Sort of a dose of reality

Hello all! Not a lot has really changed in the past couple of weeks. I am staying extremely busy at work, most weeks working six days a week and usually no less than eleven or twelve hours a day. I am excited about this new project though. Be it good, or bad, this is a job that I will most definiely see the fruits of my labors on a nightly basis. There is no way around the fact that when it first starts up, there are going to be mistakes. Lots of them. My job is to (a) minimize them and (b) make sure that the mistakes made by the package handlers are once and only once types of mistakes. I can seriously say that if this goes off the ground successfully, then it could potentially open up some big doors for me in the company.

I am one of the few managers in the company who could have some opportunity to move around soon if the desire strikes me. There is a whole lot of "restructuring" and "reorganizing" going on, and unfortunatly some people had to take demotions to keep a job. My position is so new within the company, that fewer than ten percent of the stations company-wide have it, so getting it up and running smoothly in a station the size of Tampa would go a long way for me.

On a more serious note, I went to the doctor on Wednesday. For those of you who don't know, I have a genetic disorder that causes benign tumors to grow throughout my body. I am supposed to have MRIs and scans done every couple of years (minimum) but hadn't had any done in about ten years. I had the scans done in early May and last week, went to have the results read.

The doctors aren't worried about the tumors on my brain or chest wall. Judging from the scans ten years ago, there hasn't been any growth in them. The one in my chest wall causes me some major discomfort/pain semi-regularly, but not to the point that surgery would be required. (It would be a major major surgery) However, they did find a new mass along the right side of my throat that they are concerned about. I have been feeling it (it's not visible, but I knew something was there) for about six to eight months now. I had even mentioned it to Amber a time or two. Anyway, long story short, the doctor wants to wait about six months and do some more scans to see if there is anything unusual about that mass. So, it is possible that I could have to have surgery on or around my throat in December or January.

Luckily, my doctor here is one of the specialists in the area concerning my genetic disorder. She has done research on it and is very familiar with it, and its symptoms/side effects. Right now, she isn't too worried about it. She says as long as it isn't causing me any problems, then we should wait and see what happens over the next six months. I tend to agree with her on that. There is no need to get worked up and worried over it.

So anyway, that's all that's going on here. I hope to hear from y'all soon!

Greg :-)

Has it really been a year??

Wow...seems hard to believe that it has been over a year since I last posted on this thing. To be honest, I had totally forgotten about it.

Man, a lot has changed over the past year. I am now living and working in Tampa, Florida. I have taken a new position with FedEx Ground in which I am overseeing the implementation of a new map based system that helps the package handlers load the delivery vans in a more effective and efficient manner. It's a lot of work, and creates a lot of stress and very long hours, but once the program is up and running, I will start to see the fruits of my labor. I'm very excited about it and am at the point that I truly love my job again. There was a stretch in which it was just a job and I was going through the grind, but now...I am loving it once again.

Things with Amber just seem to get better and better every day. I am completely and totally in love with her. She is currently taking her final two classes in order to obtain her degree in finance. She finishes in July. Moving here for the job and to be closer to her seems to have been the best decision I ever made (next to becoming a Christian of course). I really do fall more and more in love with her each and every day. She's the most wonderful Christian lady that I know and I am so grateful for knowing her and being a part of her life.

Since my last posting I have also gotten a new niece! Molly June was born in March of this year. I was fortunate enough to be on vacation and in town when she was born. Amber and I had gone to Austin and got to be at the hospital when she was born. The one thing that I hate about being so far away from Texas is being so far away from my family. I get to see them three or four times a year, but that isn't enough. I now have nine nephews and nieces and seven of them I haven't ever had the opportunity to get to really know well. Of course they know me, but I miss getting to see them grow up and do things (like tee ball games, etc).

I am loving being in Florida. That may change in the next couple of months as hurricane season starts next week LOL. I have been through my share of tornados, but never a hurricane. I have already told Amber and her mom that if a hurricane comes, and I get nervous, I am hunkering down in their spare bedroom for a few days :-) Seriously, I think I'll be fine. Tampa generally doesn't get any direct hits from hurricanes, only moderate winds and good rainfall. Thankfully I am on a 2nd story apartment, and that is part of the reason that I requested that. Don't want any floodwaters in my apartment. However, we do deliver all along the Gulf of Mexico, so if a hurricane does come, there are parts of our service area that do get the brunt of the damage...time will tell what happens.

