Shin Chook

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72370002012-01-31T08:49:57.456-08:00Shin ChookDefinition: "relaxation and tension." A key concept of Tang Soo Do Mi Guk Kwan, and one which I am trying to focus on, both in training and in life in general. This is much more difficult than it sounds.Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.comBlogger3101100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-89969507234847142832012-01-30T06:06:00.001-08:002012-01-30T06:06:20.132-08:00New Look!

Trying out a new template for the blog. Going for something more blue and relaxing looking. Let me know your thoughts!

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-89247667963135848382012-01-29T08:00:00.000-08:002012-01-31T08:49:57.470-08:00Dropping Some Pounds

January in Cedar Park tends to mean one thing and one thing only for me: utter misery. The cedar pollen is out in full force, and as usual it is completely destroying me. The last couple of years it hasn't been so bad, so I was operating under the (clearly misguided) assumption that I had grown through my issues with Cedar Fever. Not so much. Anyway, it was so bad about a month ago that I

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-51783387089045102782011-12-08T07:32:00.000-08:002011-12-09T14:10:51.530-08:00Kyo Sa? Kyo Sa.

Well, the dust has finally begun to settle following the amazing-day-horrible-denouement that my E Dan and Kyo Sa testing day was. The passage of a few weeks, a long trip to North Carolina for Thanksgiving (in the car, with both kids and our dog Cinnamon, featuring torrential downpours while navigating our way, white-knuckled and convinced of our imminent collective demise, through the Great

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-10245159296231658942011-11-22T18:58:00.000-08:002011-11-22T19:57:53.377-08:00I Just Want Simple. Clearly That Is Too Much to Ask.

So, test follow-up. Note, as a bit of a warning shot, that this has been a really, really awful week.So, Saturday morning we awoke to discover that the friends that had volunteered to host the post-test part had 2 ill kids and needed to bow out. So, seeing as we were literally at the Last Possible Minute, we volunteered to just move the party to our place. 'Cause, you know, not enough else to

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-55662258354346750942011-11-04T12:17:00.000-07:002011-11-04T12:21:32.409-07:00Motive or Theoretical Basis and Characteristics of Forms

Note: This is the second of 2 essays I wrote as part of my test for Kyo Sa (certified instructor) in Tang Soo Do Mi Guk Kwan.As a training method, forms serve multiple purposes. When learning a new form, the student first benefits from the strictly technical aspects of the forms training. Over time, as they gain greater understanding of the technical content of the form, the student is able to

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-16475700636374506972011-11-04T12:13:00.000-07:002011-11-04T12:17:07.237-07:00Practical Teaching Technique the Candidate has Developed or Found Effective in Developing Skill or in Motivating Students

Note: This is the first of 2 essays I wrote as part of my test for Kyo Sa (certified instructor) in Tang Soo Do Mi Guk Kwan.One of the classes I am often responsible for teaching is our Saturday morning Family Class. This is an all-ages, all-ranks class that is designed to enhance the family and community feeling of our dojang by providing families with an opportunity to train together. As a

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-20757972475300789312011-11-04T12:08:00.000-07:002011-11-04T12:20:42.989-07:00How I see My Role in the Dojang as a Second Dan

Note: This is the second of 2 essays I wrote as part of my test for Ee Dan (second degree black belt) in Tang Soo Do Mi Guk Kwan.This topic brings to mind something that Kyo Sa Nim James Vasquez told me after I was promoted to Cho Dan. I'm having trouble finding his note, but essentially he said that the key to being a good Cho Dan is to remember that, above all other goals, we are responsible

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-59815233643120602622011-11-04T12:04:00.000-07:002011-11-04T12:20:59.559-07:00Why I Continued to Study Tang Soo Do Mi Guk Kwan  Past the Rank of Cho Dan

Note: This is the first of 2 essays I wrote as part of my test for Ee Dan (second degree black belt) in Tang Soo Do Mi Guk Kwan.There are several primary reasons that I continued to train after I attained the rank of Cho Dan. The most obvious is the desire to continue learning more about our art. Training also offers me wonderful opportunities to spend time alongside my wife and children as we

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-77702496609508961412011-11-04T11:47:00.000-07:002011-11-04T12:04:49.534-07:00Here We Go Again

Yeah, yeah. I know. It's been, what? Oh, jeez, OVER A YEAR since I last wrote in this blog. I guess I owe my massive horde of fans (both of you) an apology. I had many points over the past year when I was ready to write an entry here, but for whatever reason the inspiration fled and that was that.Then back in April I was going to begin writing about the run up to my Ee Dan/Kyo Sa testing (

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-9785531496798228452010-10-14T15:19:00.000-07:002010-10-15T17:34:26.752-07:00Time Flies Like an Arrow ...

