You remember those super cool pictures I posted of our super cool concrete mixers? Well, on October 3 I was told (along with 60 co-workers) that my job with Terex would be ending on December 2. Sad? You bet. Mad? Not at Terex. Mad at Obama for his "shovel ready" job plan and job creation stimulus package(s) that didn't work. Hell yes, I'm pissed off at this administration. Our country needs infrastructure development. We need to re-build our highways and bridges. Our rail system is embarassing and we need high speed rail. How many jobs do you think this would produce? These few development projects that Barbara J Nobody from Fort Wayne, IN realizes we need would produce a shit-ton (one of Pher's favorite phrases) of jobs.
But I digress, December 2, 2011 was one of the saddest days of my life. I loved my job. I loved those crazy people I worked with. I told Todd that it's like having family in the office and 60 big brothers on the production floor. The first two weeks I cried every day. Every. Day. I'm crying as I type this. I miss those guys. I miss our big beautiful front discharge mixer trucks. I don't miss the corporate shennanigans and misrepresentations.
So, I've been unemployed since December 2nd. My resume is on so many job boards and corporate websites that I may as well travel from bar to bar and hang it on the walls and restroom stalls. 2012 will be the year for me. I will find another job. I will find a company that respects me as much as I respect them.
I have several job opportunities that have presented themselves lately (at year end). I fly to St Louis on 1/3 and have a full day's worth of interviews on 1/4. I have several other opportunities for phone and "in person" interviews. Something is going to come my way. I worked too hard for my degree. I've worked too hard to establish my core of values and integrity in transportation and supply chain. I'm well-known in this area as being a reasonable and fair freight manager with priorities for bottom line, relationship building, and integrity.
I will be OK, but your prayers are still certainly welcome and appreciated.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
Deer Meat and Freight Trains
"Sun's shining. Clouds breakin'. I got meat in my belly and my ass on a train."
Text from Pher to Dad (with a picture of the countryside from a freight car) somewhere between Chattanooga, TN & Atlanta, GA.
PS... They (yes, "they", remember he's traveling with 'Gyspy') got off train in Smryna, GA
Text from Pher to Dad (with a picture of the countryside from a freight car) somewhere between Chattanooga, TN & Atlanta, GA.
PS... They (yes, "they", remember he's traveling with 'Gyspy') got off train in Smryna, GA
On Emma
Little Miss Emma Carole Meyers turned 10 (Extend left hand and open fingers... bam; extend right hand and open fingers... BAM. Now do it really fast... BAM, BAM!!!) Ten whole fingers is how old that little girl is now. She is quite an amazing young lady.
She's now in fourth grade. She has the BEST TEACHER EVER... I mean EVER! Miss Molinari has adult onset ADD or ADHD (Mom's personal observation). However, she is completely focused as she randomly changes avenues of thought and story progression all while telling kids what to and not to do. She comes full circle in everything and wraps it all up beautifully.
In the classroon they have two geckos, turtles, cockroaches, fish, and other critters. One of the class positions of the week (lunch counter, door holder, caboose, telephone operator, etc) is veterinarian. This is Emma's all-time favorite position. (Aunt Cathy better watch out. She may end up with a fully staffed office with just her own kids and her niece.) She wants a gecko. I think it's specifically a tiger gecko. Whatever it is, she isn't getting it... yet. She has to keep her room clean. We need to keep a classroom gecko over Spring Break (So she can show responsibility and so Mommy can see how much urine and fecal matter these things produce.).
Emma has kept her old friends from K-3rd grade, and she has made several new friends this year. I don't know if anyone can relate to this, but for me this is amazing. I love that she is building friendships and expanding on friendships. So many girls stick with a small circle of friends. This 4th grade group is pretty much all friends. Some are closer than others, but they all (for the most part) seem to accept each other. The mom of one of Emma's closest friends is also the elementary school counselor. She also has a daughter in 6th grade. The older daughter has a small circle (or click) of friends. This friend's mom doesn't remember seeing such a large group of girls (Emma's & her younger daughter's 4th grade class) so accepting of each other.
Emma ran Cross Country this year. I'm amazed at how many 3rd-5th graders participate in this sport. Anyway, she ran, and she ran well. There were three meets. She ran 8 minute miles. An 8 minute mile, you say? Doesn't seem that fast, you think? Yeah, you go do it.
