Spinning

Spinnining again

Stop George, just stop. I hate this feeling.

Spinning on the wind
A leaf fell from a limb

New Personal Pops Record

Four jumps today - and I am beat down tired.

Got back in town this morning and headed out to the DZ to get some jumps in. I ended up with Kyle as my instructor and he was really cool and helpful. The goal was to get in dive flows 9 through 12 but I only got through the first three today. Jump one was kinda like learning to ride the bike again - it was a dock and backslide dive. We did a folded accordion exit and when we separated I was not putting in enough forward leg input to drive forward and dock. I think I was concerned about driving too hard forward and ramming into him but before I knew it was 8,000 and time for me to break off and track. Jump #2 we did the same dive flow and I got it right that time. Jump #3 on the day was just directional tracking which was cool to see how much ground you can cover when you really sweep in and dive forward. Jump #4 was altitude control - speeding up fall rate and then cupping air to slow down. Kyle and I elevatored those maneuvers several time with no problem. Up......down.......up.......down.......

Now only 7 more jumps until I am done with student status. I should be able to knock those out over the next two months. Standing in the door and exiting is becoming more natural. I know now that it is just a matter of hitting your arch hard and trusting the fall without swimming around with my legs or arms. Arch......fall.....keep falling......trust it.......just fall and you will be belly down.

Now tomorrow.......Focus

Focus

It's right in front of you
Focus
How bad do you want it?
If you want it, prove it and claim it
Tomorrow is day one

Head down, man up
Finish what you have already started
Be a closer!!!!!!!!
Focus
It's right there for you to take
Focus
So just take it.......take it George
Focus

Home for the Holidays

Off to Montgomery tomorrow for Christmas with Moms.

I remember Christmas and the excitement as a kid.
I remember Christmas plays and feeling close to the anticipation of the celebration of Christ.
I remember the pause from college and resting before a new quarter.
I remember going home to 2352 Wagner street.

Now it's different somehow as an adult. Adult like as in 36 years old. Gifts really mean nothing to me. Giving them really does not hold a lot of significance either. I would rather be a good son/friend/confidant for 365 days during the year than try to capture my feelings for those around me on one day. It simply can't be done. Giving is something that should happen every day for those that you love.

I suppose I really only go home to see Moms these days. I miss her a lot, but I hate everything about Montgomery. If I could move all of my family away from that depressing pit I would do it in a moment.

Why don't I have somebody to share this with?

One Year Later

It did not even cross my mind until somebody mentioned it this morning. One year ago Calpine filed for bankruptcy and began reorganization. Just thinking back on that brings back a lot of those pivotal days that I have had in energy working for others like Enron and Reliant. It is a unsettling thing to come into your office and hear news that your job could be at risk. You look around and you can see the fear and concern clearly in the faces of your coworkers. It has been a rough ride to say that least.

Just around the corner in February will be 2 years for me here at Calpine which is about as long as I have worked in any single job in 7 years since business school. That sounds horrible to say but it is true. I wonder how things will end here.

Renaissance

Renaissance

I can be the wall when you fall down
Find me on the rocks when you break down
I heard it in the song when you call out
But I got to say now it's got to change



Your hands

Merry Christmas

Well put 2006 in the books for me. I can't believe it's done as Memorial Day seems like it was yesterday. I suppose an update is in order for me for those I have not spoken to in a while and want to know what I have been up to. Over all I am OK I suppose, but the year has not been without a lot of ups and down, particularly at work.

I am still at Calpine these days and working on the structuring desk. The company filed for bankruptcy about a year ago and the roller coaster ride began about then. I was doing origination at the time, but that effort was shut down and I was given the choice of either taking a package or staying on with the structuring team. I chose to stay on board and I really appreciate Jim giving me that chance. In short, there was a wave of people that left after bonuses were not paid and I began looking as well. Morale sucked and I can't say that it is all that much better these days - there is a lot of indifference now. I really want to find the right opportunity to move on to and also I have to make sure I move on to a stable opportunity. Small steps. Either things will work out at Calpine or I will simply move on shortly into the year.

One thing that has continued to be a constant joy for me is my work with His Grace Foundation. We work with the kids in the bone marrow transplant unit at Texas Children's Hospital. It's probably been four years now since I met a special little boy named Christopher and started working with those guys and it never gets old. The foundation is a resource for the kids and families during their stay on the unit which could often be a couple months.
His Grace was started by a mom who's daughter Gracie went through this and she saw a need for all the things we do like providing meals, weekly shopping and paying for parking at the hospital to name a few. For me it comes down to kids and helping out any way I can. That's Hailey up above. How could you not want to do something to see a smile like that? She is far and away one of my favorites and such an angel. True the kids are seriously ill and it can be hard, but they keep me laughing every time I go there. After all, they are still kids.

Houston is still a good place for me to call home. I doubt that it's the last stop for me but it is where I feel at home right now. The day to day is good and I try to stay active swimming, running and playing raquette ball. Life is pretty good. I am sure some of you have bets as to whether I get a dog or a girlfriend first, but I will disappoint all and tell ya I have neither. Still living at the same place in midtown, not much new there.