... and fruit flies like a banana.Yeah, yeah. I know it's been months. It's turned out to be a pretty insane year, work- and life-wise, and blogging has fallen way down to the bottom of the list of "Things I Have Time To Do These Days." Apologies.So, training continues along at a steady pace, and happily the vast majority of injuries I've been suffering from are in the manageable, under control

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-19748095593079050232010-05-31T18:47:00.000-07:002010-05-31T19:06:09.333-07:00Slow and Steady

Well, I'm happy to report that I'm on the road to recovery (again). Got confirmation that the pain in my right leg was due to a rather nastily inflamed nerve caused by the good old sacrum in my lower back. Also found out that I have early stage plantar fascitis in my right foot, but that's really a minor issue overall -- we'll address that next. But for now, the focus is getting the pain in my

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-44139692795722978822010-05-17T20:57:00.001-07:002010-05-18T14:50:43.748-07:00Knee Bone's Connected to the Leg Bone, Etc.

Goddamn I'm frustrated.About 7 months back I started having a lot of pain in my left knee. So, since I'm not a total idiot, I eased up on the intensity of my training and stopped sparring to give myself some time to recuperate. Annoying, because I was starting to feel really good about my sparring -- I felt like my instincts were finally starting to help offset my big 42-year-old body's

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-22375137026780666342010-04-04T18:19:00.000-07:002010-04-04T18:55:38.336-07:00Gratitude

Yup, an entire month has passed since my last entry. Annoying.So, as I mentioned a solid 5 weeks back, no big breakthroughs, no big insights or epiphanies these days. Still trianing a solid 3-4 nights a week minimum, but real life concerns continue to dominate my thoughts and training continues to be part of my day that makes nearly-intolerable situations more tolerable. Happily, the "release"

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-41813347842107569312010-02-28T17:46:00.000-08:002010-03-05T11:56:09.177-08:00Distractions

Yup, another long pause between posts. Oddly, I feel like I have less and less to say about my training, lately. Not that I've lost focus or interest -- anything but, honestly -- but I find that recently breakthroughs, observations, and epiphanies are far more scarce. In other words, I'm plugging away, but my training hasn't surfaced anything I feel particularly compelled to share.I will note

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-22615635613527412282010-01-25T10:57:00.000-08:002010-01-25T13:29:24.657-08:00Four Cho Dans

Saturday evening our dojang held the Dan Promotion Ceremony for the students who tested in the last dan classing. This included both my wife Christine and my son Trevor, both of who now join my daughter Miranda and I in the Highly Officially Blue Belted rank of Cho Dan. So, fun. My wife and kids and my mother are all Cho Dans in Tang Soo Do Mi Guk Kwan. Better yet, I now have the entirety of

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-17465159763881600262010-01-10T18:10:00.000-08:002010-01-10T18:23:45.195-08:002009: Facebook Status Updates

Hey y'all. Not a "real" post, but an (I think) interesting one. These are the Facebook status updates I posted over the course of 2009. Kind of fun to pick out the recurring themes and plot lines of my life from the past year. For me at least. For you? Maybe a few pithy sayings, quotable quotes, and so forth. Hope you enjoy!-=-wishes all his friends a happy, healthy and prosperous new yearis

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-60423988166469536562009-12-15T13:05:00.000-08:002009-12-15T13:10:52.879-08:00Post Script/New Skills, New Arts

First, a brief post script to last month's entry: Christine and Trevor's Cho Dan test went beautifully. They both passed outright, and had a wonderful, positive testing experience. The testing board was fantastic -- enthusiastic, approachable, warm, and encouraging, and their positivity brought out the best in the candidates testing that day. I was incredibly happy for them both, proud and

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-41395781252662124202009-11-19T13:50:00.000-08:002009-11-19T13:54:52.949-08:00The Other Half

Saturday, Christine and Trevor will get their chance to test for Cho Dan. Unlike Miranda and I, who had the privilege (and good fortune) of being able to test right at our home dojang (located all of 1.3 miles or so from my house), this time around it's Master Cox's turn to host the classing up in Lewisville, TX. So, tomorrow afternoon, once the kids get home from school, we will load our

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-42498791624753634232009-11-09T15:14:00.000-08:002009-11-09T15:19:54.639-08:00Roles and Responsibilities

So, it's now a solid 6 months or so since I tested for my Cho Dan, and nearly 3 months since I was officially promoted to my new rank and received my midnight blue belt. You'd think there'd be a lot to talk about, a lot to express and roll around in this blog, and yet ….So. Why so quiet?Hard for me to say, really. Training is going very well, although I seem to have a few injuries that simply

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-499846928084745542009-09-27T07:10:00.000-07:002009-09-27T17:53:05.694-07:00Owning It

So it's been a solid month since my last post, and honestly I can't say that all that much has happened worth sharing. Training in my new Cho Dan curriculum is progressing fine, if more slowly than I'd prefer.This past few months of training at the dojang has been very much in a drinking-from-the-fire hose vein: sleeve grab techniques, elbow techniques, Jin Do, Chil Sung Sa Rho, Naihanchi Ee

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-81039456030639971362009-08-24T15:02:00.000-07:002009-08-24T15:46:08.962-07:0042 + 1769

Wow. Turned 42 today. I'm utterly nonplussed by this event, as it really pales in comparison with getting promoted this past weekend. So, no big ruminations on age or experience this year -- I'm comfortably living in "oh it's just a number"-land.-=-Big day Saturday. As I mentioned, we finally had our Dan Promotion Ceremony, and after three years and eight months of training, testing, and

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-77944816566817789512009-08-19T12:25:00.000-07:002009-08-20T06:14:01.344-07:00Making It Real