I'll post some CC pics sometime in the future. Remember, I'm just now catching this thing up on 2011.
She's now in fourth grade. She has the BEST TEACHER EVER... I mean EVER! Miss Molinari has adult onset ADD or ADHD (Mom's personal observation). However, she is completely focused as she randomly changes avenues of thought and story progression all while telling kids what to and not to do. She comes full circle in everything and wraps it all up beautifully.
In the classroon they have two geckos, turtles, cockroaches, fish, and other critters. One of the class positions of the week (lunch counter, door holder, caboose, telephone operator, etc) is veterinarian. This is Emma's all-time favorite position. (Aunt Cathy better watch out. She may end up with a fully staffed office with just her own kids and her niece.) She wants a gecko. I think it's specifically a tiger gecko. Whatever it is, she isn't getting it... yet. She has to keep her room clean. We need to keep a classroom gecko over Spring Break (So she can show responsibility and so Mommy can see how much urine and fecal matter these things produce.).
Emma has kept her old friends from K-3rd grade, and she has made several new friends this year. I don't know if anyone can relate to this, but for me this is amazing. I love that she is building friendships and expanding on friendships. So many girls stick with a small circle of friends. This 4th grade group is pretty much all friends. Some are closer than others, but they all (for the most part) seem to accept each other. The mom of one of Emma's closest friends is also the elementary school counselor. She also has a daughter in 6th grade. The older daughter has a small circle (or click) of friends. This friend's mom doesn't remember seeing such a large group of girls (Emma's & her younger daughter's 4th grade class) so accepting of each other.
Emma ran Cross Country this year. I'm amazed at how many 3rd-5th graders participate in this sport. Anyway, she ran, and she ran well. There were three meets. She ran 8 minute miles. An 8 minute mile, you say? Doesn't seem that fast, you think? Yeah, you go do it.
I'll post some CC pics sometime in the future. Remember, I'm just now catching this thing up on 2011.
Pher...
He was born Christopher Todd. We knew that his full name of 'Christopher' would never stick with friends. So, we shortened it to Topher. For some reason, that nickname didn't gel. We did not want the every day, ordinary 'Chris' because we knew that he was no every day, ordinary person. We needed something unique. So around age 8, I started calling him 'Pher.' This was a unique nickname for a unique kid.
We were told when he was in preschool that he was 'different.' He didn't think like the other children. He asked questions that were thought provoking and debate initiating. His K teacher said that the "thinks out of the box." Todd's oldest brother accurately stated that "the box isn't big enough for Christopher's thoughts." True 'dat!
And so Adventure #2 began:
December 10, 2011... Pher to Dad, "I'm taking off tomorrow or the next. Anthony and I are heading to Bloomington." (A friend took them just south of Fort Wayne. They walked and hitchhiked the rest of the way.)
December 16... Texts between Mom and Pher.
Mom: "Hey Buddy. You still in Bloomington?"
Pher: "Louisville."
Phone call required for more details. Anthony has friends in Louisville.
December 22...
M: "Hi Sweetie. You still in Louisville?"
P: "Nashville. Anthony headed north. I'm heading south. I met a fellow road friend and we're sticking together. His name is Gypsy."
**(Side note... I'm pretty doggone sure the guy's name is NOT Gypsy, but that's all we have."
December 24...
M: "Still in Nashville?"
P: "Yes. Hoping to hop a train to Chattanooga."
M: "Where are you sleeping? What are you eating?"
P: "Slept under a bridge and close to a generator next to a hotel. Food is everywhere."
M: "Oye!"
December 25...
P: "Happy Day!"
M: "Merry Christmas, I love you!"
P: "Love you guys, too."
December 26 (text early in day)...
P: "Following the sun south."
M: "Great. FYI- The sun sets in the west."
December 26 (evening)... Call from Pher to home, because he wanted to check in and hear our voices! He has a few people he is keeping updated on his journey. Family members and his dear friends Sam and Janos. He and Gypsy spent a day and night with a family group called the 12 Tribes. He said he will have to fill us in when he sees us. It was an "Uber Christian" cult and they beat feet out of there when it started to get creepy. They didn't feel safe any longer. Christmas Eve he slept in a dormant freight car.
December 26/27 (very late night/early morning) text from Pher to Dad...
P: "You near a computer?"
