What Happened To Our Summer?

Previously I wrote about trying to figure out where my wife and I were going to take our son this summer. Many of the plans mentioned in that post have been solidified but it still only reveals one small aspect of our summer scheduling. I wish it were that simple but that is simply not the reality in which we live. There are many other factors playing into the rearranging of days, times, projects, vacations, and obligations that many of us have to juggle during this time of the year.

In addition to our desire to escape for a day or two at a time we also have many other things scribbled into the small grids that summarize our season. The next group that we have to account for are the various projects that we are having completed at the house over the next couple of months. These include the small items like garage doors, landscaping (i.e. tree removal), and interior door installation. And then there are the not so small projects that I hope to see completed like the HVAC overhaul as well as deck and porch construction. All of these take a lot of time and, right now are a bit in flux with regard to timing which is why we need to keep a few spots open.

Next are the family events that round out the calendar and that have been scheduled for months. This doesn’t just include the picnics in August but also the times when we need to schedule times to get together with family. There are so many things happening at this moment that it has become necessary to schedule these weekends. Of course, there are also a few times, granted they are few and far between, that we have scheduled to meet up with friends as well.

Day trips and local events have also become important in our schedule as we want to take the time to explore the communities around our home and also find different places for us to visit on a regular basis. Finally, there are the obligations that we have both during the week and on the weekends that we have little flexibility in scheduling. Did I mention that we need to maintain our home and property too… yeah, that requires allocation of a few weekends. So, at this point, it is surprising to find that there really isn’t a great deal of free space remaining on the calendar and the few open weekends that do exist are going to be welcomed as a respite from the chaos of the season. That is, of course, if they don’t get filled up with some unavoidable occurrence between now and then.

Coming Soon: 1100!

It is a rather staggering figure when you think about it… 1100 blog posts in 1100 days. It is actually still amazing that I have been able to find something to write about on each of those days. Of course, there are clearly some days when one can tell that there wasn’t much to write about but sometimes that is what happens. It is a simple matter of having to work with the information given no matter how little that may be. For me, that means life is a lot like work.

On the other side of things, there have been quite a number of days when there are multiple events, thoughts, topics that I would like to write about. This usually has me pulling out my planner and trying to figure out where I can fit some of these subjects into the schedule. At times this is a rather easy problem to fix as the topics fit into some of the weekly themes. Other times, they are beyond the purview of these scheduled posts which leaves only a few days each week where they can be fit in.

I guess you could say that this is sometimes just part of the routine. However, the timeliness of topics can sometimes change things up. Also, the simple desire to write or not to write has to be taken into account. Topics can be a factor in this as there are times when I don’t have any desire to write about a topic that I previously planned no matter how rich the subject matter may be. This means that, for me, this blog is a lot like work.

All of that being said, somehow I have managed to put up a post for each day and, at least on occasion, these posts have resonated, entertained, of flat out pissed people off. However, more than that, it has started numerous conversations with people from around the world and with a wide variety of backgrounds because we share a common idea, interest, or opinion. Sometimes these communications have surprised me as I received praise for certain stances that I have taken on a variety of topics. Even those whom have disagreed with me have at least brought their own opinions to the fore and opened a dialog on specific topics.

This blog has always been a means of recording life and part of life is the wonderful conversations, experiences, and people that I have been able to meet along the way. So, in essence, this blog has been a means to enhance life and bring about experiences and provide introductions that I would have otherwise never had the opportunity to enjoy. It really is interesting how things come full circle in that regard and makes the time and effort that I have committed to these words worth much more than the modest investment streaming from the tips of my fingers.

On The Road Again… Returning Home From Erie

I woke up early Saturday morning still enveloped by the mass of comforters on the hotel bed. With a few things still having to be taken care of on the computer, it didn’t take long for me to make my way to the coffee maker before beginning my morning routine. I had been invited to breakfast the night before so there was little time to waste… it was going to be a bit of a mad rush to get myself together.

Once I got myself squared away, I packed everything up, and got out of the room (not before taking a final photo out the window at my view.

With everything back in the car, I walked over to check out before enjoying a quick nosh. There wasn’t much conversation as the Masonic herd (or is it gaggle? Flock? I don’t know) was already making their way to the Convention Center next door. A few bites later and I joined a small group heading over.

The meeting concluded by noon and we all made our way to lunch in the next conference room over. After an additional hour of discussion and fellowship we all went our separate ways with the Grand Lodge officers heading off to meetings and the rest of us heading either back to the hotel or beginning our journey back home. I made my way back to the parking garage and couldn’t help but to take a picture of the excellent view that my car was able to enjoy during the stay.

For the first time I made my way through the middle of the city and slowly glanced at the stores and people lining the main street. The drive home was pretty uneventful with cool weather and clear skies the entire way across the Commonwealth. While I wasn’t able to take any photos during my drive through the city, I did manage to get a few lucky shots while I was coasting down the highway.

The first section of highway was straight and pretty boring but I could tell that the clouds were going to be an interesting travel companion.

As the time flew by (mostly while I was on the phone) the elevation increased…

…and the clouds became even more intriguing.

Soon I was high in the mountains…

…weaving in and out of curves…

…and cutting into the mountains.

