saturday was spent packing up and flying home. We got back to ATL at about 11pm and after the taxi ride were in bed by midnight. We slept in and then started doing laundry and then packed up and drove down to PCB (that is Panama City Beach, aka "Redneck Riviera") and we are staying at Gulftreat (the church camp my dad is in charge of). Just Morgan, Miller, and Me. We will be here until Friday and then we will head back. I have been sitting in the shallow end of the pool and throwing a tennis ball and Miller will swim and get it and bring it back. A much needed vacation!!!!!
I start my new job on Monday morning. I am sure I will have more updates after that.
Gotta go get my airbrushed t-shirt,
-Robert
Jury Duty ended after 3 days with a guilty verdict and the defendant receiving 15 years in jail for two different counts of 'aggravated assualt with a weapon (gun)'. Basically it was a gang shooting between the 18th street gang and the Laraza gang. These are both hispanic gangs. For those of you familiar with ATL, the shooting occured behind the Advanced Auto Parts store at Clairmont and Buford Highway. The defendant basically shot at 2 different people and shot one of them at point-blank range in the chest with a 9mm. The shot went straight through the guy and he lived and showed us his scars in court.
So court ended on Wednesday and then Thursday was my last day at CGI-AMS. It was un-eventful... Just like any other day. I did nothing all day, went to lunch with Steve and Warren, and then packed up and left. I am going to miss the people at CGI-AMS and I owe a lot of them for the knowledge and experience I have gained over the past 5.5 years. However, it is time to move on.
Friday through Tuesday was spent running errands, cleaning the house, doing laundry, etc. Morgan got back from Montreat on Saturday and we spent some quality time hanging out and getting ready for Montreat West.
Wednesday we headed to the airport (via Ryan, thanks). Our plane had some trouble. End result was we were on the plane for 5 hours for a 2.5 hour flight while they fixed the plane. It sucked. After the flight to Denver and the 2 hour shuttle to Ft Collins, we finally arrived only about 1 hour late for the meetings.
Wednesday through Sunday was spent with the Montreat West Planning team getting things ready for the conference. Finally Sunday night arrived and we started the conference. I dressed up as Nacho Libre for the opening skit (will share pics later)and we were off...
The conference was awesome. Jeffrey Harper (Music), J Herbert Nelson (Preacher), Cindy Edwards (Keynoter), and Kenneth Slifer (Recreation) all did a great job. Our planning team (made up of 4 adults- Rick, Kari, Chris, and Myself, 4 youth- Missy, Rex, Alyson, and Matt, and 2 co-directors- Lita and Leslie) did a wonderful job. It was one of the best teams I have worked on/with in the past 10 years of volunteering with Montreat. It was a great conference and in the end, the 4 hours of sleep each night was worth it...
The conference ended on Friday night with worship. Saturday was spent packing up and flying home. We got back to ATL at about 11pm and after the taxi ride were in bed by midnight. We slept in and then started doing laundry and then packed up and drove down to PCB (that is Panama City Beach, aka "Redneck Riviera") and we are staying at Gulftreat (the church camp my dad is in charge of). Just Morgan, Miller, and Me. We will be here until Friday and then we will head back. I have been sitting in the shallow end of the pool and throwing a tennis ball and Miller will swim and get it and bring it back. A much needed vacation!!!!!
I start my new job on Monday morning. I am sure I will have more updates after that.
Gotta go get my airbrushed t-shirt,
-Robert
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Planes are great, when they are working
Sorry for the delay since my last post. I will catch you up once I am at a computer again. Right now I am sitting on delta flight 1487 which was supposed to leave at 10:35am. It is currently 11:30. The flight was initially delayed for an 11am departure. We boarded and pushed away from the gate and got to the runway and then the pilot said that some computer wasn't working so we would have to go back to the gate to get it fixed. So we are sitting on the plane at the gate while they "fix" the plane. Hopefully they will get it fixed soon.
Ryan, thanks for the ride this morning.
Montreat West (ft collins, co) or bust!
-Robert
Sent via BlackBerry from Cingular Wireless
Monday, June 12, 2006
My Civic Duty
As you are aware, this upcoming Thursday is my last day with my current company. But instead of packing up my cube, transitioning my responsibilities, and trying to steal trade secrets and office supplies I am performing my civic duty. That's right, I was called to jury duty this morning.