One of the things I have been trying to do is catch a lot of the good concerts the city offers and it's been a great year for that. On the list this year to name a few were Lenny, Coldplay, Corrine Bailey Rae, Maceo Parker, Prince, Ozomatli, John Legend, Wolfmother, Dave Matthews Band, Matisyahu, She Wants Revenge and Jurassic 5. There were probably many more but I know I am forgetting several.

There were a couple cool trips along the way to catch a couple shows also this year. Jazz Fest in Nola was awesome as always. DMB, Galactic, Rebirth, and Anders Osborne were a few of the big acts there that weekend. I opted out of the Sunday show with The Boss because of the rain, but I did spend some time driving familiar areas of the city. Katrina has forever changed that part of the state in a way that you have to see first hand to really understand.


Another fun trip was to San Fran to check out Dave Matthews Band (scored a fifth row ticket) and to kick around Napa for a few days. The weather cooperated for the trip and it was a much needed break and chance to unwind and relax by myself. I spent a good bit of time kicking around the city and catching up to friends before heading north. Big props to Susan, Jodi and Tamara for making me feel welcome and reaching out with their families. Along the way I was able to see the South Bay, Sausalito, Muir Woods and the San Reyes Shore. Napa was relaxing as I spent a lot of time just driving and exploring - it was really relaxing and very much on my terms this go round.

One of the more meaningful trips I had this year was going home to Mobile. This was the first time I have been there in maybe four or more years. I will save the details for you to read in the link below, but I will say that it was a good trip despite my anxiety about going back. I was there for my friend David's wedding which was a great time. This was one of several weddings I went to this fall in a very short period of time. There really is no place like home.
You can call me crazy now, go ahead....... I know it is coming when you hear that I have started working on my license to skydive. For the last few months I have slowly adding jumps towards my A license. Not tandem, this is the real thing with me jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. I really can't explain why or how this happened. I can only tell you that i have never felt more alive then when I am flying.

When I did my first tandems a year ago, a guy at my drop zone told me something that made a lot of sense. He said this will change your life if you let it. He was right. As a matter of fact, I think that statement is true about a lot of things in life. At this point I am about half way there and I would like to be done by March if not sooner and start buying my own gear. There is a link to a post about my first time out the door down below so check it out.

Back home every one is doing good and the family is fine. Mom is doing well and she still keeps me under her wing........never mind the fact that I have not lived at home for....you get the idea. Love her to pieces though. So that's it for now. I hope you all have a great Christmas and holiday season with family and those close to you. Please know that you are missed and also a very special part of my life. Feel free to poke around through the archives on the side bar on the main page. I will warn you that you get the good, the odd, and the bad just as the year has happened, but honesty is one of the house rules. Stop by whenever. Comment if it strikes you. Make your self at home. Merry Christmas and all the best in 2007.

Maybe I will get a dog after all.......

George D. III

A few of my favorites on the year.......
On Turning 36
The Me in the Mirror
Back in the Deep End
Jazz Fest 2006
Friendship: Just the Basics
The Little Drummer Boy
Hailey: Simply and Angel
Family Matters
Fourth of July on the Cape
Forgiveness
Baby Charles Says
Nowhere Fast
We All Tell a Story
San Francisco 2006
31 Years Ago Today
Tasting Life Again from 14,000 Feet
The Road Home
Thanksgiving 2006
Gut Check



Favorite Sets of Pictures (All flikr albums here)
Coldplay
Pictures from the Office
Andre and Family Jazz Fest 2006
His Grace Foundation
Memorial Day 2006
Maceo Parker at Antones
Uropa 10 Year Party
Fourth of July on the Cape
Dave Matthews Band Houston 2006
San Francisco/Napa 2006
David's Wedding in Mobile
Thanksgiving 2006

It's Not About Me

Life is really not all about me.

It's about others and leading each other to find our way through this. We have to love each other and be the man in the corner for others. It is so easy to lose sight of this and only focus on self. Today I got it. I have figured it out in a very real way.

This is the beautiful thing about life. This is what Christmas is really about.

Liftoff Confirmed

Beautiful launch tonight. Makes an old Booster proud. Have a great trip Beamer, you will always be a hero of mine.

Hailey

I slipped away from work today over lunch to run by the hospital and check in with the kids. Hailey was there in the clinic and she totally made my day. This little girl has this giggle/laugh that heaves her whole body. I could totally sit there being silly with this four year old for hours. I begged for bites of her hot pocket and she was tickled every time she snatched a bite away from me on her fork. I am so mad that I did not take my camera with me today but I will stop and check on them again for sure next week and get some pictures.

What's for Dinner?

I've promised myself for the last couple years that I would take the time to actually archive my knowledge on cooking either electronically or preferably on paper. This way I would never again have the excuse of walking in my kitchen or a grocery store and thinking "I just don't know what to do." I need a way to put it all together and plan meals . I think this will help me pair dishes more effectively also. OK. That's a project for 2007 for sure!

