This Week

Not a lot new going on as of right now. We find ourselves fully entrenched in the post holiday, bleak, wet and dark days of January. I'm coping through the time tested combination of lots of coffee during the day and a dark beer or two during the evenings. And if you can find a dark beer brewed with coffee, well, what more do you need?

Our wedding planning continues to pick up momentum, as it should, since we are only about three months out from the big day. (deep breaths) I've refrained from posting too much about the wedding planning process. Mostly because it would be repeated rants about how the wedding industry is insane and extremely over priced. But since everyone knows that already, I feel I don't need to post about it. However, it is an industry that I feel is ripe for a revolution. So, if anyone has any suggestions on reforming the wedding industry, drop me a line. I'm all ears and have some time to invest.

My part time gig helping produce entertainment for a few college basketball games in December at KeyArena, has turned into a part time gig helping produce entertainment for indoor lacrosse games up at the Comcast Arena in Everett. So, as much as the college basketball games caused me to have flashbacks to my first job, the lacrosse games are causing me to have flashbacks to my second job. Which I'm not entirely sure is a good thing. Somebody stop this ride, I'd like to get off now. Oh and lacrosse is a strange sport.

And finally...here's a picture of a cow...on a California sunny day...


Happy Wednesday to you. It is Wednesday, right?

Looking Back to See Forward

Every now and then in life, we're given an opportunity to go back and experience something again from a totally different perspective. This last December, I had a opportunity to revisit my first job.

As many of you know, my first job out of college was working in the Game Operations department of the Seattle Sonics and Seattle Storm basketball teams (literally, my dream job). Game Operations is a little heard of field outside of the sports industry. I'd been a sports fan my entire life, but before starting at the Sonics, I'd never heard of the term yet alone a department or career field. Basically, Game Operations is exactly as it sounds. It's organizing and/or executing all the game day set up, breakdown, events and logistics associated with the sporting event. It varies from team to team, but this can include the rather mundane details of making sure the scoreboard is functioning or the correct sponsor signage is hung, to the much more noticeable details of selecting the National Anthem performer or halftime entertainment or pushing the limits of reason by asking a guy in mascot costume, who can't really see or hear, to repel 60 feet from the rafters while holding giant sparklers. When it works, it's exhilarating. When it fails...you just hope it doesn't fail.

I quickly found out that this was quite possibly the funnest job one could ask for (at least for someone who enjoys sports and details and being creative and not sitting behind a desk all day). That's not to say it wasn't extremely hard work and stressful, with long hours and mediocre pay, but the adrenaline rush of a well executed game in front of a sold out arena during a playoff game, is one of the coolest feelings I've ever had.

A photo from "The Bucket" at KeyArena. I never expected to have the opportunity to experience this view one more time.

For two years at the Sonics, and then four more years at the Everett Silvertips, I got to enjoy that adrenaline rush of entertaining people repeatedly. But, eventually the long hours, nights and weekends and mediocre pay burned me out. So, when we moved to San Jose, I took a much more "normal" marketing job, that allowed me to be creative, yet have weekends off. During that same time period the Sonics moved away. And I had in my own mind closed the door on the sports entertainment part of my career. I figured I would never have the opportunity to feel the excitement of entertaining a live crowd again, yet alone do it in Seattle at KeyArena.

And then 2009 happened. And I found myself back in Seattle with no job and looking for ways to reconnect with former coworkers and colleagues to improve my job rescue chances. It was through one of those connections that I was asked to help out with a temporary gig to help run the game ops for two annual college basketball games (The Battle in Seattle & Cougar Hardwood Classic) at KeyArena. So for two days during December, I found myself back in KeyArena helping entertain basketball fans again.

It was a somewhat surreal experience. I hadn't worked an event at KeyArena since August of 2003. To find myself once again walking around backstage and in the catwalk of KeyArena setting up for a basketball game was one giant day of de ja vu.. I could not believe how much everthing was the same. Much of the job and details were the same. And many of the people I was working with were the same. And most importantly the excitement was the same. Of course the one great difference was the fact that this was college basketball and that the Sonics are long gone*.

At one point towards the end of the WSU game, as I was standing in the vomitory watching a close game, taking in the crowd, the atmosphere of 15,000 fans, I was a little overwhelmed with how much it felt exactly the same as it had during my time working at the Sonics. It felt as if time had stood still. It was a view/experience I never thought I'd experience again. Yet, I was back in that experience, even if just briefly. So, I soaked it in.

Maybe, it's the fact that these long months of unemployment have left me feeling useless as of late or that I'm totally lost when it comes to figuring out where my job rescue/career is headed. Rejection sucks. And unemployment is really nothing but a long string of rejections. This was a break from that. I utterly enjoyed those two days back at KeyArena. And it's not to say that I necessarily want to go back into the sports industry, but it was a great opportunity to look back at my career and realize that I've done cool stuff that I've enjoyed, that I have some unique skills. And that it is possible to enjoy what you do. It's something that I needed to be reminded of as I navigate this career void that I find myself in. And most importantly, it was fun.