It is an interesting process. I showed up at 8:15 AM as requested. By 8:45 AM I was in court room 5D with 47 other suckers. The lawyers for both the prosecution and defense proceeded to ask what they called "general" questions where were asked to raise our hands if we answered in the positive. This was followed by individual questions where each juror was asked to stand up and then the prosecution and defense asked individual questions to gain more knowledge of each juror. At 11:30 AM we had gotten through 12 of the 48 jurors. The judge let jurors 1-12 (who had already been interviewed) and jurors 25-48 leave for lunch while they continued with jurors 13-24. I was juror 26. We came back at 1:30 PM and they finished the individual interviews at around 2:40 PM. At 2:45 PM, I was one of 13 lucky jurors to be picked for the jury. They let the other 35 jurors leave and the 13 of us got new instructions and were sent to the jury room. When we came back (with our notepads) we had to be sworn in as jurors and then the lawyers gave their opening remarks.
I can't tell you any specifics about the trial until it is over, but I can tell you that it is a criminal case and the defendant is charged with 2 counts of aggravated assault with a gun (they have eluded that it may be a gang related shooting, but that is yet to be determined). I will update you when the trial is over, but it should be interesting. The judge and lawyers said that they anticipate the trial to run through at least Thursday.
A lot of the people at the courthouse were complaining about having to be there today. I can see where if you have children that you are responsible for or if you are really busy at work how this could be really inconvenient. However, for me, considering I really have NOTHING to do at work this week, I actually am excited about the opportunity to see how our judicial system works and to be a part of it. Hopefully I will do a good job and hopefully justice will be done.
God Bless America,
-Juror #26
It is an interesting process. I showed up at 8:15 AM as requested. By 8:45 AM I was in court room 5D with 47 other suckers. The lawyers for both the prosecution and defense proceeded to ask what they called "general" questions where were asked to raise our hands if we answered in the positive. This was followed by individual questions where each juror was asked to stand up and then the prosecution and defense asked individual questions to gain more knowledge of each juror. At 11:30 AM we had gotten through 12 of the 48 jurors. The judge let jurors 1-12 (who had already been interviewed) and jurors 25-48 leave for lunch while they continued with jurors 13-24. I was juror 26. We came back at 1:30 PM and they finished the individual interviews at around 2:40 PM. At 2:45 PM, I was one of 13 lucky jurors to be picked for the jury. They let the other 35 jurors leave and the 13 of us got new instructions and were sent to the jury room. When we came back (with our notepads) we had to be sworn in as jurors and then the lawyers gave their opening remarks.
I can't tell you any specifics about the trial until it is over, but I can tell you that it is a criminal case and the defendant is charged with 2 counts of aggravated assault with a gun (they have eluded that it may be a gang related shooting, but that is yet to be determined). I will update you when the trial is over, but it should be interesting. The judge and lawyers said that they anticipate the trial to run through at least Thursday.
A lot of the people at the courthouse were complaining about having to be there today. I can see where if you have children that you are responsible for or if you are really busy at work how this could be really inconvenient. However, for me, considering I really have NOTHING to do at work this week, I actually am excited about the opportunity to see how our judicial system works and to be a part of it. Hopefully I will do a good job and hopefully justice will be done.
God Bless America,
-Juror #26
Monday, June 05, 2006
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Resignation is bitter sweet!!!!
Well, it is official. I officially resigned from my current job this afternoon. My last day here will be June 15th. I have accepted an offer at another IT Consulting firm and I will begin there on July 10th. The reason for the time in between is that I have to go to the Montreat West Youth Conference during that period as a planning team member.
Resigning is no fun. I was nervous and wasn't sure what to say or what the reaction would be. However, fortunately for me, my boss was out of the office today, so I had to resign via a phone call. The fortunate part was that allowed me to write down exactly what I wanted to say which made me more relaxed and confident. I believe she was surprised, but when I told her my reasoning she understood.