I really don't know what else to talk about. So much has happened that I could type forever and ever. If there is anything that you want me to talk about, just let me know. If anyone is headed to the Tampa area, or Orlando for vacation, let me know. I'm usually available to take a break and have lunch/dinner, and once this new project is up and running at work, I should have my weekends back!

Hope to hear from you soon! I hope and pray that everyone is doing well and in good health.

~God Bless~

B-O-R-I-N-G

Hey all. I hope and pray that y'all are doing well. There really isn't a whole lot going on here that is too newsworthy. Work is going well. Winding down the fiscal year, which means that come first part of June, I am going to get really really busy starting the annual projects that have to be done. Most of June I am going to be putting in some crazy hours. I will be doing ride alongs with the Contractors and their drivers. Also Roy and his wife are expecting a baby in mid-June so that will keep me in the building for some longer hours for at least one week.

After that, who knows? I have been exchanging emails with two facility managers in Florida about transferring down there. One is actually in Tampa, which by the way, is our 2nd largest delivery facility in the company. Another is in Bradenton, which is going to be a brand new facility opening in late June. I was told by the manager there that she would like for me to apply when the jobs there post to our internal board. I will definitely apply.

Before you go thinking it...no, Amber is NOT the ONLY reason I would want to go to Florida. Is she a HUGE reason I would? Yes, of course, but at the same time, I feel bored here. I've felt that way before and gotten myself out of the funk within a couple of weeks, but this one has lasted a while. Everything here is going well and I no longer feel challenged. Yes I have my challenging days, but as a whole...no challenge. I truly feel as if I have accomplished what I need to here and that God is opening new doors, avenues, and possibilities to me for a reason.

If I went to Bradenton, the new facility, it would be a HUGE challenge. Opening new buildings are always a chore. Probably moreso than I can even imagine. It would be a very difficult task. Am I up for it? I think so...but even if I'm not, at least I'll know. I've learned to never let pride get in the way of asking for help. If I could get the job there, open it successfully, then the sky's the limit. That looks good on a resume!

If I go to Tampa, then the old "tried and true" methods are in place in a building that is already running pretty smoothly. So...if I go in there and bomb...then that looks bad...but if I go in and do great..then it looks like I can "keep up". There are a lot of pros and cons to each facility, and I will definitely keep praying about it and seeing how things go and where God seems to lead me.

Either way, I am closer to Amber :) I think that it will be great for our relationship to have more of the day to day, face to face interaction. I truly feel as if it will bring us closer together on many levels and that it will be a great thing for our relationship. She is the most wonderful blessing I have ever received and I love her very much. I am excited about where I feel this is headed and can't wait to see where we end up :)

See? Pretty boring! Please keep my *possible* move in your prayers. If I do get a transfer, please pray that the right facility offers me a job.

~God Bless~
Greg

Meet the Parents.....

Hey all. Well, last week Amber and I went to Texarkana so that she could meet my family. I hadn't been home since October, so it was a much needed trip for me as well. The trip went well. My family really likes her. So much that my dad told me to tell her that she is welcome back anytime, provided that she doesn't bring me haha

She got to meet two of my three sisters, along with two nephews and two nieces. Sarah really seemed to warm up to her. She even colored Amber a picture and gave her one of her toys to keep. She's such a sweet little girl. Brett was a bit nervous, but by the end of the trip, he had given Amber some hugs :) Amber did get to see my competitive side as we played numerous games of Skip-Bo. Singles and partners. I'll just say that she is gracious in defeat...especially when the defeats come one after another :-)

We drove around Texarkana, and she got to meet some of my old co-workers, friends and the church family. Amber is a hit. She didn't run screaming after (or during) the trip, so she's a keeper hehe. Seriously, there is something really really special about this girl. She is completely wonderful and I really love her very very much. The next trip is in a few weeks when I will go to Tampa to spend more time around her family. After that it gets sorta iffy because of work and school schedules. I am certain that we'll work something out and even if we go a while without seeing one another, it will just make the time we have together all the more special.

We are currently debating ideas for a vacation in late July or early August. We're considering going to New York City or Colorado. No decisions have been made yet. I have friends in both areas so naturally proper sleeping arrangments won't be a problem, even if as my friends in Connecticut said, "you have to sleep on the deck outside...we'll throw you a blanket. Amber gets the spare bedroom." hehe And who says chivalry is dead??

Life is going great right now. I have ZERO complaints. Work is going very well. Made it through Spring Break without any catastrophies. Break weeks are always iffy when half your crew is college students. Again, as I have said in the past, I have a WONDERFUL crew that works for me. They make my job SO much easier.