So finally, nearly three months after our test, my fellow Cho Dan candidates and I will be getting promoted this coming Saturday. It's been a hell of a long wait, I'll tell you. This first chapter (or volume, perhaps!) in my training in Tang Soo Do -- 3+ years of training to prepare for the Cho Dan test, a grueling testing experience, lots of post-test drama and frustration, and months of

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-625652833961269672009-08-03T14:16:00.001-07:002009-08-03T14:25:31.525-07:00Ben Folds is Trying to Kill Me

After nearly suffering an emotional collapse after listening to "Still Fighting It" for the first time yesterday (see last blog entry), today I run across "Gracie," which Folds wrote for his daughter. It's not the bittersweet "dagger through the heart" that "Still Fighting It" is, but it makes want to go straight home and fall asleep on the couch with Miranda.You can’t fool meI saw you when you

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-7376616974086637212009-08-02T11:54:00.001-07:002009-08-03T14:15:00.465-07:00Still Fighting It

I am fairly certain that there are several folks in the grocery store who think I'm having a nervous breakdown or something.Good morning, son.I am a birdWearing a brown polyester shirtYou want a coke?Maybe some fries?The roast beef combo's only $9.95It's okay, you don't have to payI've got all the changeEvery Sunday morning, I grab my iPhone and headphones and head out alone to do the week's

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-10589597373537880622009-07-14T13:38:00.000-07:002009-07-20T12:50:09.348-07:00How Do You Say "Blue Jay" in Chinese?

So, about a month back, shortly after my cho dan test, I witnessed a startlingly savage act of violence right outside my office window. Happily, it did not involve people I know, or human beings at all for that matter. Rather, it was an altercation between two fearsome beasts, unrivaled in its ferocity and unparalleled in its utter ruthlessness by anything I’ve seen with my eyes.The beasts in

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-12058930469016455232009-06-23T08:28:00.000-07:002009-06-23T12:09:52.443-07:00Ivy, Disillusionment

This morning, while washing a few dishes left over from last night and getting my morning coffee together, I glanced up at the window above my kitchen sink and noted, with some dismay, just how poorly my two ivy plants are doing. A week or so ago my friend Pennie noticed that they were not doing so well (well, “they’re dying” were her exact words). I’ve been too busy and/or preoccupied since to

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-2786486486667661672009-06-02T14:48:00.000-07:002009-06-02T14:55:55.300-07:00The Test: The Good Parts

Not long after writing my blog entry from yesterday I headed over to the dojang to watch my son and daughter in their class for a bit. Master Savidge, a good friend who surprised us by traveling down from Connecticut to sit on the Shim Sa for our Cho Dan test, had requested we make sure to bring our kids to the 5:00 class, as he wanted to compliment my daughter on her performance on the test. He

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-856396451307667952009-06-01T15:14:00.000-07:002009-06-01T15:19:26.565-07:00The Test

So, the test.Hrrm.This is a complicated topic. Unexpectedly so.Well, first things first. I did very, very well. I have to do a retest on board breaking -- there was seriously bad board breaking karma in the room, and all but one of the Cho Dan candidates was unable to break on test day. I think it was a combination of crappy wood, fatigued testing candidates, and tired board holders. No

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-22697682288774542932009-05-27T06:57:00.000-07:002009-05-27T08:04:30.423-07:00Almost There / What Does Tang Soo Do Mean To Me?

Three more days. That's all. Just slightly more than 72 hours from now, I'll be attending the pre-test training clinic with Kwan Jhang Nim, and then 4 hours later my cho dan test will begin. And then, sometime later -- anywhere from 5-9 hours based on previous tests I've seen, depending on how well our group of testing candidates hold it together on test day -- it'll be done.And that's that.My

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-28929858368984615562009-05-14T11:36:00.000-07:002009-05-14T12:58:47.690-07:00Wear and Tear

I'm at 16 days and counting until my Cho Dan test, and it's driving me nuts.Now, let me explain. I feel solid and well prepared. Aside from adding an extra coat of polish to my hyungs, ho sin sul, and il soo sik daryun, I don't feel there's much else I can do to prepare for this test. I think I'm solid. I think I'll probably make a mistake or two early on, in line drills, as I typically do.

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-36184271656150648322009-04-05T07:48:00.000-07:002009-04-05T08:29:25.926-07:00Dan Test Prep

Life continues on its busy, busy track. With the dan test approaching (8 weeks and counting) I've upped the number of hours I'm devoting to training considerably (class 3 nights per eweek, plus Saturday morning family class) and I also find I spend a lot of time just thinking about Tang Soo Do - running forms and one-steps in my head, visualizing techiques and reciting them in Korean, or just

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-16439055134724400552009-03-28T06:18:00.001-07:002009-03-28T06:39:02.123-07:00Proctoring

Our dojang is holding lower-level gup tests today. These occur about every three months, with three separate testing sessions divided by rank. An early session for the white belts that are testing for orange belt (8th gup), a second session for orange belts testing for their first stripe (7th gup) or their green belt (6th gup), and a third for green belts testing for stripes or their red belt (

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-69581826646357550422009-03-15T11:51:00.000-07:002009-03-15T12:18:32.245-07:00Cooking, As Therapy