So, now you are asking why I quit one IT firm to go to another. Well, as you know I have been struggling for about a year now with what career path God is calling me to. I have yet to determine what God's will is, however I believe that this is a step in the right direction. I believe that before I just give up on this IT consulting gig that I need to get another perspective on this industry. There have been moments that I have loved my job and so maybe what I don't like is my current employer. Or maybe I will get to the new place and realize what I don't like is the industry. Either way, I feel like I need to go and try before I make a drastic change in my life, particularly when I don't know what that change would be to.
So, I am taking a step towards figuring out what this 'Quest' is all about. I haven't figured it all out yet, but I am praying to God and I am trying to listen and right now this is the step I must take.
Resigning is no fun. I was nervous and wasn't sure what to say or what the reaction would be. However, fortunately for me, my boss was out of the office today, so I had to resign via a phone call. The fortunate part was that allowed me to write down exactly what I wanted to say which made me more relaxed and confident. I believe she was surprised, but when I told her my reasoning she understood.
So, now you are asking why I quit one IT firm to go to another. Well, as you know I have been struggling for about a year now with what career path God is calling me to. I have yet to determine what God's will is, however I believe that this is a step in the right direction. I believe that before I just give up on this IT consulting gig that I need to get another perspective on this industry. There have been moments that I have loved my job and so maybe what I don't like is my current employer. Or maybe I will get to the new place and realize what I don't like is the industry. Either way, I feel like I need to go and try before I make a drastic change in my life, particularly when I don't know what that change would be to.
So, I am taking a step towards figuring out what this 'Quest' is all about. I haven't figured it all out yet, but I am praying to God and I am trying to listen and right now this is the step I must take.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Family, food, and heritage!
Memorial day is to honor and remember all of those who have died to protect the freedoms that we hold so dear. But for me, Memorial day has always been more. It has always been a time to enjoy the company of those that you love. So, this Memorial Day, Morgan, Miller, and I headed up to Montreat to visit with her parents and to participate in Montreat's Kirk'n of the Tartans. Here is recap of the weekend:
Friday night: Dinner at the mexican restaurant with my brother and Morgan's mom.
Saturday: Big breakfast on the porch with Morgan's parents. Morgan's parents then had to go to a wedding, so Morgan and I went into Asheville and saw 'The DaVinci Code' movie. It was good and had some twists that were not in the book. After the movie and the wedding, Morgan's dad had cooked a pork butt and we had their famous potato salad (YUM YUM).
Sunday: The Kirk'n of the Tartans is a celebration of Presbyterian Heritage that mainly surrounds around the presentation of all the different Scottish Tartans. I carried in the 'Hay' tartan, my cousin Lisle carried in the 'Craig' tartan, and Morgan's mom carried in the 'Anderson' tartan. In all, there were 60 tartans presented and probably around 1000 people in attendance at the worship service that included the Montreat Scottish Society Pipe and Drum band. It was a great service. It was followed by a huge lunch at Assembly Inn with Nana (my grandmothers), Andy (uncle), Lisle (cousin), Emelyn (cousin), Kevin (brother), Debbie (mother-in-law), Mike (father-in-law), Morgan (my bride), and me. Sunday night, Morgan's dad cooked steaks on the grill and Kevin joined us as we ate dinner on their porch looking at the mountains and trying to get the dogs (Fred, Barney, and Miller) to behave.
Monday: We headed home with full bellies and vowed to stop eating forever!!!!
Friday night: Dinner at the mexican restaurant with my brother and Morgan's mom.
Saturday: Big breakfast on the porch with Morgan's parents. Morgan's parents then had to go to a wedding, so Morgan and I went into Asheville and saw 'The DaVinci Code' movie. It was good and had some twists that were not in the book. After the movie and the wedding, Morgan's dad had cooked a pork butt and we had their famous potato salad (YUM YUM).
Sunday: The Kirk'n of the Tartans is a celebration of Presbyterian Heritage that mainly surrounds around the presentation of all the different Scottish Tartans. I carried in the 'Hay' tartan, my cousin Lisle carried in the 'Craig' tartan, and Morgan's mom carried in the 'Anderson' tartan. In all, there were 60 tartans presented and probably around 1000 people in attendance at the worship service that included the Montreat Scottish Society Pipe and Drum band. It was a great service. It was followed by a huge lunch at Assembly Inn with Nana (my grandmothers), Andy (uncle), Lisle (cousin), Emelyn (cousin), Kevin (brother), Debbie (mother-in-law), Mike (father-in-law), Morgan (my bride), and me. Sunday night, Morgan's dad cooked steaks on the grill and Kevin joined us as we ate dinner on their porch looking at the mountains and trying to get the dogs (Fred, Barney, and Miller) to behave.