We did just pass five hundred days without an injury on the dock. We're going to celebrate with a cookout next week. You really have no idea how good hot dogs can be at 6:30 or 7:00 in the morning until you've worked this kind of job. I bet we'll go through about fifty to seventy-five hot dogs minimum between the package handlers, drivers and contractors.

This coming week, my boss is on vacation, so I'll have a lot more stuff to do, but it's nothing that I can't handle and haven't handled in the past. It'll just mean a couple of longer days...no big deal. I'll manage.

Until next time, I bid you all a fond farewell. I hope and pray that everyone is doing well!

~God Bless~

Time is flying.....

Hey all! I hope and pray that y'all have had a good month. This month has been very good to me. Amber came up to visit over Valentine's Day weekend and we had a very nice time. I made arrangements for her to "look for" sevreal cards once she woke up on Valentine's Day. I also got her a bouquet of her favorite flowers and some candy. She couldn't make up her mind what dress she wanted to wear to the symphony (which by the way was EXCELLENT), so I finally pulled out the silver necklace that I had gotten her and told her to decide which dress went better with the necklace. She loved the necklace. She's even been wearing it to work and church, which for her (being a very private person) says a lot.

For Valentines dinner, we ended up eating at McAllisters. That was not my first choice, but the restaurant I wanted to take her to wasn't taking reservations and there was over an hour wait, three hours before the symphony was starting! Amber was very sweet about it all and she was cool with just having a simple dinner at McAllisters. She's a wonderful lady :)

So as I sit her, we still have two weeks to go before she comes back here. She's coming in on Friday March 13, and we're going to head out to Texas on Saturday morning. I am off for a few days and she is going to meet my family. I may be completely nuts about this, but I am nervous at all. I'm excited about her meeting them, and even more excited about the future. If you can't tell already, I am completely crazy about her and I love where I truly feel that this is headed.

I am (of course) looking forward to seeing my family. I haven't been home since October. A few days away from the hustle and bustle of FedEx will be nice as well. I plan on showing Amber around Texarkana...which may take all of half an hour, and then just relaxing. No pressures from work, no phone calls, nothing. Rest and relaxation abound.

Other than that, not a lot is going on. As you can tell, Amber takes up a great deal of my time, which I will never complain about :) I'm sure I will have more to post at a later date. Until then, I hope and pray that God and His blessings are abundant in your life!

~God Bless~
Greg

Is it February already??

Wow. Time really does fly. Seems to fly by faster and faster the older I get. It doesn't seem like it's been over a month since I did my last post. Ah well.

A lot has occured since my last post. We've now got a new president in office. I hope and pray that the man makes wise decisions and helps lead the country out of the financial mess that we're in now. Time will tell. I won't go into a political tirade about some things that he's already contradicted himself on. Now's not the time. I'm more than willing to give him time, and see what choices he makes, where he leads us and what the results start proving to be. What we're facing simply can't be fixed in a few months, muchless a few short days. Give him time, and then see how he's performing at his job.

I think people need to get themselves out of the warped frame of mind where everything is political. It's not. Some of us may be Democrats, some Republicans, some Independants and a few of us affiliated with another political party/faction, but first and foremost, we are all AMERICANS. No hyphenations either! AMERICANS! Pure and simple. We should all hope for and (for those among us who do this) pray for his success at his job. Put your country's well being first. I for one am positive that God will lead us out of this mess. It's cyclical. I just hope and pray that it is sooner rather than later.

Ok...now onto the best news :) Things with Amber (the lady that I mentioned in my last post) are still going very very well. She is such a wonderful Christian lady. We've got some pretty neat plans for Valentines Day. I am taking her to see the Alabama Symphony Orchestra Valentines night. After that, we're going to meet up with some friends of mine and go out for a late dinner and or coffee. Amber is really looking forward to going. I'm glad that I thought of it :) I have a few more small surprises up my sleeve, but I can't say what they are because she reads this blog every so often :-) Needless to say, I am going to try to make this a very memorable Valentines Day, and hopefully it will be the first of many that we get to spend together.

In March, she is actually going to go home with me to Texas to meet my family. I hope she doesn't run away screaming! My family can be a bit overwhelming, especially when all of us are together. We're a fun group though, I promise! I am pretty sure that my sister and brother in law and their two kids will be in town from Austin. I have warned Amber that if that is the case, that Jamie can and will talk your ears off til all hours of the night. I swear she'd talk to a fence post if she thought it was actually listening. After that trip....we'll see where things go. I will probably go to Tampa to spend more time with her family, to get to know them better. I have met most of them, and they really seem like a wonderful Christian family. Her Grandpa is a big fan of Bear Bryant and since I live here in Tuscaloosa where "The Bear" walked on water next to Jesus (according to folclore lol) I will have to see if I can find a souvenier for him for the next trip!

