Do the right thing

This week I faced a moral dilemma.  I didn't realize it was one until after it was over, but for the past few days I've been thinking about it.  On the way to grab lunch at work on Wednesday I stepped outside of my building and heard a women yelling.  I walked further and saw a young man walking quickly away from a distressed women, probably his girlfriend.  She was apologizing and asking him to come back.  They may have been homeless or mentally challenged or both I couldn't tell.  As the girl started to run after her boyfriend she dropped a big folder she was carrying and the contents spilled on the sidewalk.  I kept walking and as I passed her a women came and asked if she was OK and offered to help.  Why didn't I stop?  That is my nature but I honestly didn't even consider helping her.  I guess I didn't want to interfere with an obvious domestic situation.  It would have been so easy to stop and help he pick up her stuff and I regret not doing it.  From now on I won't keep walking when someone needs help.  I have people stop me all the time asking for money and I refuse but that is different.  This women in that moment was lost and alone and needed a hand.  I didn't offer her mine but I will in the future.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

And it begins….

Last night marked the beginning of the 2014/15 football season.  Really it was the first night of college football but the NFL starts for real next week.  It is a time of year that I look forward.  I am a football fan and can enjoy a game even when one of my teams are not involved.  One thing I am not though is a football fanatic.  I enjoy but do not obsess over the game.  I prefer to watch a game at home instead of in the stands.  I also like football season because I know autumn is right around the corner.  A cool fall day with a good game on the TV sounds pretty good right now.  I don't think the teams I pull for will be great this year and it is kind of nice to not go into a season with big expectations.  I will be disappointed when they lose but it will not linger very long.  I will be disappointed if my fantasy team has an off year.  Our annual draft if next week and I've already started preparing.  So from now until February there will be football on TV and that is a good thing for the casual fan like me.  I remember blogging the night of the super bowl and it is hard to believe that was seven months ago.  Time does fly by and I'm hoping this autumn will slow down a little and it can be enjoyed.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Monument Valley

I think most people have a bucket list of places they want to visit.  Hawaii and the Grand Canyon are probably common ones, but my must see place is a little different.  It is monument valley park in Utah.  For years I have been fascinated by the landscape in the park.  Of course I've only seen pictures and videos but every time I see one of those spires rising out of the red tinted desert I feel drawn there.  There is that famous scene in Forrest Gump when he decides to "just go running"  Years into his run they show him in the park on a long stretch of road with several of the monuments in the background.  This is the location in the movie where he decides to go home.  I can't remember if this is where interest in the park first started but it sure is a spectacular background for that scene.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKKmzmeU5-0

One of these years we will get out there to experience it in person.  While we are we can see a couple other amazing places.  Arches park is an incredible looking place full of many natural rock arches.  Also it is not far from the four corners monument where Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico all come together.  It would be cool to be in four states at one time.  Each time I fly to San Francisco I come close to flying over this area but I look forward to the day that I can see it from ground level.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

The Commute

Forty miles round trip.  Five days a week for twelve years.  That is my commute from home to work.  Partially on the interstate, partially on country roads, and partially on urban streets.  It is not a bad drive except for when there is an accident on the highway.  On a good day it will take me forty minutes from door to door.  The worst day was well over two hours.  Though my route hasn't changed much over the years the scenery sure has.  Charlotte is expanding outwards and much development has taken place over the years.  I've seen a lot of accidents over the years and have actually been involved in a few.  Three of the four accidents I've been involved in have occurred to or from my way to work.  One was a hit and run which is accompanied by a funny story that I will save for a later day.  When we moved to Charlotte we bought on the north side of town so my wife would be closer to school.  I gladly took on a longer commute to live in a nice neighborhood.  I have no complaints but it is amazing to think I spend about two hours of the eighteen or so that I am awake each day going to or from the office.  I could do it in my sleep but everyday is a new adventure so who knows what I will see tomorrow.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Mingling

This evening I attended a work function in honor of the corporate CFO being in town.  It is events like this that I both look forward to as well as despise.  It consists of an hour and a half of cocktails and finger foods with 100 other accounting and finance professionals.  Sounds like a party right?  Like I said I look forward to these because it does give me a chance to meet people I deal with usually over the phone as well as do some networking with senior leaders.  That is the good.  The bad is that these small talk sessions can be painfully awkward.  Not the small talk as I can talk to anyone about anything but the introductions.  We all wear name tags which helps but like any party small circles of people form and you have to find the way into one of these circles to be able to start mingling.  I usually try to find one person I know and have them bring me in.  The other tough part if when you can tell someone has had enough of talking with you and they look an opportunity to move to the next person.  Truthfully I am probably sick of talking to them as well but it means I need to go find someone else to chat up.  I wouldn't call to night a huge success but it wasn't a swing and miss either.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

The Pond

I may have talked briefly about the pond in my back yard in a previous post.  I thought today I would talk about it in a little more in depth.  Though not technically my pond, I've long considered it part of my property.  It is really shared by all the residents who live around it and it is maintained by the homeowners association.  The nice thing about my pond compared to others in the neighborhood is that mine has no obvious public access.  So it really is a hidden treasure.  The pond at one time must have been stocked with fish as it is full of bluegill, bass, and carp.  Aside from the fish the pond has many turtles, frogs, and other aquatic life.  The copious amount of fish attracts many birds with my favorite being the great blue heron. Since the day we've moved in at least one heron shows up to try to catch a fish for a meal.  Herons are majestic birds and I can sit there for a long time watching them stalk their prey. Hawks are also often around and if they have no luck fishing they try to catch the song birds that hang out year round.  The pond is also the winter home three pairs of the ducks.  My favorite is the pair of hooded mergansers.  It is a happy day each winter when they show up as I know they have come from their summer house to winter with us.  They stay a few months and then at the first hint of warm weather they are off for another summer vacation.  I know it won't be long before we move to a new home but it will be very hard to give up my pond.  It is a special place.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Out-Buildings

No not out houses, but out buildings.  I recently wrote about my desire to have land of my own someday.  Of course that land would have to several out buildings.  By definition I would think an out building would be any structure not attached to the primarily home.  When I think of out buildings I think of run down barns or coops on farms that are used to store whatever needs storing. It is fun to drive through the country and see these structures and wonder what they looked like when they were new and what in world could be in them now.  As picker, metal detector, and collector I would love to explore in and around them.  I hope the land I buy someday will have some of these building for me to explore and restore as my vision of my land would have at least one out building that can be lived in.  A getaway or place for friends to stay.  Again maybe someday.

Until tomorrow,

Dave