It's nice to know I will be missed

I never have thought about how many of the same customers I have been dealing with all these years. Since the news of me leaving mid July has started to come out I have had so many "well wishes" and "good lucks". Just in the short time that the news has been out I have lost count of how many customer's have said I will be missed. And also some of the other people I deal with in town daily. I even had a customer want to know where we were registered so that she could go and buy us a wedding gift. Now how nice is that? It feels good to know that I will be missed and it feels better to know that I am wanted even more in another place.

Big Changes

Wow it has been a really long time since I posted anything. Many of you know I have allot of big changes getting ready to happen in my life.

We are almost at the one month point until I get married. The wedding is set for July 17th in Gatlinburg TN. And a one week honeymoon to follow in Pigeon Forge at a Majestic Mountain Vacations Cabin Or at least they call these places cabins I am not so sure they should be called cabins. More like a self contained resort ie. the one we are staying in has a pool right in the cabin.

As if the marriage was not enough after we are married I am moving about 650 miles away from my hometown and my folks to Georgia. We will be living in Griffin Georgia depending on where I get work that may or may not change.

Speaking of work the biggest stressful factor in all these changes is the fact that I am moving so far away and will be unemployed. I gave my boss / friend (I have worked for him for about 12 years now) notice about a month ago so he would have time to make changes if he needed too. But I am walking away from a perfectly good job that for the most part I like. The last time I walked away from a job and did not have another one lined up I was about 24 years old I believe. Yes it is true my new wife will be working and I am sure we will be ok if I am with out work for a little while. However from a mans point of view it is very emasculating to think that my savings may run out before I find work and I might have to depend on my new wife for support. My hope is I will not be with out work of some type for more then a month. I remember my days of flipping burgers and I am sure my wrist can still handle that type of work if that's what I have to do. But in this great economy we have you never know.

On the bright side of things I will be spending allot more time with the woman I love and her son. We have a beautiful little house with a HUGE yard for me to take care of. I am sure her dad will be glad to see me get down there so he can let me do the grass mowing and stop doing it himself.

I am pretty well stressed and feeling overwhelmed but I am also looking forward to getting on with a "family life" at almost 40 years old I never realized how much I wanted a family I must say I like the thought of it and am looking forward to it with excitement!

I'm out for now I will keep you posted how things are going!

Dan

Hello!

Hello everyone well as you know it has been for ever since I have posted anything. I suppose with all things considered things are going well. There are ups and downs. I think life always seems to balance it self out what I mean by that is I am content about different parts of my life now then I was say 2 or 3 years ago. My happiness has shifted from one part of my life to the other. This last year to year and a half as far as work has pretty much sucked. I did my 2009 taxes and as it turns out my income for 2009 was as low as it was in 1996. I know I know don't look a gift horse in the mouth be thankful you have a job well and I am. But that will only get you so far. When taking into account for inflation I am making far less then I was in 1996. And to be very frank I don't see things with this economy getting better anytime soon the administration for sure is not helping things.


There is an up side in all this negitive talk..... There is a marriage coming this summer I am very much looking forward to spending the rest of my life with the woman I love I could not ask for a better woman. We also just got back from a vacation to Georgia and then to Florida to spend some time with my mother and father. And although in Florida it was COLD! We still had a good time and it was nice to be able to relax a little bit.

And while we were in Georgia we had some pictures taken some of you have seen them but I thought I would post a link here take a look if you are so inclined. Amy's sister in-law is a professional and has her own studio.

Amy and Dan's Pictures

Where To Start

Wow I really have let things slide when it comes to this blogging. To tell you the truth I have just been super busy not so much with work but other things.

Lets see where should I start.....

I guess the best place to start would be with the love of my life. Many of you know that Amy came to Maryland for a few weeks this summer. Well I asked Amy to marry me and much to my amazement she said yes!! (Why anyone would want to spend the rest of their life with me I'll never know) I took Amy to a German restaurant in Hagerstown called The Schmankerl Stube

I was praying the day we were to go to dinner that it would not rain because I wanted to sit out on their patio. And have a nice late evening dinner and a nice setting to pop the question. For those that want to know I didn't get down on my knee. I waited until we were all done eating & sitting there having a chat about how great the food was and what a nice night it was. (If you have the chance you need to go to this restaurant but bring your wallet I have no complaint about the cost but I will say this you get what you pay for if you get my drift.) I then took her hand and the ring out of my pocket and after some stumbling over a few words I asked her to marry me.