Well, other than that, not a lot is going on. Work is going well. After taking the 5% pay cut January 1st, turns out I am getting a 13% raise sometime in February. So basically I guess I am coming out 8% ahead of where I was. Funny how that works. I guess God wanted me to stay here in Alabama for a while longer. All in all, life is grand and I am extremely happy! I hope and pray that you are too!

~God Bless~
Greg

Merry Christmas and a surprising turn of events

Hey All! I know it's been a couple of months since I updated this thing. As you can imagine, I have been pretty busy with work. FedEx...Christmas season....yeah. Enough said. Since my last post, there has been A LOT to occur in my life that most of ya don't really know about.

First, concerning the move to Austin. Not gonna happen. Several factors have been taken into consideration here. First and foremost, with the economy the way it is, I took a small (5%) pay cut. FedEx went across the board and cut the pay of all full-time exempt (salary) managers. Yeah it stinks, but at the same time, at least I still have a job with a financially sound company. There are other smaller 'cuts' that we took, (ie: no 401K matching) but all in all, I still consider myself very lucky to have a job in this economy. It just wouldn't make much sense to move to a more expensive city making less than I do now. Yes, I'd still like to be around my family more, but as I have stated before, I am not unhappy here. Not at all. I love the group at church. When it looked like I was leaving, they got me a card and a book. They are an awesome bunch who has helped me grow spiritually in so many ways. I would definitely miss them. I love each of them.

The second major occurance is that I have met someone. I'd been talking to her briefly when my last post was made, but at the time, didn't think it merited mentioning yet. Things with her have really taken off! She is an absolutely fantastic Christian lady. She's sweet, smart, fun and easy to talk to, gorgeous, and most importantly, she's a great and strong Christian. There really is definite potential here and I am anxiously waiting to see where God leads this. I simply am not doing her justice by the nice things that I say about her. Words can't describe it :) I am going to meet her family next month, and then, if time off from each of our jobs allow, I am going to take her to meet my family in March. Timing in life is everything and the way things have seemingly fallen into place is amazing. I'll spare you details, but if you want to know more...write or call!!

Lastly, I just want to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a happy and joyous New Year. I hope and pray that the new year brings you all much health and happiness, and that the Lord blesses you in each and every way possible.

God Bless
Greg :)

The only constant in life is change.....

Hey All. I hope and pray that this reaches you all in good health and spirits. A decent amount of things have gone on since my last posting. I went on vacation for about ten days to visit family. I ended up driving over 2000 miles round trip, which at my size can be murder on the back and hips, but it was well worth it and I came through relatively unharmed. LOL

I went to Texarkana to pick up my dad before heading to Austin to see the bulk of the family. I had a blast with them! I finally got to meet Olivia, my now seven month old niece. She is a precious little thing! My lil chrome dome :) I held her for a while, played with her and just had a good time. She is starting to crawl and that is always fun to watch. She also absolutely loves her big brother Robbie. Every time he comes into the room she just grins really big!

I also spent a lot of time with Sarah and Brett who are now six and four respectively. It's fun being around them because they finally have really developed their own little personalities and they are so different in so many ways. Brett is ALL BOY let me tell ya. He loves to play soccer, play with his cars and wrestle. I held him over my head and he told me "If you drop me, you're gonna be in trouble with my mama" LOL My dad and I also took my oldest sister Julie and her little girl Addison to the University of Texas campus and went exploring. They had a really good time. Addi is so darn cute. It took her a day or two to warm up to me but once she did, she wanted me at all times. After my dad and I left, my brother in law said that Addison went around the house looking for me :) It's awesome to be loved :) All in all I had a great time and always appreciate the time that I have with my family since I don't see them much anymore.

