I'll take one of those!!

Lititz Pike, PA

What a deal!!! If it were the other way around, I'd buy a whole garage full of Christmas trees!

...and the beginning of another

It's been a long time coming, but here's my follow-up to the sincere most recent post I made in here. It's been a whirlwind of a month, and I can't believe I've been here since the 16th of November.

When I made the decision to take the new job in Virginia, I did my best to angle for a November 30th start date. We had a lot to get done to prepare the house to market, I had my responsilities in the bishopric to wind down, and we with Thanksgiving and our pending move, my grandparents wanted to host dinner as not just the traditional holiday feast but also as a send off for Amanda, me and the kids. The best I could do was mid-November... and now I understand why (I'll get to a report on the new job down the list a bit).

My first two weeks here were solo. Amanda willingly stayed behind to help wrap things up at the house, and I missed her and the kids. Our household of stuff caught up to me on my 2nd day here, and I had time to get enough unpacked and set up that everyone could sleep in their own beds upon arrival (I had to "rough" it my first two nights... which was rough! No fun sleeping on the floor). The only fun part about those two weeks was that I had a fun set of wheels with which to explore Richmond. When I got to the rental counter late on the 15th, they told me they were all out of the economy sized cars that I had requested, and that I could have my pick. The options were a Dodge Caliber, a minivan, a Ford Edge, a Dodge Magnum, and "a Ford Mustang--I think it's even a convertible." Uh, hello?! Heck yes! Since it would just be me for 2 weeks, it was an easy decision. "I'll take that one," I said emphatically. Here's a photo--poor resolution (taken with my phone in the work parking lot--I became a convert. Mustangs are just sharp looking cars!):




Thanksgiving. So, I caught a 6 a.m. flight on Thanksgiving day, fortunately had a smooth flight through Chicago with a minimal layover, and was back in the 801 by 1 p.m. Amanda picked me up, and it was so good to see her at the airport. We had enough time to stop by the Kenwood house so I could see the new carpet in the basement, then it was to M&D's house before heading to Nana & Papa's. We had a great Thanksgiving dinner, celebrated Christmas early with my immediate family afterward, and then crashed. I ventured out with the crazies on Black Friday at o'dark hundred to pick up Amanda's b-day gift for half price:
The trip home to VA with everyone was quite a journey. Two adults, two toddlers, a lap-riding baby, 4 large pieces of luggage, and my carry-on: Pepper! Everyone did quite well, in retrospect. But it was a long day. We arrived in Richmond about 10:30 p.m. Looking back, I'm glad we didn't linger in Utah as we really needed a couple of days in VA together for the fam to get adjusted. We spent the weekend enjoying a couple of drives around the area, going to church, and just being together.

The new ward has been awesome. It is a really interesting, well-balanced mix of people. There are a number of folks who have been in the ward since the chapel was built in 1960; there are many other settled families who at one point in time were transplants; there are also a lot of young families here with moms, dads or both either going to medical or dental school or doing residencies. It really makes for enjoyable Sunday school lessons with a lot of different perspectives and a generally high level of thought behind the comments.

Work has been Nuts (notice the capital "N"), but it's been the good kind of crazy. My first day on the job, I had a package on my desk awaiting me when I pulled in from orientation! And we technically were not slated to launch the program until December 2nd. The lenders at SunTrust have been very excited for the 7(a) program to get here.

From my experience--having done it six times now in 7 years--changing jobs always requires adjustment and offers challenges which, while often welcome, can be overwhelming. I've felt this range of emotions while here--a dedication to the cause, frustration with learning new programs and basically re-learning the function I've come here to fulfill, wanting to institute my own "touch" and way of doing things, even working willingly 50-60 hour weeks in effort to get up to speed. I've been in at 6 a.m., I've gone back after dinner and stayed until the lights go out, and beyond; I even went to work for a couple of hours last night after the ward Christmas party. These challenges, however, have already afforded me great opportunities to stretch to meet my capacity more than I'd been required to previously, and I've managed to find that time to do so outside of family time.