In the mean time, this might become a recurring journal topic for me.........

What's for Dinner?
Grilled chicken breast topped with sauteed crawfish tails in in lemon chilli sauce
Blue cheese taters
Fresh steamed green beans

Tagged Again!

Well my favorite Kitty, Phain, tagged me with this one so I'll play along.

Name 6 Weird Things About Yourself

Well I suppose the first two things fall into the category of strange obsessive compulsive behavior.

1. I have a strange habit of checking my garage door after I leave. Sure, I have carelessly driven away with the door up a few times. But most times that I leave home I will pull out and check that the door is closing in my mirror but for some reason I fell the need to back the car up in the street after I have pulled out just to have another look.

2. Ever since I was a kid, I have done a couple strange things. I always retrace my exact steps around things. It has to do with a strange "balance" thing I suppose I have. If I get up and walk across a room even in an unfamiliar place, I will go back to where I was along the same path going around things in the reverse order that I got there. Sometimes I even drive like this.........strange huh? Maybe related to this I have always had a thing where if I touch something with my right hand I like to touch it with my left.....even if I brush against something this applies. Yeah.....weird.

3. Pennies are evil. I hate pennies. Please don't give them to me at the register because I will hand them right back to you or I will leave them stacked on the counter neatly. Pennies - no thank you.

4. I hate Olive Garden. Don't ever ask me to eat there. This restaurant is like eating pennies.....(I know someone is gonna give me flack about this but.....)

5. My close friends know that when I leave my name for a reservation at a restaurant you won't find George on the list. The name you will find is Tyler. If they need a last name it will be Durden. Astute movie buffs will immediately recognize this as the name of the character Brad Pitt played in Fight Club, one of my all time favorite movies. Tyler represents the "other" side to all of us. He is the back of the sheet of paper. He is the reflection in the mirror. I use this name just for kicks but also to let people wonder if they are meeting me or someone else.....how do you know who I am? Are you shure? In Tyler's words from the movie:

"All the ways you wish you could be, that's me. I look like you wanna look, I fuck like you wanna fuck, I am smart, capable, and most importantly, I am free in all the ways that you are not. "

6. FM radio is kinda pointless in my opinion. I refuse to listen and to that point all of the presets in my car are programmed to the lowest FM setting. I was on a date once and the woman programmed my presets for me. It was our last date.

Bonus - Two great books:

The Emperor of Ocean Park by Stephen Carter. Carter is a ivy league law prof that writes about a character that could very well be himself in fiction. The cool thing about it is that it is told from the perspective of an upper middle class African American ivy league prof that has mirrors a lot of my own experiences in life. The read will give you a view of Black America or "the darker nation" as he puts it that you just don't find in the mainstream media. The plot is what is stand out though. The main character has a father that is up for a Supreme Court nomination and is killed. The thriller is told with chess as a backdrop as the father and son love the game and are deep into the technical strategy terms that novices would never know. The chess terms explored mirror the plot and what is going on. Very challenging read but an awesome thriller as the main character unravels the murder.

The other book is The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Henry has the ability to travel through time mostly backwards but sometimes forwards. The book does not really dwell on the technicalities of this nor should the reader - it is a biological oddity. One day he meets a woman for the first time yet the woman has known him all her life (get it......he has not traveled to meet her yet....). They fall in love and marry and the story is told in diary form with times and dates and with entries from both characters. Read this one and go on the ride......it's really about their relationship and love. Ever wanted to meet yourself as a kid?

Back in the Gritty City

Yup, another random trip this weekend.

Nicole had her birthday party in the city this weekend at her place, so I flew in to hang out with her and catch up with a some of the NY crew. As the theme seems to be with me and planes, half the drama was just trying to get there on my flight. As of 10:00 Friday morning, the flight was delayed from 4:00 to 6:00 PM and I did not even leave my house for the airport until 4:15. By the time I got there the fight had been pushed back to 7:00 PM with turned out to be about the time we loaded and pushed back from the gate. That would have not been so bad but we ended up waiting another 2 hours on the plane before even leaving......just my luck.

It was a pretty quick trip. When I got in, Nicki and I sat up and talked for a couple hours and caught up before crashing. Love the apartment that she bought (even with all the girly stuff around). Saturday could not have been much more of a perfect day for a dude as I sat on the couch and watched all of the games from 11:00 into the evening. She was gone all of the day getting "beautified" and we pulled it all together just as people were getting there. She has a great set of friends there and both sets of her parents came over. As all her friends so clearly stated, she is a pretty awesome woman and has a lot going on for her. It's not often you hear people so freely honoring another friend. I am glad that we have been able to reconcile our relationship and become friends again. That means a lot. Unfortunately, not much of the NY crew was able to make it. Craig and his girl came through and Yolanda were there, but Q, Kelley and the McCains were missed. Very early flight for me this morning so by the time I crashed at Yolanda's house I was getting up two hours later. Big kudos to Yolanda for letting me crash there.

Something about NY....... I miss it. I really don't think I could ever live there again but there is something about being in the city that brings a part of me alive.