Which brings me to this: while in Austin I paid a visit to the FedEx facility there, because I know that they are opening a new building up and will have several openings in the early part of next year. I introduced myself to them and kind of got a little information about them and the manager of the new facility. They are extremely interested in having me come down there and work with them on a permanant basis to get their building really up and running efficiently and keep it that way. It'd be a great move if the money were right. Cost of living in Austin is high, so I won't take the job without a decent raise, just to stay even with what I am doing now really. My old facility also has asked me to consider taking a position with them IF they have an opening soon. If you know me well at all, you know that I almost HATE Texarkana itself, but my parents are getting older and with my dad's health and all, it has to be something I would consider. I know I wouldn't be completely happy there, but it's not always about me. It would be a sacrifice that I would make for my parents' sake. On top of those two options, another was dropped in my lap on Friday of this week. My old regional boss from when I was in Texas sent me an email out of the blue saying that the facility he is in now is TERRIBLE and that he wants and needs my help to go in and "kick some....(well you get the idea)" to get it back to where it needs to be. This one really isn't weighing on me a lot. It's just outside of Dallas, which while closer to family, is still three hours away from my closest relative. Add to that the fact that I know maybe one or two people in Dallas and that's it really.

I ask that you please keep that in your prayers. Just pray that God leads me to the right decision and that His will is done, and that I don't do just what makes me happy. I am not UNhappy in Tuscaloosa, but things here just aren't working out like I thought they would be at this point in my personal life. Being single is NOT the only factor, nor the main one. I'm just bored here. My job is, as I have stated before, very very boring sometimes and I finally have it to the point to where when I go on vacation, my crew runs like it would without me here. That tells me that professionally, I have done what I need to do here and that it is probably time for me to move on.

On a positive note, this week I was awarded with the Service Manager of the Year award for the Southeast Region with FedEx Ground. I was chosen as the best in the region out of around seventy managers in this region. It was a great honor to be chosen and I am very appreciative of the recognition. I give all the credit to my crew because it is their hard work which led to the award. God has blessed me with an awesome crew and being their leader is the easiest job in the world more times than not!

I hope that y'all have a wonderful day!!

~God Bless~

Life is full of challenges

I realize that it's been a while since my last post. Things have gotten even crazier, and this week has been no exception! My boss is out working in Houston in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. That has left me running things on my end of the building pretty much alone. Our evening shift manager has had some struggles, so I have come in and helped him out some. We got things under control, but not before a sixteen hour day or two. All in all, things have gone very well though.

Wednesday was the absolute biggest challenge I have ever faced in my days with FedEx Ground. One of our trailers flipped over on its way from Atlanta. Thank God the driver was okay. Praise Him for that!! The trailer didn't show up here (it was literally reloaded on the Interstate by our crew in Birmingham) until 8:00 and we didn't finish with getting it unloaded until almost 9:00. Keep in mind that we normally get our drivers out of here by 7:00. Well, despite a two hour late dispatch, our drivers pulled together, helped not only me out (by loading their own trucks because my package handlers had to leave because of their class schedules) but helped each other out and trading packages to make each route run easier. I was seriously expecting service to be in the tank, but they pulled off a 99% service!!! I have never been more proud of a group of workers than I was Thursday morning. I bought everyone breakfast and personally thanked everyone in the building. They really came together and made it a hugely successful day despite what easily could have been a throw your hands up and say forget it day! This week has gone very well and bodes well for my ammo for a promotion soon!

The other challenge that I have faced lately has been more important. A few weeks ago at our Single Adults Bible study, the gauntlet was thrown down by one of the girls. She said that in her opinion, the guys in the group needed to step up their leadership roles. She was 100% correct and what she said really hit home. I have taken it to heart. I've been spending a lot more time in study and prayer, and have even helped to start a Single Guy's Bible study that myself, a couple of other guys from the group and a group from another local church are attending. I think that it is going to be a great thing! She said what really needed to be said and I thank her for that.

Other than that, next week I am going to Atlanta for a training class...will work for a week back in Tuscaloosa and then I am on vacation for a week!!!! I am going home to Texas. I am going to pick up my dad and we're going to Austin to see my babies!!! I am FINALLY going to get to meet Olivia, my now six month old niece. I am really excited about that. This will be my last chance to take vacation before the wonderful season known as Christmas makes me a virtual stranger to the normal world. Thank God I love my job! LOL

I hope that everyone is doing well and that this reaches you in good spirits and health.

~God Bless~

Time to Rest

Ok, I know it's been a couple of months since I actually posted on here. Things were crazy for the better part of a month and a half, and I didn't have time to breathe, muchless write a blog, that quite frankly, I don't know if anyone reads lol

In my last post, I talked about how 'easy' my job usually is. Man did I ever speak too soon! In early July, we had a manager leave us, and his replacement didn't come in until last week. So for a month, my boss and I ran the building a manager short. We both worked some long and crazy hours for that month. Things went relatively smoothly, no real complaints, it was just at the wrong time of year for that to happen. Between drivers taking their vacations and my package handlers wanting days off here and there, things became stressful. We persevered though and made it through. My numbers suffered, which I took some heat for, but all in all, the upper management knew what we were going through and were a little more lenient than they would have been otherwise. I also got behind on a project that I was ahead on before all of this went down. I am now forty percent of the way done, when I had planned on being at least sixty-five to seventy percent done. I had HOPED to be really close to wrapping it up by now, but alas, it wasn't meant to be.