On a final note for now (this post is too long already), the wild weather! My first morning here, I came out of orientation at noon and it was 74 degrees and beautiful--in mid-November! Talk about perfect weather to have a convertible! But, being Virginia, there is at least 1 or 2 days each week when it must rain... like a mandatory rule of nature here or something. Well, we've learned that the house we are renting doesn't have very good drainage! Check these pics out!

There’s a pond in the front yard:


… and a lake in the back!

(Look along the back fence, on the right... )

Crazy! We’ve thought of our family and loved ones in much colder and snowy locations. Not complaining here. Just sharing the view of our wet world!

So, all is well as we begin our next chapter of life. I am ever grateful for wonderful family and established friends, in spite of the new distance; and I'm happy to report that we've quickly began making wonderful associations to add to our individual tapestries of life!

Love from VA,

Justin

The end of one chapter...

Photo Credit: Jonathan Cracroft. See more at www.jonathancracroft.com


It has been "official" news now for a few days, since I gave my official written notice on Monday: we are moving to Virginia! This is a big change, and we are looking forward to what the future brings; but pursuing this opportunity comes at the expense of leaving a truly great life behind. For therapeutic reasons, I feel like acknowledging that fact and writing about it here for a few minutes.

First and foremost, we will miss our Utah family!!! When Amanda and I got married in '02, we decided to start out in Utah where the majority of our relatives lived at the time. We couldn't have made a better decision. By doing so, we have felt a boundless sense of love and support from some of the most important people in our lives. From spending our first weeks as a married couple living in Nana and Papa's basement to recent events like Nans and Pops having C&W for 3 days while I recovered from H1N1 --- our family has always been there for us. Parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles & cousins... we have been richly blessed to be surrounded by and so often served by you. This is the hardest part about leaving, for we will not have the same physical closeness, but in other ways, we expect to grow even closer through this. Our sincerest gratitude is to you, our family, for the love you have shown for us even to the point of supporting our decision to follow this new adventure. We love all of you so much and will miss you dearly!

Next, friends and neighbors. Our "other" family in Utah has been our special collection of dear friends we have made along the way. From buddies made in Cottonwood 2nd while living in our first apartment, to our dear friends from Kayscreek and Weaver Lane and "the GE experience," to the priceless friends we have made in Highland Park and Crystal II--not to mention that special handful of local "forever" friends from years past--we will miss each of you sincerely! Our neighbors have been the best anyone could ever ask for, and we wish we could just move them with us to our new location. You know who you are!

In a related offshoot from friends and neighbors, there has been a special subgroup of folks we have been involved with in voluntary and service capacities. Working in such capacities has an amazing way of bonding people that is difficult to duplicate. Topping the list for me personally has been working the past seven months with Greg, Mark, Bruce, Roger, Kevin... and all the group leaders, and also serving with Matt, Steve, Andy, Dusty... that's only the beginning of the list, but you guys have blessed my life and my family. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your faithful and selfless examples. We will always be connected, regardless of what doors life opens for each of us!

Finally, we will miss the community, the Salt Lake Valley, and Utah's beauty at large! Our fondest memories will include playing in the beauty of the Firs up Millcreek Canyon this past year, drives south to St. George and Vegas to visit dear friends, our roadtrip to the Pacific Northwest, trips to Cafe Rio and the "princess park," walks to and through Sugarhouse Park, surprise visits to Nana & Papa, Nans & Pops and crew, Grandma Bertha and Alpine, the whole extended Adams crew in UT Co, even simple drives as a family to our beautiful downtown to "daddy's office." Utah is a natural beauty. While we feel blessed to be going to similarly beautiful place, we will miss many, many things about Utah.

In his biography, Mark Twain is quoted as saying: "It is from experiences such as mine that we get our education of life. We string them into jewels or into tinware, as we may choose." I am so personally grateful to the many jewels that we have added to our lives while calling Utah home. If you are reading this, YOU are likely one of those treasured gems. Please keep in touch and keep us posted on your adventures!

Sincerely,

Justin

GREAT home for sale in Sugarhouse!

We feel like we are certainly leaving behind a great place, great people... so many elements of greatness here! We are reluctant to be parting with a home we have loved after such a short while, nonetheless we feel that we have been destined to go east and are therefore willing to turn this home over to another wonderful owner/owners who are looking for an ideal Salt Lake City neighborhood!