In the past few years I've found that there are only a couple of things that really enable me to relax and detach from the general stressors of life and work and whatnot. One, obviously, is Tang Soo Do (thus, this blog). I'd say the continual improvements in my life and how I live it that Tang Soo Do has brought to me are fairly well documented thus far, and I strongly anticipate these

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-64635976128622128162009-02-27T11:54:00.000-08:002009-02-27T11:57:33.402-08:00A Bit Too Much

Yep, it's been too long since I've written here. Life has been complicated to an unusual degree the last couple of months, which I find is making it very difficult to reflect on my training in any meaningful way just now beyond just being grateful I have Tang Soo Do as an outlet for stress and a brief respite from a lot of complicated stuff that is making my personal life something of a

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-67548186535518481682009-01-19T07:54:00.000-08:002009-01-19T08:10:46.722-08:00Invocation

I really enjoyed reading this piece. It's the invocation given the Right Reverend Gene Robinson, Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire, as the "kick-off" to the inaugural event. I try to avoid politics and religion on my blog but as I read this I realized how many of the things Reverend Robinson called for apply to all of us, regardless of faith, or political leanings. I also saw in his words some

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-42656273027603005732009-01-15T15:41:00.000-08:002009-01-15T16:02:55.685-08:00The Blessings of Tang Soo Do Mi Guk Kwan

I really need to get back on the ball re: blogging about my training, here. It's not that I have little to say, but rather that the things that have been on my mind and that I most want to discuss touch on some issues of privacy about other students, so I consider them off-limits here. This is frustrating, as it's pretty much impossible for me to just move onto a new topic when there's another

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-89908927888523808732008-12-28T17:53:00.001-08:002008-12-28T21:23:56.930-08:00Cutlery Lust / Early New Year's Resolution

Just stopping in for a quickie post. The holiday season has been the usual busy blur, and has mostly been wonderful. A bit too hectic, as usual, but fun all in all. I'm in the midst of a truly heinous attack of Cedar Fever, however, which is making the tail end of 2008 about as miserable as could be. And when I'm miserable, my thoughts turn to those of...... well, food, really. Or, more

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-4623765936456463632008-12-13T15:23:00.000-08:002008-12-14T08:01:18.481-08:00Proctoring / Learning to Fly?

Spent pretty much the entire day today proctoring gup tests at our dojang. First gups are reponsible for proctoring the gup tests (calling the various techniques that those who are testing must perform throughout hte test) while the yudanjanim and kodanjanim present (cho dans through 3rd dans and 4th dan on up, respectively) sit at the testing board and grade the participants. Prior to the

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-61562071308171334462008-12-01T09:32:00.000-08:002008-12-01T16:52:33.014-08:00Felling Great Trees

The other day I found myself thinking about my Tang Soo Do training, and my impending dan testing (May, if all goes according to plan). I was thinking about how I've seen, time and again, people who seem so dedicated and committed to their training attain their dan status, receive their blue belt in recognition of their efforts and accomplishments, and then ... well, vanish. After 3-4 years of

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-63976897169431258772008-11-09T07:38:00.000-08:002008-11-09T08:27:55.338-08:00Departures, and Selfishness

"Just being aliveIt can really hurtAnd these moments givenAre a gift from timeJust let us tryTo give these moments backTo those we loveTo those who will survive." -- Kate BushThe past few weeks have seen something of a cold wind blow through some of the more distant regions of my personal life. In all, 4 friends -- some of whom I've met only a few times, and one whom I've actually never met in

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-46505463679531291762008-10-22T06:35:00.000-07:002008-10-22T07:26:54.920-07:00U-Verse Experience - Update

While checking through my site meter logs I noticed that I'm currently getting a lot of hits from people searching for U-Verse information, obviously due to my lengthy post regarding my personal U-Verse installation saga. A lot of this may be due to an ongoing dispute between Time Warner Cable and the local NBC affiliate here in the Austin area that has resulted in our NBC programming being

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-83295987232242889442008-10-21T07:16:00.000-07:002008-10-21T14:34:16.188-07:00Surfacing, For a Moment / Beach Moment

I know I've been scarce in these here parts since last month, and to my steadfast regulars (both of you) I apologize. As I've mentioned in previous posts, September/October has been a real grind for me work-wise, as it is the peak of the Fall trade show season. I've completed 3 of the 4 trade shows I was responsible for planning and attending, and they've all gone splendidly. But the amount of

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-49399909866462273452008-09-27T20:00:00.000-07:002008-09-29T08:41:15.748-07:00Deeeep ... Breaths ...

