Miracles happen – usually for the other guy in my case

Twenty-five full days down, only another 35 to watch out.

…So just when I have good news it doesn't take long for bad news to find me. I've recently finished paying off five credit cards and I went to work where I got a message on my system telling of our sister newspapers in the Bay Area offering buyouts to their employees. If not enough people take the buyouts, there will be layoffs.

What really sucks is that the corporation I work for keeps turning a profit. At least I'll be debt free for the most part if they ask down here.

…I read recently on MSN that Forbes had a list of "America's Most Miserable Cities." No. 1 and No. 3 are no shock, three especially if you saw "Roger and Me." Detroit is at the top with Flint, Mich. two back. But in the middle is my hometown of Stockton. Crime, unemployment and, for those that remember my bulletin post, foreclosures are the main reason Stockton ranks high.

Now can you see why I left?

…I visited one of my sisters in Pasadena last week to see how they were doing. She has three kids and the two oldest are kind of over me. They got other things going on, especially if kids their age are over.

The youngest is two and a half and still likes seeing me. So within 10 minutes of me getting there he wanted me to read him a book, "The Gingerbread Man" to be exact. I had no problem with it. As I read I discovered he learned the one word that has no answer: Why? As I was reading the book, he asked what the bear in the story was doing? I said he's reading. He asked: Why? The bear likes to read. Why? He likes the stories. Why? He finds them entertaining. Why?

I forget what I did to make him stop, but it reminded me of the stand up of Louis C.K.

…I am wondering what I want to do next. More than a month ago, I contacted an old, well I'll just say, friend of the family who works at the Washington Post. He relocated to the East Coast about 14 years ago and I asked him what that was like. He said it was really good for him professionally. You'll be allowed to grow and will be surrounded by those who want to help you get better.

After talking to him, I was ready to apply to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for a design position there. The deadline was in early February, and I didn't. While I was willing, it just didn't seem right.

I'll be honest; I'm about to turn 30 in less than two months and my life isn't what I thought it would be, but whose is right? If I left, I would feel like I was running away and I don't think I could live with that. So I'm waiting to see what happens.

Besides, now would not be a good time to move. I still have March to deal with.

Where did the time go?

So much happened in so little time.

...We've entered February, which is the start of my two worst months traditionally. Of all the things that have gone wrong in my life, about 90 percent of it happened in February and March. I'm not saying I'm having the best time of my life for the rest of the year, but I usually don't have that many problems.

But after five full days, so far so good. I won $40 in about 20 minutes when I was in Las Vegas for the latest UFC fight on Groundhog's Day.

I'm also being proactive on the advice of a friend and trying to make the best of it and avoid the pitfalls. We'll see how that is coming along. I just need to be wary of the next 55 days. Damn leap year.

...I've also made the decision to try and take better care of myself. I'm starting to walk - occasionally jogging. In fact, I'm also going to exploit my religion, the one I don't really practice, for the next 40 days. I'm giving up soda and red meat. I'm curious to see how much weight, if any, I'll lose.

...And as for work, the powers that be moved the sports department to news. There are three reasons why this sucks: First, they stole my Mystery Spot bumper sticker when they moved my desk, now I'm going to have to go back to Santa Cruz to get another. Second, my desk is right by the main walkway so everyone walks by me. Third, I sit next to one of the most annoying people in the office (don't even defend him some of you who know who I am talking about). Not only does he jump into every conversation being held with information that only Cliff Clavin would love, but he also has a series of nervous twitches. The only positive is that I don't work all five days with him, but one is too many. I found my Gareth Keenan or Dwight Schrute, depending on which "The Office" you like more.

...Speaking of work, I was given a challenge by the sports editor: Put a football stadium next to the Queen Mary. It ran not only in the Press-Telegram, but also the Daily Breeze and Daily News. More than a half million potential readers.

Until next time.