Here is a link to the virtual home tour, which also has the pertinent info for contact finding out more about the home. Please feel free to share!

A Beautiful Message of Peace and Hope

Very much worth investing 3 minutes and 30 seconds to watch!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coef8G5ax6E

 

 

Words of True Wisdom

Wow... WOW! This is another well-spoken thought by Elder Nelson; I just wanted to make sure you all had a chance to read it and take in its message! Beautiful.

Love,

Justin

---

Our Family Is the Focus of Our Greatest Work and Joy Posted: 16 Oct 2009 12:00 AM PDT "Brethren and sisters, material possessions and honors of the world do not endure. But your union as wife, husband, and family can. The only duration of family life that satisfies the loftiest longings of the human soul is forever. No sacrifice is too great to have the blessings of an eternal marriage. To qualify, one needs only to deny oneself of ungodliness and honor the ordinances of the temple. By making and keeping sacred temple covenants, we evidence our love for God, for our companion, and our real regard for our posterity—even those yet unborn. Our family is the focus of our greatest work and joy in this life; so will it be throughout all eternity, when we can 'inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities … powers, dominions … exaltation and glory' (D&C 132:19)." Russell M. Nelson, "Set in Order Thy House," Liahona, Jan. 2002, 82 Topics: Fatherhood, Motherhood

Set Your Homes in an Order Pleasing to the Lord

Came across a great thought today by a modern-day Apostle, Elder Russell M. Nelson. It is an excerpt from a discourse found in the January 2002 Liahona magazine. The excerpt:

"To set our house in an order pleasing to the Lord, we need to do it His way. We are to employ His attributes of ‘righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, [and] meekness’ (1 Tim. 6:11). Each father should remember that ‘no power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned’ (D&C 121:41). Parents are to be living examples of ‘kindness, and pure knowledge, which … greatly enlarge the soul’ (D&C 121:42). Each mother and father should lay aside selfish interests and avoid any thought of hypocrisy, physical force, or evil speaking (see 1 Pet. 2:1)."

How great would this world be if all parents (myself included) were steadily focused on such virtues? Unfortunately, the world is rife with conflicting distractions that impact the focus of moms and dads alike. It is good to receive regular reminders of the importance of such valued attributes.

Stoked to get my own Google #

Alrighty, goog... go ahead and release this outside of Grand Central at your earliest convenience! I'm sold on the idea.

Uplifting Message Worth Watching!

Take 6 minutes to listen to this beautiful counsel. This man is one I greatly admire.

If you want a wonderful book to read, I stongly recommend his personal memoirs titled "Yearning for the Living God." Here is a link to my Goodreads review.

Healthcare Petition

Having lived in a country with socialized medicine for a couple of years (and visiting with numerous folks during that time who were or had be hospitalized), I firmly believe that the plan being advocated by the current presidential administration is misleading and a bad road for our country to be led down. Please check out this link and add your support if you agree: Healthcare Petition - Bob Bennett for Senate

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Ooo... the time may be right!

I've been dreaming about it now for over a decade... while the dream has morphed a bit from this:

... to this:

the fact remains, I've been wanting to add another type of "bike" to my 2-wheel collection. And I think I just found justification! A tax right-off ought to be incentive, right? NOW my only problem is finding 20-grand that is not needed for far more important purposes. :) Any ideas?

Master Cleanse - Follow Up

I saw this article today in a Health.com email that was sent to all employees at work. They send one every month and I usually delete them; but since I have first-hand experience with "the Cleanse," I couldn't help reading this one.

After reading this article, I felt compelled to put a short blog post in with a link to the article. It was spot on, in my opinion. My experience was very similar, and my after-opinion is like-minded; fasting from solids for a couple of days on occasion is good, if done properly. The salt water, herbal laxative, lemon juice and maple syrup combo just does NOT seem to bode well with the body.

