Darkest before dawn

I’m 18 days into the 2009 and I am already for next year to start.

… Just when I thought things at work couldn’t get any worse, it did. A week after being told that the design and copy editing desk would be moved for all of LANG to one centralized location, there were layoffs.

Two of my good friends were laid off. They both have children and their wives are a semester away from their college graduation. It doesn’t seem fair, but we all know how the rest of that goes.

Moments like this only feed my desire to leave. I’ve contemplated taking the buyout and filing for unemployment if and when it is made available just because I don’t want to be there.
Although I have friends also telling me, just leave when you have a certain thing because you just really never know what can happen, especially with this economy.

I consider loyalty as one of my strongest suits, borderline blind faith almost. But why should I have loyalty to a company that doesn’t seem loyal to its employees. They’ve only been really up front about one thing in the last two years; everything else has been dropped on us with relative haste. It doesn’t seem right.

One of my many brother-in-laws once told me “The only person you have to be loyal to in this business is yourself.” It’s true. It’s clear now they have no loyalty towards the people working for them.

It’s not fair … but you know.

… At the same time, I see some hope coming. After years of wallowing with a President that: started a war on false accusations with no real plan on ending it; allowed a major U.S city and its people to be almost forgotten underwater; and that at one point had an approval rating as high as 90 percent only to see it fall to one of the worst ratings in history, change is finally coming.

I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited about watching an Inauguration than I am now and it is still a day away. I’m even getting up early to watch it, and I always sleep until at least 9 a.m.
I’ll be there watching it on television, just like a lot of people not only in the United States but around the world.

Like I said before, I’ve been looking forward to this day since Obama gave his speech at the DNC in 2004. I wouldn’t go all this way just to over sleep on history.

… I did have dreams of going to Washington D.C. and witness history in person. However, my friends and I couldn’t get tickets to the Inauguration. So instead of going to Washington D.C., I’ll be heading to Las Vegas on January 21 for the fourth annual Eric Johnson Birthday Bash. This year, we’ll be staying at the Luxor mainly because I had a coupon for $50 off a two night stay.

Hopefully my luck – along with the luck of my friends that need it the most – will change, especially in Las Vegas. But I know that February and March are getting closer, and if the first 18 days of the year are the better times, then I might be in serious trouble until April 1. At least this is not a leap year unlike last year.

I am reminded of a Chinese Proverb, however: “A crisis is an opportunity riding the dangerous wind.”

Looking for stability in 2009

I was looking for a change this year, I just didn’t know it would come that fast.

… The last weeks of 2008 were much like the rest of the year, same ol’, same ol’. I gave out my gifts to my nieces and nephews that I see on a regular basis and others that came down to Southern California. I also had presents for other friends to give out.

I enjoyed my usual Christmas traditions of watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “A Christmas Story,” the latter watching several times on TBS.

I spent New Year’s with the family, especially since one of my sisters was in town. Of the five possible holidays I can get off at the end of the year from work – Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day – I only asked for and got NYE off. Which is fine, I can always use the overtime.

… It wasn’t more than two days into 2009 when I was told life was going change again for me. It was announced that the copy editing/design desk where I work will be merging with all the other desks in LANG in San Gabriel sometime in the next couple of months.

If this sounds familiar it is because less than 11 months ago I had to do the same thing and move to Torrance. Now it’s happening again. The funny thing is I knew it was going to happen. I just thought: A) I had more time, and; B) It would be Woodland Hills and the Daily News.

This is obviously developing as you can tell by the fact that I don’t have a date when the move will take place. But it is going to happen and it is going to happen by my next birthday.

… So this leads me to what I wanted this blog to be originally about: My goals for 2009.

Well, as I said before in the last blog, I’d like to start eating better. That hasn’t happened, but at the same time, things have changed. I’m going to continue to exercise and maybe I can lose 10 more pounds and get down to 200.

As for love, it seems like I have other burners that need my attention like work. I think it’s time to all my focus on starting a new career and maybe even move somewhere else.

The only real thing I can do next is work in public relations. I have no real problem with that. It’ll be more stable, at least I think it will be more stable.

