Gobble Gobble: Part Two

Growing u we always had Thanksgiving dinner at home and while at the time I didn’t think about this annual routine now it has become something that I think back on and enjoy. The last several years, with all of us getting married, having kids, and moving around those dinners have shifted around. Most years our day would consist of a few stops and this year was no different with a couple of stops during the day. Each time it has been a slightly different schedule but the biggest difference had been that we would no longer go to my parent’s house for the holiday.

Thankfully, my wife and I were able to revisit those memories a little bit and have a post-Thanksgiving meal with my parents tonight. It was just the four of us but it allowed us to spend time with them, eat, chat, and just enjoy being there without having to rush out the door to go somewhere else. We have had many meals with my parents as we enjoy being there and catching up on all that is going on, receive great advice, and sometimes plan for the things just around the corner. It really is a home for both of us.

Tonight made me miss a little bit the simpler Thanksgivings without the commotion and the running from place to place when we could just show up and pick up conversations as if we had just seen them earlier that day. I guess you could say that one of the things that I am most grateful for is the relationship that my wife and I have with my parents and the support and guidance that they have always given us. Some may not be able to relate to this statement at all but I consider myself privileged to have been born into my family.

That is something that I hope that we will be able to pass on to our son. I want him to have those memories of family holidays filled with family and know that we are always there for him. I guess you could say that is one of my greatest fears… that he will not look back at Thanksgiving and other family gatherings with the same love and appreciation that I do now. Maybe that is why I am so excited not just to meet our son but to introduce him to his family.

Sifting Through The Piles

Just as I thought, we're dealing with a huge pile of crap!

Last week, the weekend, and now this week have been full of various piles that have had to be shoveled. Sometimes it was a matter of picking up and moving a pile from one place to another while other times it was in a failed effort to take care of a stinky situation. As was mentioned before, it is common to move projects and tasks at the office from one day or week to the next. It is not something that I like to do but it happens, it is sometimes part of the job when you are juggling so many things at once.

There are things that I do my best to avoid pushing back but there are also other items that I don’t have control over. It actually reminds me of the scene in the movie “The Last Castle” when the punishment handed down to Robert Redford’s character was to move a pile of rocks with no real constructive purpose for the project. It would have been fine keeping it where is was but, due to some external influence, it had to be shifted to another day (and sometimes moved again).

And then there are the other piles that seem to be popping up all over the place as of late. It has gotten so bad that at times I feel as though I am trying to make my way across the 38^th parallel… one wrong step and you’re dealing with a whole new pile of BS for the week. Needless to say, these kinds of piles are sticky and stubborn to the point that it is sometimes best to just throw away your shoes and move on.

I guess both of these kinds of piles come down to the lack of control I have over what is going on around me. I can control much of what is happening at the office but I can’t control things on the other side of the phone. No matter how much we try or how meticulous the plan, it is never a guarantee that things will go smoothly.

On the personal side of things and all other situations where predominant component of the piles is in the form of BS, I really don’t have any control. I have tried to voice concerns, present some sort of reasonable action plan, and even attempted to simply ‘play nice’ but all of that has been pushed to the side so that stubbornness, anger, and stupidity could run rampant. Now additional opinions, no matter how good the intentions, are welcomed and I have no control over this situation. However, I can control the fact that my voice is heard and my concerns are aired but, in the end, everything remains steaming in a growing pile primarily occupying my weekends.