D: "I can be. What's up?"
P: "I need you to check the weather. It's raining and my dumb ass brought us into a valley rather than up into the hills. Would like to know track of rain and ow much longer. The tent will begin taking on water soon."
D: "Lots of rain."
(Mom's thoughts on this... My gypsy/hobo kid that should have been born in the 1950's, or early 60's relies on 21st century technology. Funny stuff!)
December 27 & 28...
No reply to texts sent by family members. Calls immediately sent to voicemail.
December 28/29 (very late night/early morning) text from Pher to Dad...
P: "Got put up for two days by a family in Lynchburg. Had a ball walking hills and eating deer. Amazing love. I'm well fed. Had no service though."
December 29 (evening) Call from Pher to home... They moved from Lynchburg to Tullahoma and then Tullahoma to Chattanooga via train. He wanted to call in the update. I asked how they met the gracious family that took them in for a couple of days. They met at the laundromat when they were drying their clothes that got wet in the rain. The family packed them some deer meat for their travels and away they went.
They hope to go from Chattanooga to Atlanta. Ultimate goal is Florida.
Knowing Pher, he left home with less than $20 in his pocket. When we spoke on the 26th he told me how he made some road money. He claims to have "made" around $100. It sounded like this happened Christmas Eve Day or on Christmas Day. He stood on a corner with a sign. Instead of the traditional "Homeless. Please help," his sign said, "Smile. Enjoy your day. Yeah I could use a buck."
Am I proud that our son is panhandling? Absolutely not. Am I proud that our son is fulfilling a dream with persistence and determination? You bet. Anyone that knows Christopher, and I mean REALLY KNOWS him, understands that he will never be able to settle down until he satisfies this itch that has been festering for years. Our boy needs to explore the world. He needs to immerse himself in cultures and sub-cultures. At this point in his life, he needs to work to live rather than living to work. He's on his way... and maybe some day, one day, in the future at some point, he will decide to sit down in his own home and write about his adventures. The real and true America: Life on the streets, in the hills, from the big cities, and from the small towns... Through Pher's Eyes.
We were told when he was in preschool that he was 'different.' He didn't think like the other children. He asked questions that were thought provoking and debate initiating. His K teacher said that the "thinks out of the box." Todd's oldest brother accurately stated that "the box isn't big enough for Christopher's thoughts." True 'dat!
And so Adventure #2 began:
December 10, 2011... Pher to Dad, "I'm taking off tomorrow or the next. Anthony and I are heading to Bloomington." (A friend took them just south of Fort Wayne. They walked and hitchhiked the rest of the way.)
December 16... Texts between Mom and Pher.
Mom: "Hey Buddy. You still in Bloomington?"
Pher: "Louisville."
Phone call required for more details. Anthony has friends in Louisville.
December 22...
M: "Hi Sweetie. You still in Louisville?"
P: "Nashville. Anthony headed north. I'm heading south. I met a fellow road friend and we're sticking together. His name is Gypsy."
**(Side note... I'm pretty doggone sure the guy's name is NOT Gypsy, but that's all we have."
December 24...
M: "Still in Nashville?"
P: "Yes. Hoping to hop a train to Chattanooga."
M: "Where are you sleeping? What are you eating?"
P: "Slept under a bridge and close to a generator next to a hotel. Food is everywhere."
M: "Oye!"
December 25...
P: "Happy Day!"
M: "Merry Christmas, I love you!"
P: "Love you guys, too."
December 26 (text early in day)...
P: "Following the sun south."
M: "Great. FYI- The sun sets in the west."
December 26 (evening)... Call from Pher to home, because he wanted to check in and hear our voices! He has a few people he is keeping updated on his journey. Family members and his dear friends Sam and Janos. He and Gypsy spent a day and night with a family group called the 12 Tribes. He said he will have to fill us in when he sees us. It was an "Uber Christian" cult and they beat feet out of there when it started to get creepy. They didn't feel safe any longer. Christmas Eve he slept in a dormant freight car.
December 26/27 (very late night/early morning) text from Pher to Dad...
P: "You near a computer?"
D: "I can be. What's up?"
P: "I need you to check the weather. It's raining and my dumb ass brought us into a valley rather than up into the hills. Would like to know track of rain and ow much longer. The tent will begin taking on water soon."
D: "Lots of rain."
