First Day Off on Assignment

 Today is my first day off on assignment in Eau Claire as support staff.  Highs will be in the upper 70's with clear skies.  It's the perfect day to explore the area and get a good workout in.

I'm headed to the local YMCA for a one hour drill session on the indoor tennis courts about six miles from my hotel.  Next stop is the bike trails.  It's going to be a great day.  

I'm happy to be reunited with teammates from all over the Midwest.  There is serious work ahead.  Today is reserved for my body to get super active.  Stay tuned.  Have a great day.

Human Soladarity

 The adjustment process working away from home in new communities can sometimes appear overwhelming.  My routine is out of whack.  I do my best to find consistency amidst the chaos.  This morning I woke up early enough to get current with my daily podcasts from my mom's favorite YouTube pastor.  Yesterday's podcast, Human Soladarity, helped me connect the dots at the perfect time.

Human soladarity is about connecting with others.  Sure, it's easy to connect with those who come from similar backgrounds, like members of a specific congregation.  What about those outside your circle of friends?  I had one of those moments yesterday when Matthew returned to our tent to sign up for a membership.  I was on a lunch break so my teammate handled the paperwork.  Matthew was waiting in his vehicle when I walked up to chat.  Matthew brought up two of his favorite interests, history and theology.  History is a safe subject.  Theology means many thing to many people.  Perhaps that why there are so many denominations throughout the world.  Matthew surprised me when he invited me to visit his men's group later this week to participate in an ongoing discussion about theology with a group of people from all walks of life representing multiple denominations.

"I'm 90% in" I said, sharing that my schedule it at the discretion of the local management team I'm serving.  Matthew asked for my blog address and told me he would check out my stories.  If this works out, this will be a great example of human soladarity that Matthew and his team have been practicing for years.  I'm thankful for the invitation.  Stay tuned.  Have a great day.

Not an Inch to Spare

 If you were around yesterday when I picked up my "midsize" rental car you would have laughed uncontrollably.  By the way, I'm having trouble understanding what midsize really means.  Maybe if you were on the set of The Wizzard of Oz and you were one of the muchskins.  Not really midsize when you're hauling a bike and a couple of suitcases.  Well, it worked.  I used every nook and cranny without having to disassemble my road bike.

I have a new motto for my life on the road...work hard, play hard, and pray harder.  I spotted a couple of barbecue grills at my hotel.  Yes, burgers for breakfast are atypical.  Barbecuing in cold weather is also indicative of faulty circuitry in my brain.  Maybe it's because I rewired my cranium to believe writing stories with one finger is not outside the standard deviation of "normal."

Thank you for keeping in touch.  There is much to do in my new setting.  Stay tuned.  Have a great day.

Road Trip

 The geese are flying south and I'm driving north.  This next adventure is in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.  It's a college town about five hours due north of our home.  There is much support work to be done between now and opening day which is scheduled for the day before Thanksgiving.  All I can say is I have much to be thankful for.  I'm happy to contribute to my teammates who are arriving from surrounding states to help launch a new location.  It's time to get on the road.  Stay tuned.  Have a great day.

Packing My Bags

 This year is shaping up to be a year of travel.  This time it's another day job adventure.  I got so busy packing my bags I forgot to share a blog story.  This is a one finger swipe post on my cell phone to keep in touch.  We have a heavy down pour right now at my day job.  It's cooling off.  Hopefully, the road trip tomorrow to Wisconsin will be smooth.  Have a great dsy.

A Birthday Shout Out

 This is a long distance shout out to my first cousin, John, who is celebrating his birthday today.  I'm thankful for him and his family.  He made my childhood better and he makes the world better.  I'm most thankful for his intervention at a time in my life when my body was misbehaving due to eating the wrong foods.  Dr. John Mulligan set up a food experiment to see if it was possible to go against the grain and eliminate any and all foods that could be considered peligroso.  His food experiment was a success.  Thanks to my cousin, I'm free of prescription pills.  My life will likely be extended beyond my wildest expectations.  Who knows?  You may see the two of us playing tennis two or three decades into the future.  Happy birthday, cousin.  Have a great day.

Visitors Depart

Our out of town company is on the road.  Oh, what a week we had together.  My cup runneth over.  It's back to normal for three days.  The next adventure is on Monday.  Stay tuned.  Time to get to my day job.  Have a great day.