The new manager started at the right time though. Typically, August is our second busiest time of year and it has hit us hard. We've been running volume not seen since last year just before Christmas. Again, I give my crew all the credit in the world because they haven't missed a beat, even though I have made them come to work at 4:00 in the morning. I'm proud of the way they've come together in a really busy and rushed time of year. We get hit especially hard because Tuscaloosa has three colleges with a total of about 36,000 students. That is A LOT of back to school stuff, and now that college kids are ordering at least 1/3 of their books online, a lot of school books to deliver!

In my personal life, not a lot of interesting stuff is going on. Things at church should pick up now that school is back in session and people are done with vacations. My class is made up of mostly graduate students and young(er) professionals. We have a meeting tomorrow to discuss the itenerary for the fall. I'm looking forward to it. I'm still enjoying my new car. It needs to be washed though...any volunteers?

I am going to try to go home over Labor Day to see my family. I took an extra day off so that I will have a four day weekend. I try to go home as often as I can to see my folks. Ever since my dad had his stroke and subsequent surgery, I have felt more inclined to go spend as much time as possible with he and my mom. It's scary thinking about how close we came to losing him. I treasure every day that I get to spend with him. Other than that, I really don't have a lot planned. I have a very uninteresting life, but that is really the way I like it. Can't stand too much drama.

Anyway, I hope that all of you are doing well and hope to hear from you soon!

news

Ok, so I decided a few weeks ago that I am not going to buy a house here in Tuscaloosa afterall. At least not yet. Again, let me reiterate that I am very happy here for the most part. I love my job, get along great with my boss and co-worker(s), and love the church that I am involved with. However, sometimes, despite it being a college town, I get extremely bored. Both personally and professionally. Moreso the latter than the former.

I was talking to my boss that week. We were sort of discussing my bi-annual evaluation. I scored great in everything. So I went and negotiated myself a 13% raise starting in January :-) With that being said, my boss is very happy here too. He's got a wife and two great kids. Neither he nor I think he will be transferring out anywhere else anytime soon. I am content to keep doing what I am doing, and rake in a good raise lol. I just don't know for how long. Probably twenty-four out of twenty-five days, my job is not a challenge. I have the occasional day where I get frustrated, but I have been blessed with an awesome crew of guys, and have them all trained to where the sort pretty well runs itself. Just for fun, every so often, I will put everyone in an area where they haven't worked in a while just to keep them fresh on everything. All in all it's a great situation to be in, no doubt. However there is that little part of me that yearns for a new challenge every now and then. I know...most people would kill to have a (usually) easy job that they are compensated pretty well for. Basically, I don't know how long I will be able to resist the urge and the pulling by the regional staffers to transfer off to a bigger building that is, in FedEx terms, "on fire" (as in, about to burn to the ground). One thing that I am looking forward to is that we are getting an extension on the building this fall which is going to be (a) a new experience for me and (b) going to create a whole new set of problems in and of itself. This extension is going to create new load positions and make packages actually flow backwards in one part of the building. My boss in Atlanta said that the last building they did this in..the manager got so frustrated that he up and quit! It actually excites me because it is going to be a new challenge to tackle. Maybe it'll keep me from getting bored for a while and keep me energized! :) If so, maybe in another year or so I'll get a house...but for now..the timing isn't right. Plus I was going to buy the house for all the wrong reasons too. What it boils down to, I was going to buy a house just so that if/when I transfer, I could sell it and make money. I am not a money driven person, so I don't know what came over me, but thank God, I (with His help of course) realized that doing something selfishly is wrong.

I did however, go make a "lavish" purchase! I went last week and bought a 2009 Toyota Camry. This car is sweet! My Cavalier still runs well, but it is getting up there in milage and I don't trust American cars after 100,000 miles. I am going to sell it to Justin, my nephew. He just graduated high school, and is about to start college. He currently drives an old, huge pick-up truck that averages about twelve miles a gallon. I asked him if he wanted to buy my car, and he jumped at the chance. I will sell it to him cheaper than I should, but hey...he's my boy and I love him. He was also needing a job, so I had him go and apply at the FedEx where I started out. I made some calls and helped him get an interview and he got the job. All in all, things are going great for him right now!