(Mom's thoughts on this... My gypsy/hobo kid that should have been born in the 1950's, or early 60's relies on 21st century technology. Funny stuff!)
December 27 & 28...
No reply to texts sent by family members. Calls immediately sent to voicemail.
December 28/29 (very late night/early morning) text from Pher to Dad...
P: "Got put up for two days by a family in Lynchburg. Had a ball walking hills and eating deer. Amazing love. I'm well fed. Had no service though."
December 29 (evening) Call from Pher to home... They moved from Lynchburg to Tullahoma and then Tullahoma to Chattanooga via train. He wanted to call in the update. I asked how they met the gracious family that took them in for a couple of days. They met at the laundromat when they were drying their clothes that got wet in the rain. The family packed them some deer meat for their travels and away they went.
They hope to go from Chattanooga to Atlanta. Ultimate goal is Florida.
Knowing Pher, he left home with less than $20 in his pocket. When we spoke on the 26th he told me how he made some road money. He claims to have "made" around $100. It sounded like this happened Christmas Eve Day or on Christmas Day. He stood on a corner with a sign. Instead of the traditional "Homeless. Please help," his sign said, "Smile. Enjoy your day. Yeah I could use a buck."
Am I proud that our son is panhandling? Absolutely not. Am I proud that our son is fulfilling a dream with persistence and determination? You bet. Anyone that knows Christopher, and I mean REALLY KNOWS him, understands that he will never be able to settle down until he satisfies this itch that has been festering for years. Our boy needs to explore the world. He needs to immerse himself in cultures and sub-cultures. At this point in his life, he needs to work to live rather than living to work. He's on his way... and maybe some day, one day, in the future at some point, he will decide to sit down in his own home and write about his adventures. The real and true America: Life on the streets, in the hills, from the big cities, and from the small towns... Through Pher's Eyes.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Christopher Todd...
If you are not aware of our frustration with Christopher (Pher), please read back entries on the blog or just call me. I don't have the energy to retype it.
During his Junior year of high school, he proudly proclaimed that he wanted to experience homelessness. He wanted to experience the subcultures that he was confident exist in our country. He had always lived in a good home, had clothes, plenty of food and water. He always had the means to clean his body and his clothes. Todd and I thought it was a ridiculous idea for an adventure. Why would someone want to leave the safety and comfort of a home to experience the unknown danger of the streets? Well, that's just Pher. It's a social experiment, experience, encounter that he has been longing for.
Last summer, he began his first attempt at adventure. He packed up his bike and was going to ride to Bloomington, IN. He has friends that live in a house near IU's campus. Day 1 he got to Bluffton, IN (about 20 miles) and he pitched his tent in a field. Day 2 he sent a text and said he was just outside of Muncie (about 60 miles away). That's the story he gave me. He told his father that the blisters on his ass were so raw that he couldn't peddle any further and may need to call for evacuation.
So, doing what any good mother would do, I laughed until I almost wet myself. Then I got online and booked him a one-way bus ticket from Muncie, IN to Bloomington, IN. He could place the bike in the luggage stow under the bus. He had to get to the library at Ball State University to print his bus ticket. It was 10 am on one morning when I ordered it, and the bus didn't arrive until 6 am the next morning, but he was on a journey, right?
He hung out in Bloomington for a month or more. He made money playing the ukelele on corners for change. Remember the damn ukelele!? Ultimately he ended up moving back to Fort Wayne and back in to Zeke's parent's basement.
Please allow me to digress. I don't know if I've blogged this or not. Since graduation May 2010, he has been living in the basement of Zeke's parent's home. I'm thankful that they allow him to stay there. I'm frustrated that they don't make him pay rent. Paying rent = getting job = being a responsible adult.
This was adventure #1. It gave him enough of a taste to embark on adventure #2...
During his Junior year of high school, he proudly proclaimed that he wanted to experience homelessness. He wanted to experience the subcultures that he was confident exist in our country. He had always lived in a good home, had clothes, plenty of food and water. He always had the means to clean his body and his clothes. Todd and I thought it was a ridiculous idea for an adventure. Why would someone want to leave the safety and comfort of a home to experience the unknown danger of the streets? Well, that's just Pher. It's a social experiment, experience, encounter that he has been longing for.