Give it a read! Axious to hear your thoughts if you are familiar with the topic or have heard about it. http://diet.health.com/2009/06/22/i-survived-the-master-cleanse-then-gained-all-the-weight-back/

A Timid Advocate of Freedom

A Timid Advocate of Freedom
President Obama has failed his early foreign-policy tests.
By Mitt Romney

At last week's Summit of the Americas, President Obama acquiesced to a 50-minute attack on America as terroristic, expansionist, and interventionist from Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega. His response to Ortega's denunciation of our effort to free Cuba from Castro's dictatorship was that he shouldn't be blamed "for things that happened when I was three months old." Blamed? Hundreds of men, including Americans, bravely fought and died for Cuba's freedom, heeding the call from newly elected president John F. Kennedy. But last week, even as American soldiers sacrificed blood in Afghanistan and Iraq to defend liberty, President Obama shrank from defending liberty here in the Americas.

In his first press interview as president, he confessed to Arabic television that America had "dictated" to other nations. No, Mr. President, America has fought to free other nations from dictators. And in Strasbourg, the president further claimed that America has "showed arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive." London's Daily Telegraph observed that President Obama "went further than any United States president in history in criticizing his own country's action while standing on foreign soil." Of course, it was not just the Daily Telegraph that was listening: People around the world who yearn for freedom, who count on America's resolve and support, heard him as well. He was heard in China, in Tibet, in Sudan, in Burma, and, yes, in Cuba.

The words spoken by the leader of the free world can expand the frontiers of freedom or shrink them. When Ronald Reagan called on Gorbachev to "tear down this wall," a surge of confidence rose that would ultimately breach the bounds of the evil empire. It was the same confidence that had been ignited decades earlier when John F. Kennedy declared to a people surrounded by Communism that they were not alone. "We are all Berliners," he said, because "freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free." Franklin Delano Roosevelt's confident commitment, spoken as he led us into the war that would free millions in Europe, inspired not only Americans but freedom fighters around the globe: "The American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory." Such words of solidarity, of confidence, and of unwavering conviction that America is indeed "the last best hope on earth" are what freedom's friends would have expected to hear from our president when our nation was slandered. Instead he offered silence, smiles, and a handshake.

Even more troubling than what he has or has not said is what he has not done. Kim Jong Il launched a long-range missile on the very day President Obama addressed the world about the peril of nuclear proliferation. As one of the world's most oppressive and tyrannical regimes is on the brink of securing the "game changing" capability to reach American shores with a nuclear weapon, the president shrinks from action: no seizure of North Korean funds, no severance of banking access, no blockade.

Not to be outdone by Kim Jong Il, President Ahmadinejad announced that his nation has successfully mastered every step necessary to enrich uranium, violating the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty it has signed. So, like North Korea, Iran will have changed the world's equation for peace and security: It will be capable of devastating Europe and America, and of annihilating Israel. And as with North Korea, the Obama administration chooses inaction - no new severe sanctions, no hint of military options. Ahmadinejad can act with confidence that the forceful options once on our proverbial table have been shelved.

Vice President Biden was right that the new president would be tested early in his administration. What the world learned was not good news for freedom and democracy. The leader of the free world has been a timid advocate of freedom at best. And bold action to blunt the advances of tyrants has been wholly lacking. We are still very early in the Obama years - the president will have ample opportunity to defend America and freedom, and to deter nuclear brinkmanship. I am hoping for change.

- Mitt Romney, formerly the governor of Massachusetts, was a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008.

This e-mail and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail, delete this e-mail and destroy any copies. Any dissemination or use of this information by a person other than the intended recipient is unauthorized and may be illegal.

3430

Huh? What does that number mean? Well, for me, it is a recent accomplishment! I just bought a new pair of jeans. Been needin' some for a while. Last summer, I graduated back down to a 36 inch waist size in clothes. Well, after some more diligent eating (and I credit a couple of weeks of bike commuting), I just bought size 34W 30L jeans for the first time since HIGH SCHOOL! Yeah!

It feels great to be in better shape than I have been in a while, but it only fuels my fire. I really want to keep going. In fact, nutrition truly has become a new favorite topic for me, one that I can't see myself losing interest in anytime soon.

Democrat? Republican? Maybe this video will sway you...

I never really thought of the reasoning behind the "Democratic" and "Republican" parties, why they are called by those names, and the significance behind them. After watching this video, I am even more confused. I am led to believe that it was prepared by a registered Republican or team of them, yet I am left believing any true believer in the "Republic" system as it is presented here would not claim an affiliation.