Man, this is a challenging day. Long week, long month -- I'm at the beginning of a fairly busy trade show season and have already mounted one large show, with at least 3 more of varying sizes barreling toward me at intimidating speed.School is back is session, which has brought a welcome order back to our days but has added to usual laundry list of additional concerns, issues, and

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-35661063273128710432008-09-02T18:12:00.000-07:002008-09-02T21:19:55.826-07:00Training, and Results in the Real World

So, I had an interesting experience this weekend. For the first time since I began training in Tang Soo Do, I found myself unexpectedly engaged in an altercation, and I was able to call upon my training in order to defend myself.Now, this is not quite as dramatic and action-film-esque as it might sound, but hear me out. It's pretty cool all the same.Among my many duties at my small startup

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-31599841871143546142008-08-22T11:55:00.000-07:002008-08-22T12:27:53.367-07:00Worketty Work/Sum Beh Nim/41 Approaches

I've spent the better part of the past 2 weeks completely buried at work. The Director of Marketing I've worked under at my current job was let go a couple of Mondays ago, and as a result I've been scrambling to take control of the things he was in the middle of, or had been responsible for, etc.So, yeah, it's been a busy 12-14 days. We've got a trade show coming up in about 3 weeks that he'd

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-19206195302017505322008-08-10T07:02:00.000-07:002008-08-10T07:41:41.236-07:00Made of Pain

Yeah, the title pretty much sums up how I feel today. Getting out of bed was a challenge, getting down the stairs even more so. Everything hurts.My Il Gup test was, in a word, grueling. A marathon of an exam, clocking in at over 5 hours start to finish, with only brief periods of rest throughout. To top it off, Master Riley's dojang was quite warm for much of the test, due to his accidentally

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-20630189898983077752008-08-09T07:16:00.000-07:002008-08-09T07:41:24.431-07:00Testing for Il Gup

Big day today. Having completed my latest 6 month waiting period, I've been invited to test for Il Gup (1st gup -- Red Belt with 2 blue stripes). This is the last rank before I am permitted to test for cho dan/blue belt, the Tang Soo Do equivalent of what people typically consider a "black belt." The common misconception is that being a "black belt" means you are finished, but infact it's more

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-51910108886032738042008-07-28T12:27:00.000-07:002008-10-22T07:25:14.489-07:00AT&T U-verse Install Saga

Important Note: After reading this, be sure to check out this entry with current updates and reviews of the U-Verse service.7/16: Place order to have AT&T U-verse TV, Internet, and Voice installed and activated in our new home. Instruct them to transfer our old telephone number to the new home. Appointment is made for the 25th.7/17: Inform Time Warner Cable that we will no longer be in their

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-72127848950387321852008-07-23T10:49:00.000-07:002008-07-23T10:59:12.269-07:00New House, Complete and Utter Exhaustion

The closing on the house went fine, although it took a little longer than I'd have preferred. For some ridiculous reason the buyers didn't seem to think that taking an hour or two off of work to close on their home purchase was a good idea, so even though we spent the entire morning signing forms, writing checks, submitting paperwork, etc. the entire loan funding process didn't complete until

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-62516713399821725082008-07-20T06:02:00.000-07:002008-07-20T09:21:12.931-07:00Home Stretch / TSD Nationals in Fast Forward

Well, we're down to about 30 hours and counting on the sale of our house, followed immediately by the purchase of the new place. The process continues to be anything but soothing, of course. Thanks to some oversights by our wonderful real estate agent and plenty of small individual fees that have added up to a far from inconsiderable total sum, we'll be out several thousand more dollars than we

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-44870702862173811322008-07-05T19:18:00.000-07:002008-07-06T07:05:49.674-07:00And ... Exhale

An agreement has been reached. An amendment has been mutually agreed to and signed. We're out a little more cash at closing, but not so much as to make it worth fighting over and honestly their items are valid and they're being entirely reasonable. Some leaks that need fixing. Some cracks that need filling. Some windows that need reglazing. Some screens that need replacing. But all in all,

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-34412976547025370072008-07-03T17:56:00.000-07:002008-07-03T18:26:34.192-07:00Moving Forward, Standing Still

Deep breaths.Remain calm.This will all be over soon.The prospective home owner came by with his boss (who is a civil engineer) and the buyer's agent to look over the foundation today and things went well. Thankfully, we seem to have been able to settle their concerns about the state of our house's foundation by burying them in copious amounts of paperwork, inspection reports, and warranty

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-49068901514562605302008-07-01T11:04:00.000-07:002008-07-03T08:03:22.785-07:00Making Diamonds

It's been a real pressure-cooker of a week, let me tell you. Two weeks back Christine and I headed out to Napa and San Francisco for a long-overdue vacation, just the two of us. Work has been crazy, and we've had lots of generalized stress what with our house being on the market for over three months, but generating little to no interest. The kids are out of school, which of course upends

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-24115387811387810352008-06-13T08:43:00.000-07:002008-06-13T08:48:32.715-07:00Jaw Clenched, Eyes Fixed on the Horizon

This vacation can't come soon enough.I have to say, it's been a very long time since I felt this close to just flat out freaking out. Tearing my hair out or screaming into a pillow. Just losing it for a few minutes. The last couple of weeks have been a completely insane blur of things to do, places to go, people to see, tasks to accomplish, goals to reach, list items to check off, and so on.

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-14167660893334951122008-06-02T14:19:00.001-07:002008-06-02T14:50:53.703-07:00Man! Getting a Vacation!