I can't really explain the feelings that I had at that moment but for all the changes that will be coming down the road I have never been more relaxed about something then I am with the idea of getting married. I know there are still lots of details to work out the biggest one being we still are living 600 miles apart. But I know as committed as I am it will all work out.

I never thought I could love and commit to a woman. Boy was I wrong and the old adage is true love hits you when you least expect it. I never believed that but I do now. Amy is beautiful in every way to me now that I have had a taste of life with her I can not bare the thought of a life with out her. My thoughts and my priorities have shifted from myself to "us" and Brandon is included in that I am so thankful and happy to report that Brandon is looking forward to having a step dad & I am also looking forward to filling the role as a step dad to Brandon and a husband,lover,friend, & support system to Amy.

There is no date set yet but rest assured I will be keeping you posted.

What Would You Attempt If You Could Not Fail?

I saw this question on a friend of mines Face Book Status

What Would You Attempt If You Could Not Fail?

I thought about this last night after I saw that question. Basically fear of failure keeps me from doing lots of things. I have come up with an answer

1. I would open my own Automotive Repair Shop
(My fear of being able to manage the fiances, ie. mainly meet payroll for my employees that would be counting on me.) Keeps me from doing that.

What would you attempt if you could not fail?

LIFE CHANGING EVENTS

Maybe you would know this by looking at me and if you know me you would have a better idea about how I truly react to things.

I have made some "life changing" decisions in the last few months. And that is where the issue comes in with these changes. Some of them require changes that are still yet unknown and will be unknown for some time to come.

I can't stand the unknown it scares me to death I have never in my life wanted something so bad yet been so scared. And don't worry it's not any bad changes they are all good. (Unless something goes wrong...... *See that's what I do to myself!) I am dotting the I's and crossing the T's and hopping that no mistakes are made.

I am moving forward with the changes with happiness & great anticipation.... But at the same time am some what stressed out and worried so if I don't seem like myself you may know why.

I Didn't Think It Could Rain So Much.

Some of you know that I went to Georgia over the long weekend to go camping with Amy and Brandon. I kept looking at weather reports leading up to the weekend and it sure was looking like it was going to be a very wet one. And that sure proved to be true. :) I got to the Atlanta Airport Friday afternoon, Amy picked me up with the car already loaded and we headed from there to Indian Springs Campground (A Georgia State Park) We drove through a downpour on the way to the park. But once we got to the park even though everything was wet it had stopped raining and that gave us enough time to set up the tent and eat some sandwiches. Friday night we went to sleep with the sound of the rain hitting the tent.


Even though I have been carrying on about all the rain while I was there it was a great weekend and for the most part the day time hours cleared up enough that we were able to walk some trails, play a round of putt putt, take a boat out on the lake, and fix our meals in our out door kitchen.

I will post some pictures here that I took from Amy (hope she won't mind) But I was bad bad bad at taking pictures this time.

All in all what a great weekend it was and I needed to relax after last weeks trying times at work.







Amy and Brandon were great company!! And believe it or not I can't wait to do it again!

My First Trip To An Urgent Care Center Ever

Well I had to make my first trip to an urgent care center this morning. I am only 38 years old but I think I maybe falling apart. LOL

It all started yesterday morning at work one of the guys came up to my desk and said "Whats wrong with your eye?" And of course feeling no pain and no blurry vision I said "Nothing." After some conversation I came to find out that my left eye had blood in the white part of the eyeball. I am sorry for the lack of medical terms. I didn't think to much of it it was not so bad I looked at it in the mirror and I thoought ah it will get better. So cut to this morning I awoke and of course worrying about my eye the first thing I did is goto the mirror and look well it had gotten much worse then it was yesterday........ That brings me the the Urgent Care Visit and the diagnoses.