My belief is that both parties are broken and even corrupt and that our nation should not be led by parties at all. Also, I remain steadfast in my claim to be a non-partisan moderate when it comes to my political position. But I am swayed by this presentation to be in support of a "republic" form of government, and I believe that it is not just coincidence that, when it does come down to parties, I tend to vote for more Republicans than any other party. Could it be that their name does imply that their beliefs are in line with the "Republic" thinking as presented here? Take a look and let me know what YOU think.

Paranoia at rest...

Finally, my mind can relax, and OH, what a sweet feeling it is. After 5 torturous days of waiting, my final grade was released and my toil toward my MBA is now complete, finito, mais nada! That's right, folks. Tomorrow, I turn in my application for graduation!!

I swear, as if forcing myself to admit to having ADHD were not enough, I also obviously have a touch of paranoia. All week long I've nearly panicked myself with thoughts that the grader would come back with a criticism requiring added effort or a complete redo of my video presentation because it was 1 minute and 14 seconds shorter than it was supposed to be. Honestly, what a relief!!

It feels SO great to be able to relax without feeling guilty, like I should be working on this or that for school. I guess that is part of the problem with a self-study course like the one I decided to pursue at WGU. When it came down to it, I knew deep down the faster I completed my degree, the less it would cost me; and on the contrary, the longer I took, the more expensive it would be. Ever the penny pincher, I was determined not to take longer than 2 years.

Oh what intense craziness the past 6 months have been. I've learned some great stuff, but more than any course material, I've learned the simple importance of finishing what you start, of not giving up, and of believing in my true abilities. Success!! :)

It's unofficially official...

My self-diagnosis was confirmed somewhat today: I likely have severe Adult ADHD!

My company hopped on the band wagon of promoting healthy lifestyles last year, and I signed up to receive periodic emails from health.com simply to get my name in a drawing for a $500 gift card. Well, today's email had a link to a story entitled, "Take the quiz: Could you have adult ADHD?" As one of the questions helped me confirm, I "often feel restless or fidgety," therfore I wasted no time and clicked right on that link and took the test! (You can take it too, if you want. Muah-ha-ha!)

Here's the scoring matrix:

So, where did I score on this 24-question test, you ask? How about a friggin' 92! Holy crap-oly! I KNEW it! And all this time I simply thought it was the caffeine from my Mormon Coffee (translation: diet Dr. Pepper, diet Mtn Dew, or the occasional straight Coke). NINETY-TWO.

Figuring that test might be an anomoly, I read on and found a link to a shorter, 6-question test. For this one, the test taker who scores 11 or higher "indicates that your symptoms may be consistent with Adult ADHD." Hmm... 11 points, eh? Wanna see how I did?

Uh, yeah... I was at 11 just HALF WAY through this test! On a positive note, this helps me to understand myself a little better. I have been absolutely racking my brain and stretching myself as thinly as possibly lately to get my MBA wrapped up before the end of term on 2/28. Focusing has been the greatest challenge, but I've had to force myself. Well, now I don't feel like as much of a slacker as I had felt I'd been. The interesting thing going forward will be to find out what my physician has to say next time I see him. :)

I'm a Porsche 911!

You have a classic style, but you're up-to-date with the latest technology. You're ambitious, competitive, and you love to win. Performance, precision, and prestige - you're one of the elite,and you know it.

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

Goals for 2009

Wow... January has already hurried itself through to 67% completion, and I wanted to get my resolutions for 2009 out before February gets here. So here they are...

In General
1. Spend less; save more
2. Eat healthier
3. Be as active as possible
4. Prepare every needful thing

More Specific
A. Finish MBA by February 28th!
B. Achieve ideal weight... I'm calculating that to be 175
C. Make some rockin' home improvements! (Still deciding what order to go in)
D. Read the New Testament cover to cover
E. Go to the temple twice monthly... once by myself, once with Amanda
F. Sharpen up my Portuguese! Think "trip"

Holy Schnikey!!