Not long after that excellent stretch of road, I stopped for a few minutes at the next rest stop. All of the rest stops that I encountered during my travel where in pretty good shape, clean, and the grounds were well maintained.

By the time I left the rest stop the sun was beginning to fall behind the range beside me. The longest day of the year was a great one for traveling and provided the perfect ending to my weekend trip to Erie and my time exploring the commonwealth.

One final push and my trip came to an end. It was long, tiring, and left me a little stiff from driving but it was a great weekend trip that I would do again in a second. In fact, I am already planning the trip next year with my wife. Now that I know what to expect, I plan on attending all of these meetings in the future.

Lack Of Communication

No matter how much you plan there are some days when the phone is just not your friend. Not only for what does and doesn’t happen over the phone but because of what happens while you are on the phone. Being connected to three phone lines during the work day, there are moments when I am working on something just waiting for one of them to ring like a communications form of Russian roulette.

It all began in the morning when my cell phone decided not to ring and sent someone directly to voice mail. Understand that I always answer my phone and when this happens it is highly annoying at the least and, when it is a call I am waiting for or generally a call I should take, it bugs the crap out of me. That was just the beginning. When the phone chimed to let me know I had a message (about ten minutes later) I picked up my office line and tried to return the call… voicemail. It would have been nice to have answered the phone as I was unable to get a hold of the publication for the rest of the day.

As the no ring scenario was playing out, I was also sending meeting requests and trying to fit all the pieced together to get another call scheduled for the early afternoon. Juggling three time zones is not as challenging as people want you to believe. With all times and the dial in confirmed it was stored away on my calendar until the reminder popped up to alert me of what I had done earlier in the day. I dialed in and found that one person was missing… can’t staff an interview when only half of the people show up. So back to the beginning. It turned out to be an email issue but I think the phone put it up to the task.

Two hours later, staffing a call to help out a double booked colleague, and this time the reporter was not on the line. At this point I was getting quit frustrated having had absolutely no success on the phone. Finally, toward the end of the day the rescheduled times were coming around and my colleague, for some reason, had me cover the call again despite no conflicts during the new time. We are all busy so I dialed in and everyone was on the line!

Thirty minutes later and the other interview, the one I scheduled, was about to begin. The problem was that the first conversation was running long. Time to multitask and get all forms of communication going at once. I got the second reporter on standby and as soon as the first call ended I brought in the next interviewer and pushed through the next thirty minutes. After over an hour on the phone and multiple follow ups (mostly sending promised files/documents) it was time to circle up with my colleague to make sure everyone was on the same page.

However, there was a slight problem as, while I was on the phone, they decided to duck out the back door and not let anyone know that they was leaving. I literally asked around and no one knew where they were or when they left. It’s one thing if you have to leave a little early, I understand that, but you have to let people know that you are heading out the door (emergency situations being the obvious exception). Well, as I found out later in a 45 minute delayed reply to my text, that they had to be somewhere at 6. No emergency, no client meeting, just somewhere, someplace where their phone is rendered useless and a lackadaisical mentality is acceptable.

On the verge of demolishing most of the phones in the office, my departure for the week was overdue. I packed my things, walked away from my desk, and assisted one of the younger people in the office as they cleaned out their desk, turned in their key, and headed out the door for the final time. I know that feeling and I really felt for them as they packed up their personalized space into a few small bags. I forgot about the phone issues and the long day as I tried to offer my limited wisdom and encouragement. Sometimes things aren’t so bad at the end of the day when you know that the next day has the potential to be much better.

Schedule Shift

This week I missed my Rotary meeting for the first time in months. There have been a few close calls from time to time but I outright missed it yesterday. If you read my post from yesterday you can understand why.

This is not a unique problem. Many Rotarians have to adjust their schedules to find the time to attend a meeting. It is the commitment we made when we joined Rotary. Sometimes things work out and you can find a way to attend your home club meeting. But that is not always the case.

Given my new daily routine, I am going to have to find a number of clubs to fit into my calendar. I will do my best to occasionally attend meetings at my home club in Bala Cynwyd but, at this point, I can’t guarantee anything. It will continue to be my home club but most of my meetings will have to be beyond the confines of Aldar Bistro.

What does that mean for some of the projects I have undertaken? Nothing, I am still going to work as hard as I have been on them. This schedule shift may even be to my benefit as it will give my club, our projects, and our raffle greater exposure.

What I will miss are the people. These people are not just my fellow Rotarians or club members; they are my friends who have been there for me during much of this recent rough patch. They will always be dear friends and I will continue to talk to and coordinate with them regarding the goings on in the club and what they happen to be doing beyond the Rotary world.

You may not see as many posts regarding the speakers at my club, which should have been obvious by now. But I will write about all the events, conferences, training programs and visitations to other clubs that I experience moving forward. In fact, you will be (or maybe you won’t if you tend to skip over these posts) reading about a Rotary event that I will be attending on Saturday when I finally finish up with Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI).

So, some things are definitely going to change in my own Rotary world but many things are going to stay the same. Change is good most of the time and in this instance it has the potential to be great. Stay tuned for a different Rotary perspective.