Well, we finally just bit the bullet and planned ourselves a couple of vacations for the summer. To kick things off Christine and I will be treating ourselves to a week away in mid-June, spending 3 nights in Napa Valley and then another 3 nights in San Francisco. It's not the Rome trip we'd hoped for, but with the dollar sucking so badly internationally that's just going to have to wait a little

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-49303745592419611562008-05-22T14:23:00.000-07:002008-05-22T14:24:18.217-07:00Man, I Need a Vacation

Title says it all. I've really been feeling run down the last few weeks, both physically and emotionally. I was vaguely it's been a while since I took some time off, but I've been so busy lately that I hadn't really had any time to stop and think about just how long it's been since I had real, true downtime. Well, today I sat down with a calendar and started looking back, and i realized that

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-77973626819376431322008-05-12T08:06:00.001-07:002008-05-12T08:16:45.691-07:00Best Laid Plans, Ankle Woes

Following my trip to Vegas for Interop, I've spent a lot of the last week or so catching my breath and trying to get my bearings again. Doing lots of small post-show activities in the office, and capping my days at 8 hours so I can get home, spend a bit more time with my family, and start getting my non-work schedule back into something that works long-term. Work has been so all-encompassing

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-63685978161589092422008-05-01T23:28:00.000-07:002008-05-01T23:58:16.150-07:00Vegas, Solo

Back in my hotel room, last night of a 5-night run in Vegas. I arrived on Sunday morning, a little worn out from weeks of working too hard and Saturday's tournament-associated activities. And here it is, 5 nights later, following hours upon hours of work setting up and manning a booth for my company at Interop. Great show, all in all -- lots of terrific leads, and far better feedback and

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-20303190347852978762008-04-26T17:21:00.000-07:002008-04-26T17:40:29.790-07:00Texas Classic, Empty Handed

God, I feel lie I've been running a marathon and it's lasted ... ummm ... four weeks. Leaving for Vegas in the AM, for the last trade show of the Spring season (Interop -- we'll be in booth 702 if you happen to wander by...). And I have SO much left to do before I leave.Just walked back in the door with the family after attending the 6th Annual Texas Tang Soo Do Classic -- Master Riley's

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-26902127938881847942008-04-12T18:39:00.000-07:002008-04-12T20:08:07.347-07:00Charmed Life

Part of my head is in a bit of a dark place tonight. I've been under a lot of stress lately - work, personal, you name it. Nothing worth noting, because none of it is particularly extraordinary, but it's kind of piled up a bit and I'm feeling a tad bit of strain as a result. I'll handle it fine, but I can tell I'm out of sorts. My emotions are running at high tilt: I find I'm quick to anger,

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-1533633429630920332008-04-07T12:36:00.000-07:002008-04-07T12:40:20.711-07:00The Grind

It's been a while since I could find the time to write, let alone find anything worth writing about. Work has been fairly all-encompassing for most of the past month, with my time being split about 60% on redesigning and relaunching our corporate website, and 60% on prepping and planning for our corporate presece at a series of trade shows in Las Vegas this month. Yeah, there's an extra 20% in

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-21099142026678517912008-03-02T18:33:00.000-08:002008-03-02T18:45:41.010-08:00Stolen from Walt

Grabbed this frm my buddy Walt. Here is what you do. Use the 1st letter of your middle name to answer each of the following. They have to be real places, names, things…nothing made up! Try to use different answers if the person you took this from had the same 1st initial. You CAN’T use your name for the boy/girl name question. 1. Middle name letter: M 2. Famous artist/band/musician: Massive

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-38465024925238847162008-02-26T18:27:00.001-08:002008-02-26T18:46:20.922-08:00Well Lookit' That / Waiting?

So, if you look at my little red belt illustration over yonder, you'll notice it's now got a nice little blue stripe on it. Attended class last night, and at the end of class I was promoted. Yay me! It's amazing how much work a 5" strip of blue electrical tape can represent.Now it's time to start buckling down and learning my next form, Chil Sung Sahm Rho. Haven't been officially shown it

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-43078293334622903942008-02-24T09:04:00.000-08:002008-02-24T10:07:16.675-08:002nd Gup, Almost

Ow. My legs really hurt. My lats and upper back as well. Gotta love the day after testing.So, the test was ... an interesting experience. It was, unfortunately, everything I feared it might be. The kids, with one or two exceptions, had absolutely zero energy on the mat, a problem that was compounded by our first proctor also having abslutel;y no energy or volume when he was calling the

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-1174445757078906952008-02-23T07:07:00.000-08:002008-02-23T07:57:22.178-08:00White Lily / Test Papers

What Fassbinder Film is it?The one-armed man comes into the flower shop and says"What flower expresses days go by? And they just keep going by endlessly, pulling you into the future? Days go by, endlessly, endlessly pulling you into the future?"And the florist says, "White lily." -- Laurie AndersonThat sums things up lately. I'm busier than I think I've ever been, both at work and at home.