However, it’s where I want to be next that I have to figure out. Let me run down a list of places that interest me or people have asked where I’d go with the plus and minuses of each area.

The Central Valley: Friends have asked me, “Would you go home?” I say, “I’ve never really thought about it and Stockton is ranked No. 2 by Forbes as the most miserable city in America.” Going home really doesn’t entice me.

The Bay Area: It would be much easier for my sports fan life to be in an area where I can root freely for the San Francisco Giants and 49ers, for the most part. At least the ratio would be a lot better than here. The three problems I have with the Bay Area are: A) It’s too cramped; B) It’s more expensive, and; C) Traffic is a nightmare.

San Diego: It is a beautiful area but it is also kind of pricy. I feel the same about San Diego as I do about the Bay Area, but with less Giants/49er fans.

Las Vegas: If there was one place where I think newspapers are still going to do well for the next couple of years it is here only because tourism is the key to the city’s survival and where else to vacationers get their news. The hot weather in the summer is a big reason why I wouldn’t move there. Also, I think Las Vegas is a fun place to visit, I just don’t know about living there.

Phoenix: When I first went to college, I had originally had thoughts about moving there after graduation. A year into school, I began a long relationship that continued after graduation and the person I was with didn’t want to leave Southern California long term. Now I can do that, but I’m reminded of the line “I’d rather be dead in California than alive in Arizona,” from the show “Arrested Development.” Plus, it’s too hot.

Portland, Ore.: I spent a day and a half here in the Summer of 2000 on my way to a college journalism conference and loved the city and the surrounding areas as the conference was in Cannon Beach. I wanted to go back to visit, but still haven’t. However, does wanting to live somewhere based on a day of looking around something I want to do?

The East Coast (Boston, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.): These are the ultimate places for me to start over. I didn’t choose New York because it’s just too big. All these places are different from what I’m used to and that is what attracts me. The problem, it’s far away from family and friends and if things don’t work out career wise, I’m really stuck.

(I didn’t choose the Midwest and South for obvious reasons. I would consider Chicago; however, its distance is a bit much.)

Going nowhere and staying: If I am going to start on a new career path, I might want to start here and have one less thing to worry about. However, this is the time for me to pick up and leave.

So what do I do? This is where I was going to use the first couple of the months of the year to think about things. Now, I have to think about things sooner rather than later because buyout time will be coming in the next couple of months and I can use the money to start over.

We’ll see. I mean if I don’t find anything, I feel fairly confident that I could be picked up to work at the universal desk while I continue looking for another job.

But I really hope I can find a new job by then.

Many hands make light work

What will I think of next?
... I can never stop learning. A year ago after I wrapped all my Christmas presents in three hours I immediately came up with the idea of having a wrapping party. Have friends come over and just wrap gifts – my gifts – under the guise of a party.

Well, I will say that I had to do something for people to come over so I made dinner. I’ll tell you, there is nothing like opening up a taco bar in your apartment.

Actually, one of my friends used my idea and brought two gifts to wrap. He, however, didn’t have as many as me.

So it took me and my friends about an hour to wrap everything. Most of the time was spent just trying to figure out the best way to wrap something. It was done in an assembly line fashion with everyone having a job to do.

Couple the 90 minutes it took me to shop this year – new personal record there – and it took two and a half hours. Compare that to the 5 hours it took last year to do everything and it is clear to see this idea, along with smart shopping, was a huge benefit.

This was probably one of the best ideas I’ve ever come up with. If you wrap as many Christmas gifts as I do, you’ll appreciate the help. Plus, it’s always nice to spend time with friends and talk about what is going on.

… So being that I write a blog every two weeks, this will be my last one for 2008. I doubt anything exciting will happen to me between now and the New Year so it’s pretty safe for me to recall what happened this year.

Bear with me.