Last summer, he began his first attempt at adventure. He packed up his bike and was going to ride to Bloomington, IN. He has friends that live in a house near IU's campus. Day 1 he got to Bluffton, IN (about 20 miles) and he pitched his tent in a field. Day 2 he sent a text and said he was just outside of Muncie (about 60 miles away). That's the story he gave me. He told his father that the blisters on his ass were so raw that he couldn't peddle any further and may need to call for evacuation.
So, doing what any good mother would do, I laughed until I almost wet myself. Then I got online and booked him a one-way bus ticket from Muncie, IN to Bloomington, IN. He could place the bike in the luggage stow under the bus. He had to get to the library at Ball State University to print his bus ticket. It was 10 am on one morning when I ordered it, and the bus didn't arrive until 6 am the next morning, but he was on a journey, right?
He hung out in Bloomington for a month or more. He made money playing the ukelele on corners for change. Remember the damn ukelele!? Ultimately he ended up moving back to Fort Wayne and back in to Zeke's parent's basement.
Please allow me to digress. I don't know if I've blogged this or not. Since graduation May 2010, he has been living in the basement of Zeke's parent's home. I'm thankful that they allow him to stay there. I'm frustrated that they don't make him pay rent. Paying rent = getting job = being a responsible adult.
This was adventure #1. It gave him enough of a taste to embark on adventure #2...
Cameron Adam Meyers...
He now goes by Cam with his friends and teachers. He does not go by Cam at home. There's nothing at all wrong with the nickname Cam. It's the first three letters of his name and also his initials. However, I love the name Cameron, and that's what I'm going to keep calling him.
Cameron is in Show Choir and he had a couple of roles in the fall musical "AIDA." He's a Sophmore in high school. Show Choir is not like the Swing Choir when we were in high school. Swing Choir 'back in the day' was an extracurricular activity for students that liked to sing and dance. Show Choir is a competitive sport. It's relentless practice and training. These kids have to be able to dance hard using their bodies head to toe and also sing as if they are standing still. 'Back in the day' Swing Choir was contained to bleachers with limited hand and body movement for dance and cute little costumes. Show Choir today is a full stage production with costume changes. There's the history and Cameron loves, loves, LOVES it.
Looking back it all makes sense now. When Cameron was 3, all he wanted for Christmas was "My Black Cat" movie. He asked relentlessly for at least a month. Mommy was growing anxious as Christmas approached. Then, one Sunday on the front page of a Toys 'R Us flyer was "MY BLACK CAT MOVIE." It was a VHS of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Broadway production of CATS. The movie box was black. Suddenly it all made perfect sense. He watched that movie every day, and most days it was multiple times a day. He loved the singing and the dancing. Anyone that was at Cathy & DJ's wedding knows that Cameron was the hit of the dance floor. He learned his moves from CATS.
I hope this show can be a fall musical before he graduates in two years.
Cameron is in Show Choir and he had a couple of roles in the fall musical "AIDA." He's a Sophmore in high school. Show Choir is not like the Swing Choir when we were in high school. Swing Choir 'back in the day' was an extracurricular activity for students that liked to sing and dance. Show Choir is a competitive sport. It's relentless practice and training. These kids have to be able to dance hard using their bodies head to toe and also sing as if they are standing still. 'Back in the day' Swing Choir was contained to bleachers with limited hand and body movement for dance and cute little costumes. Show Choir today is a full stage production with costume changes. There's the history and Cameron loves, loves, LOVES it.
Looking back it all makes sense now. When Cameron was 3, all he wanted for Christmas was "My Black Cat" movie. He asked relentlessly for at least a month. Mommy was growing anxious as Christmas approached. Then, one Sunday on the front page of a Toys 'R Us flyer was "MY BLACK CAT MOVIE." It was a VHS of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Broadway production of CATS. The movie box was black. Suddenly it all made perfect sense. He watched that movie every day, and most days it was multiple times a day. He loved the singing and the dancing. Anyone that was at Cathy & DJ's wedding knows that Cameron was the hit of the dance floor. He learned his moves from CATS.
I hope this show can be a fall musical before he graduates in two years.
Second 6-month Sabbatical
Yeah, I know. I said I'd resurrect the blog after the November 2010 to June 2011 sabbatical. I didn't stick with the plan. I'm giving it another shot, because there's a lot going on that I want to chronicle for the kids. I need to get over my laziness and just work on it!
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