I am now the only family member in Alabama. My sister and niece from Birmingham moved recently. She's found a really good job and is near more family that can help her with Addison. I was sad to see them leave but know that it's for the best. She is already much, much happier where she is and seems to be adjusting well. She is going back to church and has said that moving is what God wanted her to do. I am going to miss being able to drive an hour and see them, but their happiness is ultimately what matters. That and being nearer to family to help with Addi. It takes a village sometimes.

I'll end this with a serious prayer request. My cousin, Amanda, was killed Friday. She had a heart attack while driving and ended up having an accident. She was only twenty-six years old. She had fought weight issues all of her life and was trying to overcome them. Please pray for her immediate family. She was married and had a little boy who is only five years old. Please keep them in your prayers. She also left behind her parents, a sister, her grandmother, and numerous other relatives. Please just say a special prayer for her son, Marshall. He is such a sweet and smart little boy, who will now grow up without his mother. Pray that God takes good care of him.

~Greg~

6,587,650

Ok...take a look at that number for a second. Just say it out loud, six million, five hundred eighty seven thousand, six hundred and fifty. What on Earth does it mean you ask?

That my friends, is the number of children who have died from abortion since the start of the Iraq war. Simply staggering. Mind numbing even.

In this age pf politicizing almost each and every thing we do in life, that number somehow has escaped our culture. We hear each and every day about more and more deaths of our soldiers in Iraq and the ever rising death count in this war. Each and every loss of life in a war is tragic, no matter what your opinion of the war is. Every soldier and their family is to be commended and respected for their great sacrifice.

But, just take a look at that number again. That number is all the more staggering when you consider that it has barely been five years since the war began. It equals out to over 1.1 million babies being aborted per year. You can think what you want about abortion and its legalities, but if you can honestly look at that number, actually put with it the fact that each one represents a life lost, it has to sadden you.

I could go on and on about the number and abortion itself, but to me, the number alone...speaks volumes.

More updates on big changes in my life later

~God Bless~
Greg

Been a busy couple of weeks

Hey Everyone! It's been a pretty busy past couple of weeks for me. I am finally starting to recover from it all. Two weekends ago, I went to Atlanta to meet up with a friend of mine. We had a really great time, except for my near death experience at Dave and Buster's lol Let's just put it this way..sometimes when a guy my size is choking, a mere slap or two on the back simply isn't enough. I will spare you the details here, but let me tell ya, it wasn't a pleasant experience. I will say that getting lost in Atlanta, (repeatedly) isn't as bad as it sounds lol We went looking for a church that a friend recommended, but alas, could not find it. And to think, I put on my suit basically for nothing LOL I did introduce her to the most awesome restaurant in the world, Houston's! She loved the steak and ribs, as did her sweet puppy. He got the leftover bones and we saved him a little bite or two of steak. We had a really fun weekend and we are working on plans to get together again for another fun filled weekend.

Then, this past weekend, I went to Athens to see my friend Diane graduate from the University of Georgia. She got her Doctorate in Veterenary Medicine. I guess I have to call her Dr. Diane now. We had a really good time! Let me tell ya, games of Taboo with goofy friends who are going on little to no sleep get pretty interesting. I *CAN* take pride in the fact that the boys beat the girls twice out of three games! George and I rock! :) I also had a total blast with Kyle, Diane's almost two year old son. He is really sweet and just plain adorable. He doesn't like indoor swimming pools though. My neck can attest to that one, as he put me in a death grip when I tried to hand him to his mama who was already in the pool. He loves animals (go figure) and for some strange reason, loved it when I put my hands on my head (like antlers) and talked like Bulwinkle LOL He just laughed and laughed! I also found out he has a fascination with flushing the toilet and now loves the automatic hand dryers that are common in public restrooms. All in all it was a great weekend and I hope to get to see Diane and Kyle again soon.

This week, I am off until Friday. Being new to the home buying market, I have no idea what to really expect. I went by a couple of mortgage financing places to see what price range I can start looking at. First of all, it didn't take nearly as long as I expected to get approved for financing. Pretty fast and simple. My credit score is actually really good, and I have been approved for a lot more than I want to spend. So...now I begin the task of looking for a house in the price range that *I* want to spend. I told the financing company that I want them to hold the letter of credit until I find what I am looking for, and then will have them give me the letter for that amount. I don't want a realtor to take me to a house that is more expensive than I am wanting to spend just because I am approved for that amount. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I start to get down to the nitty gritty of looking.