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-78131864195519880832008-02-04T18:39:00.000-08:002008-02-04T18:53:48.550-08:00Mellow Monday

As planned, I took today off. And I mean OFF. Yesterday afternoon we hit the grocery store and bought supplies for our day "in." Then a couple of friends came over for an un-Superbowl get-together (just not a big football fan, although I'm pleased the Giants won) and I was in bed by midnight or so.Then today, I:Slept until 8:30Made espresso (for me) and an iced latte (for Christine), as well as

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-70532534051488092222008-01-31T12:58:00.000-08:002008-01-31T14:28:33.319-08:00ByePod-ed, Phished, Just Plain Shot to Hell

Man, definitely having a "shoulda stayed in bed" day, although it's also been on of those weird days when I get the sense that I have the littlest twinkling of ESP or something.We had a very brief, very intense thunderstorm roll through at about 4:00AM this morning. One HUGE thunderclap which woke the whole house up, followed by about 10 minutes of torrential downpour and gusty wind. Then it

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-22390300738345895322008-01-29T18:05:00.000-08:002008-01-29T18:17:29.676-08:00A World of Blah

Nothing too exciting to report on this end, dear friends. Following weeks of ceaseless work, nagging head colds, vicious allergies, and overall not-so-great-ness I attended a small intraschool tournament at our dojang this weekend. Took first in forms with Bassai, which was nice. Due to my testing schedule this would have been my only opportunity to compete with Bassai (barring a tie in a

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-30146697210343981202008-01-11T15:12:00.000-08:002008-01-11T18:21:29.143-08:00Storming the Fortress

Here I am, halfway through January and this is my first entry of 2008. I'm convinced that, when the calendar turned to the new year, someone somewhere magically shortened the days, because ever since New Year's Day I feel like my every waking moment has been filled to over-stuffing. Wake work train sleep repeat x5, plus 2 days of wake train work (around the house) and socialize (some) sleep.

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-71377743822741006882007-12-31T12:22:00.000-08:002007-12-31T12:26:07.859-08:00Done

As my voluminous output for December demonstrates, it's been a freakin' busy month. Trade shows, gup tests, XMas planning and execution, weeks of house guests and the overall blur of things-to-do that accompany all of these things have all contributed to an incredibly high-pressure / low-pleasure holiday season for me. Frustrating, to say the least.On the up side, it's nearly over. One more

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-67960077585035041312007-12-19T09:18:00.000-08:002007-12-19T09:26:04.929-08:00Bah Humbug

No, no, I’m not dead. Not yet, anyway. Just having yet another one of those months where I'm spread so thin that time to write is nearly non-existent, and inspiration/motivation to write when there is time is even more so. Frenzied and frustrated, but well.Not a lot of Tang Soo Do talk to engage in just now. Still training 3-4 times a week, still loving it, but no big new events to report.

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-21533409182263537562007-11-28T11:49:00.000-08:002007-11-28T11:53:32.076-08:00Truth Whispers

As I've mentioned before, I tend to surround myself with music at just about every waking moment. In the car, while I'm working, while I'm exercising, and so forth. If I'm doing anything that doesn't involve listening carefully to someone speaking (such as while watching a film, receiving instruction during class, etc.) then I tend to have music playing. Sometimes this is to provide a sort of

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-23416675514442348092007-11-15T06:46:00.000-08:002007-11-15T08:22:45.008-08:00Tool Show, Feeling Beat

Wow, I'm beat. My friend Pennie and I hit the Tool show at the Frank Erwin Center last night -- first concert I've been to in a while. Definitely the loudest I've been to in years. Got in a bit after midnight, had a somewhat crumby night sleep, and made it to the office this morning by 8:00. I think it's gonna be a long day.Anyhow, the show was great, if a bit different from any other concert

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-48932295877882004932007-11-07T07:12:00.000-08:002007-11-08T09:02:19.008-08:00Simmerin' Down, Looking Ahead

Halloween has passed, the Hootenanny was a smashing success, and now I can finally settle down and relax a bit for the first time in what seems like months. Seriously. I don't think I've had a weekend or weeknight since my 3rd gup test (back on September 22nd) where I just got to chill out and relax. Actually that extends to several weeks prior to my test, since I was spending all my free time

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-70704262954349442952007-10-31T07:05:00.000-07:002007-10-31T07:29:52.176-07:00Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween y'all! I've been so busy it's been hard to really get into the spirit of things so far, but today looks like it will be a fun day anyhow. I've got cool skull sneakers, a skull-covered button up shirt, a skull-and-crossbones stud, and a dangly bat earring on in recognition of the holiday. Later this afternoon my company is having a little costume contest/party thing which should

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-71737669021223037932007-10-29T12:20:00.000-07:002007-10-29T12:36:32.880-07:00Party Planning; Sadness; An Exorcism

Well, this week marks the beginning of the run-up to our annual Halloween party. I have SO much I have to do between today and Saturday night that I'm feeling a bit paralyzed -- just don't know where to start. I mean it's a Halloween party and we don't even have our costumes yet! To say nothing of all of the decorating we have to take care of inside the house by then. I still need to get a

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-87334602031000555462007-10-16T06:39:00.000-07:002007-10-16T07:09:26.674-07:00Litany

Recently, a friend of mine commented in passing that music is very important to me. Obviously that's true -- I have a fairly huge collection of music, a relatively large amount of popular music history knowledge, an interest in music theory, and very varied musical tastes (chamber music to death metal, and pretty much everything in between...). It's a rare time indeed when music doesn't

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-65164199129658679632007-09-27T14:58:00.000-07:002007-09-28T19:48:51.595-07:00How Long Must I Wait?