The Doctor there seems to think I have what is called a "subconjunctival hemorrhage" This is a result of a broken blood vessel in the white portion of the eye. It says blood will be reabsorbed with in two to three weeks. I am to keep an eye on it LOL The good one I guess. And see a regular eye doctor if my vision changes I feel pain or it get worse.

What is it with getting older I never had this stuff happen in my 20's LOL

Some pictures
sorry not so good I took them in the mirror (You can click on the pics to make them a bit larger

Ok so something positive....

Ok so I have been scratching my head and straining my brain to come up with something positive to write about. No wise cracks either. :)

I went to the doctor yesterday for an unrelated issue but while I was there he checked my blood pressure and went over some lab work I had done back in march...... All good news. My weight is staying consistent, all the things they check in a blood work up are in line with where they should be. And while its true I am still taking a pill for blood pressure its only a 10mg dose & in checking my blood pressure yesterday it is staying

(yesterdays reading was 125/71)

much lower then it had been last year at this time. so I must be doing something right. The only not positive thing I can think of at this time is I am going to the dentist next Monday this will be my first dentist visit in YEARS. I am going because I do seem to have an issue in my mouth.. So we will see - I HATE going to the dentist that's why it has been put off for so long. But I am trying to stay positive. :)

Cleaned Things Up A Bit

Well after thinking about this last night and talking to my cousin Sandy & Amy. I have had second thoughts about pulling the blog completely. I have spent some time today and cleaned up most of the political posts there maybe a few still here.

I guess this blog will be kind of like "Don't Ask Don't Tell" If you don't ask me political questions I won't give you my thoughts...

I will try to maintain more positive blogs posts from this point forward..

Have a happy hump day!

Can't Believe A Honda Let Me Sit

Well there is nothing like having your car break down on the side of 70 west at the top of South Mt. just passed the point where the 3rd lane ends. Going home during rush hour traffic. A word of advice if this happens to you don't look in your rear view mirror and the BIG TRUCKS cresting the top of the hill in that 3rd lane if you are sitting on the shoulder just passed the point where that lane ends. I found myself saying "Is he going to get over or come right down this shoulder area here? YIKES!"

The good news is it was a simple repair well that is if you have tools and parts in your trunk (and I didn't) But a friend of mine was nice enough to bring me a new upper radiator hose(that's what came apart) also some coolant and something to get the hose clamps off. Thanks Jeff for your help! I was back on the road in about 45 min. And home in no time. Thank goodness for cell phones!

Am I afraid of losing my job? Answer........ Yes!

By FOXBusiness.com

Last week the Labor Department reported the nation’s unemployment rate jumped to 6.5% in October and this morning weekly jobless claims spiked to the highest level since September 2001.

With layout headlines coming fast and furious, we want to know, are you afraid of losing your job?

So this question is from a Fox News poll.

I have to say for the first time in my life that YES I AM afraid of losing my job. There have been other times in my adult working life that things have been tight. I have been through one company closing. Also one company take over that resulted in me taking a demotion (only for a short time) However both of these times in my mind I was NEVER worried about not being able to find a job if I needed to find a new one. I have only drawn unemployment one time in my life and that was when I got laid off from a company that closed its doors. Even then however I only drew benefits for about 3 weeks and in all reality had a job lined up almost as soon as I got ditched.

This time things have changed for me...... You see this time if something happens and the doors close. No one is hiring I have no prospects lined up and everyone I know in my industry is struggling to make payroll. Even some of your big "chain repair stores" Are in trouble.

My boss who has been my boss as well as a good friend for the last ten years is a very wise businessman. We (because of our close relationship) talk almost daily about where our company is and what kind of shape things are in. So that helps keep my mind at ease some what. Don't get me wrong we are in NO danger of closing at this point.

With that said we are fast approaching a 30% loss over last years sales. I predict that by the close of this year (Dec. 31st) we will be down an unheard of 40% in sales over last year.

And for the first time in my life I have no place to go if something happens. So to answer the question one more time...... YES I AM SCARED!

Why?