Monday: We headed home with full bellies and vowed to stop eating forever!!!!
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
One step closer...
I just completed a step along 'The Quest' that may take me closer towards figuring all this stuff out. Can't share details now, but I will when I can.
Let Thy will be done!!!!
Let Thy will be done!!!!
Morgan is old!!!
Happy Birthday Morgan!!!!!
Morgan's birthday was yesterday and she is now officially 28 years old which is like the late twenties which is like almost 30 which is like over the hill (sorry, for all the likes, it is an inside joke between Morgan and I about when Jessica Simpson turned 23 and how she explained how old she was...)!!!
So, you ask, what did we do to celebrate? Well, we went to the GA Aquarium, had dinner catered by Wolfgang Puck, and spent the night at the Embassy Suites across the street overlooking Olympic Park!!! Sounds romantic, except that the dinner at the Aquarium was actually a work party and celebration and we spent 2 hours listening to managers talk. Good thing they had alcohol...
The hotel room was a gift from Uncle Jeff and was awesome!!!!! Thanks Jeff!
Happy Birthday anyways, Morgan!!!!
Morgan's birthday was yesterday and she is now officially 28 years old which is like the late twenties which is like almost 30 which is like over the hill (sorry, for all the likes, it is an inside joke between Morgan and I about when Jessica Simpson turned 23 and how she explained how old she was...)!!!
So, you ask, what did we do to celebrate? Well, we went to the GA Aquarium, had dinner catered by Wolfgang Puck, and spent the night at the Embassy Suites across the street overlooking Olympic Park!!! Sounds romantic, except that the dinner at the Aquarium was actually a work party and celebration and we spent 2 hours listening to managers talk. Good thing they had alcohol...
The hotel room was a gift from Uncle Jeff and was awesome!!!!! Thanks Jeff!
Happy Birthday anyways, Morgan!!!!
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Charleston in May
This past weekend my friend Greg got married (finally). So, we made the trip up to Charleston for the weekend. Stew and Sue rode with us and we arrived early enough Friday afternoon to head downtown and have a few drinks. We then got all pretty and went to the Rehearsal dinner. It was really nice and the food was wonderful.
Saturday we slept in and then headed out towards Kiawah Island. We stopped at the shops right before Kiawah and had lunch at the old timey drug store. Then we headed to the church for the service. This was my first Catholic service experience. I was totally lost the entire time. As much as I know about Presbyterian and Protestant traditions, I am very uneducated about Catholic polity and process.
The reception was back at the hotel we were staying in. It was a buffet meal with a full bar and pretty cool band. After food, drinks, and dancing, we bid the happy couple farewell as they drove off in Nicole's (bride) dad's Rolls Royce. Then the party really started. We all headed downtown and closed down the bars. What I learned on this trip is that I am no longer 21 and I cannot drink drink after drink in smokey bars and then feel fine the next day. I woke up on Sunday and felt like a train had hit me and then I had to drive us all back to ATL. Whew, I am tired.
Saturday we slept in and then headed out towards Kiawah Island. We stopped at the shops right before Kiawah and had lunch at the old timey drug store. Then we headed to the church for the service. This was my first Catholic service experience. I was totally lost the entire time. As much as I know about Presbyterian and Protestant traditions, I am very uneducated about Catholic polity and process.
The reception was back at the hotel we were staying in. It was a buffet meal with a full bar and pretty cool band. After food, drinks, and dancing, we bid the happy couple farewell as they drove off in Nicole's (bride) dad's Rolls Royce. Then the party really started. We all headed downtown and closed down the bars. What I learned on this trip is that I am no longer 21 and I cannot drink drink after drink in smokey bars and then feel fine the next day. I woke up on Sunday and felt like a train had hit me and then I had to drive us all back to ATL. Whew, I am tired.
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