Like most things Sonics related at KeyArena, this banner no longer hangs from the rafters at KeyArena.

*And about those Sonics.... This was my first time in KeyArena since the Sonics left town. As much as the job and KeyArena was so familiar and unchanged to me on these two recent nights. There was one great void. The Sonics were gone. And most signs that the Sonics ever played in KeyArena have been stripped away. The Sonics banners, including the championship banner of 1979 no longer hang in the rafters. The retired jerseys gone, too. The locker room still contains the familiar green and gold of the Sonics, but the logos have been removed or painted over with Seattle Storm logos or Seattle University logos. The walls on the concourse no longer pay homage to the Sonics teams of years past. On the surface, facing outward to the public, everything Sonics related is gone. But backstage, a few traces remain. If you look close in the darkened corners and the dusty storage areas there are a few reminders. A Sonics logo in the catering area, or a rolled up banner in the corner, just hanging there in the dark unnoticed by those not looking for it. But, that's it. Basketball at KeyArena now belongs to the Storm, Seattle U and the occasional WSU or Gonzaga game.

Welcome 2010!

Happy New Year to everyone! I hope wherever you may find yourself in this adventure that we call life, that the start of a 2010 finds you well and energized to begin the next chapter of whatever life is going to throw at all of us. Exciting, isn't it?

2009 , like most years, was a learning experience. With many highs and lows. But, I'm glad to see it go. I feel good about 2010. Just looking ahead, this year will bring many milestones. April brings our wedding, which we're getting pretty excited about. April will also bring the birth of my second nephew, which is also very exciting. In addition, a number of friends will also welcome new additions to their families during early 2010. And of course I'm hoping to get my career back on track asap. And those are just the things I know about, I'm sure there are many surprises on the horizon. But, I know I'm going to live and love everyday, no matter what the year gives us. I wish everyone safe and happy travels through 2010. Enjoy the ride!

Jingle Bell Run!

Last Sunday Tonja and I and a few friends took part in the 25th Annual Jingle Bell run. It's a 5k run that starts and finishes at Westlake Center in downtown Seattle. It was one of the more fun 5k's I've run.

The course (which has a few well placed subtle hills) runs through downtown and on to the I-5 express lanes. So, you get the fun and unique experience of running through a couple of tunnels and along the freeway. The best part of the run is that everyone wears little sleigh bells on their shoes or clothes. So, as you're running along in these huge packs of runners all you can hear is sleigh bells. It was quite a sound. In addition many of the runners and walkers are dressed up, which gives the entire event a very festive feel. We didn't take our camera, since it would of been difficult to run with, but here's a few pre race photos....

Tonja opted to wear her festive Santa jacket for the race.

I opted for function over style (although I do match the kitchen walls) and wasn't quite as festive with my attire. Just bright.

The start of the race. Can you see us? Actually, I did find myself in this photo. I'm a few people directly below the lamp post on the left. You can just barely see my green fleece if you look closely.
(photo credit: Seattle Times)

I found this photo online of me during the race. Two notes.
1. Apparently, I'm so relaxed I've nodded off for a nap. 2. Mrs. Claus is closing in fast behind me.
(photo credit: On The Edge photos)

A fun event for sure, that I'd happily run again. After our run, we took in the post race celebrations and free food give-a-ways, which included some very tasty Top Pot doughnuts. All in all a nice way to spend a chilly December morning.

Our Christmas Tree Hunt

Here's a few photos from our Christmas Tree excursion on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

Christmas Trees in the shadow of a misty Mt. Si

Tonja and I and our 2009 Christmas tree in its natural habitat. This year's tree has kind of a big bottom...which we would really notice once we got it home.

There's no good way to cut down a Christmas Tree without getting a little dirty.

Jon and Tina consulting on best practices of saw use.

Jon and Tina work together flawlessly on their tree extraction

Two trees Bagged and Tagged

Tonja and Tina picking up some additional holiday decorations.

After a little effort (and some choice words) we got our tree back to our house and set up for decorating. Tonja hanging some candy canes. At this point I think these candy canes are 5 years old.

Finishing up decorating by putting our Christmas fairy on the top of the tree.


All finished. As I mentioned, it's a bit chunky on the lower areas for our small living room. We ended up having to take our coffee table out of the room. But, other than that, I think the tree looks great. Happy Holidays!

Template

Sorry, I keep changing my blog template. I'm not quite happy with what blogger has to offer, but my HTML skills aren't quite up to doing it myself. I'll eventually find something I like.

I had this dream...

So, I had this strange dream...




Okay, obviously this wasn't really my dream. Basically, I started messing around with iMovie on our Mac and decided to see what I could come up with for a movie using available footage from our various trips. It's all a bunch of random footage from San Jose, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Las Vegas, London, Chicago, Lake Tahoe, and of course Seattle. I've always wanted to make a random dream sequence. Anyway, not really high production value, but it was fun.

The music is Collapsing at Your Doorstep by Air France.