Well here is an interesting story for the day. The background we have a "sever" at work that stores all our POS and shop management software. And even though I'm not really an IT guy I know how the system works I know how to fix things when they are not working on our computer system. We have three computers and they all feed off of the "server" Including my workstation at the write up area. So this morning I am working away we had a few cars here so I had some estimates to work up. Well to do this I need to get into "The Labor Guide"> on the "Server" it is simple really point > click > it opens up. Well rather then it opening this morning I get an error saying "The Shop Key Parts and Labor Guide is not installed on this machine. Please call ###-###-####." (Thinking to myself ah......... I just used it 5 min. ago WTF?) SO I start doing some checking........ After many checks I found that the "data path" had changed ie. where the computer looks for the information. The server drive is "Z" on our system it was looking for the info on my local machine's Drive "C" Now I didn't change anything how did it change itself and within a few min. time? Is it a virus? I don't think so Norton has not picked anything up.

Just some stupid things that make you go hmm.. LOL

THINNGS HAVE COME TO A STAND STILL

This picture is about 5 years old it was taken here at theshop around the time we took over here. The only person in this picture that is left here is the tall skinny guy in the center. & myself and Doug are not in the picture.

Someone told me the other day they had not seen me blog much lately & that is true I have not done to much in the last few weeks but you see that really is a good thing if you don't see me blog. Why you might ask? Well it is very simple I blog most of the time from work if I am not blogging that means we (the shop) have enough work to keep me busy and I don't have time to do such playful things. So yes the last three to four weeks had been good we had enough work to keep us busy for the most part all day. However things seem to have come to almost a complete stand still yet again it has been this way since last Thursday.

I would like to say that I have a positive out look about our coming year and this summer but with fuel prices ever on the raise and other things on the up turn I don't see things getting any better for anyone anytime soon. So as your thinking about me today hope for me not to have time to do these blogs that really would be a good and welcome thing to have happen.

Everyone have a great day!

~Dan

Things about me

In light of blogs here & here I guess that means I have been tagged. So here we go I spent some time trying to figure out what I could say here with out throwing myself under the bus with mom and dad to bad. ROFL So I picked some things that they already know about.

1. My first job as a teenager was at a Winn Dixie Store In DeLand Florida I worked there for awhile but I ended up getting fired (because I was going to a girl friends house and not to work) I kept acting like I was leaving the house to goto work. I kept this up for about 2 weeks until mom came looking for me at work not once but twice. The second time she came to look for me she asked a store manager where I was and they told her I had been fired. However my car was in the parking lot. I used to park it there and walk to the girl friends house. ( I know thats bad)

2. I had a crush on Tiffany When I was in high school well heck I still do got to love those redheads *wink* (picture of her below)

3. I once saw a dog in a hot car in the middle of summer with only the window cracked open slightly and I got the dog out of the car and then held onto it until the people returned and gave them hell for leaving the dog in a hot car.

4. The last I heard a high school friend of mine was wanted by the FBI for fraud

5. I have never broken a bone (cracked yes broken no) and that is amazing as much as I fall down

My First Vacation In Almost Five Years!

Well at long last I am taking my first real vacation in almost five years. I say almost five years because this coming summer will be five years since I have taken a full week’s vacation off at any one time. I mean don’t get me wrong I have taken some long weekends here or there and taken a few trips. However the longest amount of time I have taken off from work is a max of two working days. i.e. If we were closed for a holiday I may have taken a day or so after the holiday or the day before.
I took a vacation in the summer of 2003 I went out to Colorado to see my cousin Sandy and her family. I had a great time and that same year I went to work for the repair shop I am still working for. It is not that I can’t take the time off I want. It’s that I never felt like I could because we were a new shop and I didn’t feel like it was right for me to take time off when my boss had not had any time off. Really though the bottom line is I never had a reason too.

Isn’t it funny how things change when you least see it coming. *winks* Those of you that know me know my reason for now wanting to take some vacation. There just seems to come a time when you say. There are other things in life besides work and I want to thank the person who has made me see that you know who you are. The only issue is now my vacation starts at 5:00pm this coming Friday. The question I keep asking myself now is. “Is it Friday yet?”
I’ll let you guys know all about when I return on the 24th of February. Wish me luck it should be lots of fun.

Everyone have a great rest of your week!
~Dan