I made my first New Year’s Resolution and stuck with it all year. I got in better shape. After years of just letting myself go, I made two goals: 1) be able to run without getting winded in a minute and 2) lose weight to get down to 210 pounds. Well I accomplished both. What do I want to do next here? Well maybe I can lose another 10 pounds and get it down to an even 200. I did lose about 20 pounds to get down to 210, so doing half that may not be farfetched. I just need to start eating better. All this running has made wonder if I can run, and I do mean run, a marathon. I may need another year for that.

I left the country for the first time in my life by going to Tokyo in November. A part of me now regrets not finding a major that pays better than working at a newspaper (more on this later) and being able to see the world. I look forward to go somewhere far and different than what I’m used to in the future.

My family is still my family. I can’t ask for a better group of siblings and parents. My father, with the chemotherapy, was able to defeat cancer. I’m blessed that I have them and they are all doing well.

Work is a worry. For the fourth time in my career I’m at a new newspaper. Technically I’m stilling working for the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, but the location is different. Leaving the Press-Telegram offices was incredibly sad being that we were a close knit group. I like where I work, which is a big change from the uncertainty I once had when I stared in Torrance. At the same time I still know that the economy is down and the industry I work in is dying. It gives me something to think about next year.

I still believe that Diana Ross’ mother was right and “You Can’t Hurry Love.” I’ve gotten my feet wet with dating and am still trying to get used to it. It’s been so long that I really am starting over for the most part because I don’t know what to do. I don’t know the rules of dating. I guess I’m going to have to pick them up as I go along.

The most difficult part of this past year was saying goodbye to a remarkable person. My friend James died and it’s still hard to believe that he’s gone. I can still hear and see him laughing. There is so much I want to share with him and that is where I miss him the most. Something will happen or I’ll find a wrestling video online and he is still the first person I think about when I want to share it. I know he is there with me watching what I am watching, laughing alongside me. I know I’m not alone wishing he was still here. You are still a great friend James.

… What about next year? I can hear the two people that regularly read this asking. Well I’ll worry about that. I’ll be writing that in two weeks.

See you next year.

Twenty-three Christmas presents in 16 days

I remember when I was the one receiving instead of giving.

… On one of my days off this week I'll spend approximately three hours shopping for Christmas presents. Last year it took me 2 ½ hours to do all the shopping and I hope it takes about the same.

Now some may say that my time spent shopping seems a bit rushed and that I might not put in as much thought in certain gifts.

Well, 13 of the gifts are for my nieces and nephews who are pretty much going to get what they ask for by my brother and sisters so my gift to them is just a bonus. Usually, I ask in advance all of my siblings what their kids would want. I only get one to reply. So, I have little help in the matter.

As for the other 10 gifts that are for family and friends, I have a pretty good sense. Not only that, but gift cards are always popular with most of the disaffected group I run with.

The longest part isn't the shopping, it's the wrapping. Last year I was able to watch two "Mystery Science Theater 3000" movies – three hours. About 30 minutes of that time was making the "To: From:" cards. I created speak out boxes and placed them on the wrapping paper. A friend of mine asked me recently if that was just a waste since the kids were just going to get the gift and not look or appreciate the effort it took. I told him to not remind me. But I look forward to doing that again.

I'm probably going to have a wrapping party and hopefully some of my friends can help me. If not, it's what I do.

… Of the many things I've learned in life, I know that people are the sum total of their life experiences. No matter how clear you believe an issue is, someone else may not look at it like you do.

Over the past couple of weeks I've been reminded of that. I've clashed with people trying to get my own perceived clear point across while they have done the same to me in reply.

Now, I've never claimed to say that my point of view is the correct one and anything else beyond that is incorrect. It's when there is a common goal with two different end results where we have the problem.

I'm also reminded that you can't change human nature.

I can do anything and everything to try and show my side. In the end it's not enough to change how people think and feel. What they think, what they want and what they are looking for are rooted in who they are.

It's not that I give up trying to get my point across; it's that I see the bigger picture. There is no need to try and swim across a river when you can use the bridge that is just right there.

… Football season ended today for me when the San Francisco 49ers were eliminated from the playoffs as the Arizona Cardinals won the NFC West.

Well, pitcher and catchers report on Valentine's Day. So I'll have one thing to look forward to on that day.