If you could, please keep a couple of my friends in your thoughts and prayers. One of my employee's (Mustafa) sister passed away this past weekend. She was only 27 years old and a few weeks pregnant. They have no idea what happend. She was drawing bath water for her son and they found her slumped over over. They think that she had a heart attack but for 27, that seems very young. Then Mario, another manager, had an uncle pass away. So people here at FedEx have had a rough time here lately. Please keep these guys and their families in your prayers!

Some more good news that I received yesterday: the friend of mine in New York who has seriously distanced himself from his friends and family finally made contact with his dad the other night. I believe it had been about a year or more since they last spoke with one another. I am very happy that he decided to make contact and re-establish contact with his dad. I know that his dad was very very happy to hear from him and I hope that future contact is made and kept open. Maybe he will end up calling or emailing me like he told his dad that he wanted to. Selfishly, I would love to hear from him, but I am more than satisfied that he made contact with his dad. Very glad to hear that! :)

I hope that all of you are doing well and I hope and pray that you have a very safe Memorial Day coming up. Please be safe and careful as there will be a lot of people out and having fun!

~God Bless~
Greg

A Dizzying Time

Hey All....

It's been a pretty dizzying past couple of weeks, and from the looks of it, it's going to be just as crazy for the next few weeks for me. For starters, the week that I turned the big 3-0, I got pretty sick. I told my friend Lisa that I thought I was going to die, and she said "C'mon Greg, turning 30 isn't going to kill you!", to which I replied, that she was correct, but the 102* fever might LOL. I was coughing like a madman. Several people told me I sounded terrible. My boss liked the fact that I couldn't really talk a lot. He said it was peaceful :-) I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with a bad sinus infection, along with a case of strep throat. He put me on medications that after a week, worked. For the most part I am better now, with a lingering sore throat that I may go get looked at again.

Then my dad had to have some surgery for a hernia. He's pretty sore and I can tell that it is bothering him more than he wants to let on. He was in the hospital for a day or so and is now at home, insisting that my sister is a mean slave driver because she is making him get up and walk around so that he doesn't get too sore. He's such a baby, as I admit, most guys are when getting sick.

This week my boss is on vacation, so I am covering a big portion of his duties. That'll extend my days this week by a couple of hours at least, not to mention the fact that I lose a day off. That comes with the territory though, and is a sacrifice that we all make when another manager is on vacation. It's no big deal. Minor inconvenience.

The latter half of next week, Mario is on vacation, so I will cover his area as well. I am hoping to get out of here pretty early next Saturday due to plans that I have. I am going to Atlanta, GA to see a friend of mine. It should be a fun visit.

Then the Saturday following that, I trek back into Georgia to go to Athens to see my friend Diane graduate from vet school. I have written about her several times in this blog, and I really look forward to seeing her and Kyle, her son. It's hard to believe that he is almost two years old. He was born the same week that I moved to Tuscaloosa. Almost two years! Man how time flies. I want to spend some good, quality time with her before she moves back home to West Virginia. She's an awesome young lady who I have been friends with for probably eight or nine years now. I am definitely proud to call her my friend :)

Once I return to Tuscaloosa, I have three more days off, (using the last of my vacation) and will use that time to start looking at houses. At this point, I am not positive I will buy one this year, but the odds are very likely. I have called around to see if anyone offers any first time home buyers classes or seminars, but in podunk Alabama, have had no success as of yet. We'll see what happens and what God has in store for me.

One really cool thing that I got to do was lead the class at church in a devotional/study last night. I put a lot of thought into it, and how I could make the class as interesting as possible. I got a few good comments from it, and I hope that everyone was able to learn something from it or at the very least, got something out of it.

I hope and pray that everyone who reads this is doing well and that your lives have been richly blessed. Keep sending me feedback on topics to write on, etc. I always appreciate comments, whether they be good or bad.

~God Bless~
Greg

Welcome to the World

Hey all. It's been an exciting week for my family. First, my sister Jennifer got engaged on Sunday night. I really like the guy she is engaged to. He is a very nice man and he's good to her and her kids. He's very personable.

Then on Monday morning, my sister in law gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Olivia weighed in at a whopping 6 pounds and 13 ounces. She was 21" long. I need to go see her soon :) This makes five nieces and three nephews for me.

I am about to seriously start looking at houses. I have looked at a few online, but nothing too serious yet. It's about to get serious.

That's enough excitement for me for one week LOL I hope that everyone is doing well and that your lives are richly blessed!

~God Bless~
Greg