Okay, I’ve just got to lay this out… I can’t WAIT to be done with school! If you make it to the end of this rant/post, you'll understand completely. My school works in 6-month semesters. Like most MBA programs, WGU's is designed to take 2 years. Well, my two-year mark comes to a close on FEBRUARY 28TH, and I am hellbent on reaching my goal to complete my studies in that 2-year time frame!

Apparently I was only semi-present the first 18 months of school, because this semester I will have literally completed 21 units of the total 40 required for my MBA!! I'll spare my fellow nerds the struggle of reaching for their calculators: 52.5% In 25% of the desired timeframe! That indicates two very good probabilities, in quantitative methods-speak:

• It has been a hellacious few months.
• Had I applied myself similarly for the FIRST 6 months as I have the FINAL 6 months, I perhaps could have finished in ONE YEAR. But alas, I don't think I (or my family) would have liked that very much. I have professional associates who have been divorced by the time they finished their master’s degrees, and that was working at the standard pace. Grad school is definitely a pressure cooker!

My past four months have included the following so far:

• An 18-page “case study” paper for Marketing
• THREE brutal certification exams covering these 10 disciplines, each accompanied by weeks of preparation that normally takes months, and one of which proved insane enough that I had to complete it in two attempts:
  a. Strategy
  b. Operations Management
  c. Organizational Behavior/Human Resource Management
  d. Financial Accounting
  e. Managerial Accounting
  f. Corporate Finance
  g. Marketing Management
  h. Quantitative Analysis
  i. Macroeconomics
  j. Microeconomics

NOW, I have SIX WEEKS to complete a 26 to 40 page Capstone Project, which is basically an intensive research project of my desired “career path” and an analysis of my competency to travel said path. Interesting. So... now it's finally time to decide what I want to do when I grow up! Haha. (I'm left wondering if that is really a one-time decision for most people anymore... my belief is that reality speaks differently, and most people ebb and flow through their career, but I digress...)

As if that is not enough, I then get to complete an “Oral Defense” of that project by assembling a "career portfolio," creating a 10-15 slide PowerPoint “summarizing the salient points of my career field,” how I will be successful at it, and addressing 7 competency areas, and then I put the cherry on top with my own production of a video recorded professional presentation lasting 15-20 minutes which is to highlight my qualifications for maneuvering such an obstacle course. LOVELY!

If I go missing for the next little while, don’t answer the phone or return messages, YOU’LL KNOW WHY. :)

Dave Barry's Review of 2008

The acronym "LOL" to the texting and instant messaging experts of the world means, of course, "laughing out loud." While it suggests to the reader that the sender is indeed participating in such an activity, rarely is that truly the case.

THAT SAID, I read this article today and couldn't help literally laughing out loud in my office a few times! Barry has a fun sense of humor. Myself claiming to be a "Nonpartisan Moderate," I like when it comes to politics how Barry unabashedly pokes fun at both sides equally.

Treat yourself. Take ten minutes and read this article poking a little fun at the roller coaster ride of last year! As he says, "Why not? We paid for it."

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/content/mobile/1,5143,705273834,00.html?printView=true

Master Cleanse -- follow up

As I typed out this email response to one of my best buddies about a master cleanse question, I thought I'd post it here for the benefit of any blog followers that read my earlier Master Cleanse post. Let me know if I can offer other specific feedback from my own experience.

JDC

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jo,

I got my maple syrup at Whole Foods. Easily the BEST place to get it. It's the most expensive part of the cleanse. $15.99 for 32 oz. (By comparison, the first bottle I bought was 12 oz at Smith's for $9.99) HOWEVER... read on.

I'm possibly changing my tune on the Master Cleanse. Since doing it, I have had to find a pro-biotic (opposite of anti-biotic, literally) to help get my system back to normal. I guess the lemon juice, salt water, etc., is pretty rough on the natural "gut flora" in our intestines and master cleansers have to do something to encourage rebuilding. And to make matters worse (I'm blaming the holidays), I gained back most of the pounds I lost during the cleanse.

Call me CRA-zy, but I'm going to also test out something entirely different called the Fat Flush. It's more sensible. You eat. You just eat a "butt load" of fiber---pardon the term, given the topic. I'll let you know what I learn about it!

Stay tuned, and stay in touch!

Justin