Today, a friend of mine at work referred to me as a martial artist, and felt a need to correct him. "I don't think of myself as a martial artist," I said. "At least not yet. I'd say I practice martial arts, but I don't feel qualified to refer to myself as a martial artist."And this isn't some sort of false humility or attempt to split hairs. It's truly how I feel. I work hard at learning my

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-11619964266611353572007-09-23T13:32:00.000-07:002007-09-23T13:39:26.939-07:00We Take This Stuff VERY Seriously

As you can see.Mood: Sleepy, achey stillNow Playing: Nada

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-19649892001769146672007-09-23T08:33:00.000-07:002007-09-23T09:53:25.516-07:00Red Belt Test Recap

OK, I'm a red belt now. Check out the cool new South Park character image in my profile -- created a brand new one, with a haircut that looks more like the short and spiky look I'v ebeen sporting the last year, plus a nicer, more peaceful background. Ahhhhhhh. Sweet.So, yeah, I've reached 3rd gup. No pictures, yet -- my digital camera's batteries died after my mom took 3 pictures, and she

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-13766837121992658272007-09-22T06:14:00.000-07:002007-09-22T11:02:08.128-07:003rd Gup Test Today, Latest Paper

Been laying pretty low lately -- work is keeping me very, very busy, but in a good way. After 14 years of technical writing I'm finally in a new role (Marketing and Communications Manager), and with it come new challenges, duties, and responsibilities to be met. As a result my days are pretty packed, and by the time I get home I'm either packing my bag and heading to the dojang or taking care of

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-61095116854180881492007-09-09T07:25:00.000-07:002007-09-09T08:26:49.409-07:00The Lone Star Classic, and My First DQ

Yesterday we attended Master Nunan's annual Tang Soo Do tournament, the Lone Star Classic. This was my first time attending his tournament -- Miranda and Trevor attended last year, but I was out of town meeting up with lots of friends in the Chicago area (you can read a bit about the fascinating saga here) and couldn't make it.This particular local tournament also tends to draw out a lot more of

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-7670745637504337212007-09-07T12:39:00.000-07:002007-09-07T12:40:18.928-07:00Busy, Gainfully Employed, All That Jazz

So, since crossing the 40-and-up threshold 2 weeks ago, I've been pretty insanely busy. Thus, no updates. Briefly, here's the status quo:Employment Status: Happily, gainfully employed again for the foreseeable future. Working with a buncho f former co-workers at a new startup here in Austin. To top it off, I've managed to swing a job change into marketing and creative development and

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-58843367171196770732007-08-24T13:08:00.000-07:002007-08-24T13:28:11.474-07:0040

Turned 40 today. So far, it's something of a non-event, honestly. Got up early and headed to work, so that I could take a long lunch and clock out early without drastically impacting my cash flow (I'm freelancing/contracting right now, and this whole "hourly wage" thing is taking a bit of getting used to). Hit Pluckers, the local wing joint, and got my free birthday lunch, then headed over to

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-46505298805628176362007-08-19T07:06:00.000-07:002007-08-19T07:42:05.671-07:00Getting By

So, no updates for a while. A few of you folks have written, asking what's going on and wishing well and all that, and thanks for your concern and notes. Things are fine, if not outstanding or fantastic or whatever. Days go by, I'm keeping busy, etc. Honestly, I just haven't felt that spending time on self-reflection and evaluation would be time well spent lately. A bit counterproductive, if

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-17748056556134043492007-07-31T10:52:00.000-07:002007-07-31T12:43:19.814-07:00Arrrrgh

So. Christine and the kids returned Sunday night, to much relief and joy on my part. I'd really hit the wall on being apart from them and was getting seriously funked out and depressed. So that was good.Unfortunately, thhings have been in something of a spiral ever since. Yesterday was Christine's 40th birthday, and the events of the day went as follows:Shopped for and purchased a bicycle for

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-60171522379058342152007-07-25T16:23:00.000-07:002007-07-25T16:40:48.565-07:00Whew!

Well, it looks as though my jobless slacker lifestyle will be coming to an end in the near future. I got an entirely reasonable offer (verbal -- will be receiving the offer in writing later this week) from one of the companies I've been interviewing with today, so I have a solid opportunity to return to the productive working world Real Soon Now. So, that whole "will I ever actually earn, you

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-16246137507864066292007-07-21T07:39:00.000-07:002007-07-23T07:58:34.680-07:00Lonely, Preoccupied

So, I'm finishing up week one of solitary, with only about one more to go. Christine and the kids are still in North Carolina, while I float around here in Austin, jobless but interviewing like mad, and keeping pretty darn busy for a guy without a darn job. Once again, Tang Soo Do has come to the rescue, giving me a solid community to fall back on for companionship and activity that doesn't

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-51080077492562084972007-07-17T07:12:00.000-07:002007-07-17T07:47:09.435-07:00Post-Tournament, Flying Solo

Got back from Rhode Island fairly late on Sunday night. Actually tried to get home earlier, even shuffling my flight times around to attempt to arrive home by 9:00 (instead of at nearly midnight) but was largely thwarted by a weather-related delay (2.5 hours at JFK, sitting on the plane, waiting for takeoff...). At least I got to hang out with Christine for an hour or so, instead of her already

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-19377718224916218372007-07-09T09:00:00.000-07:002007-07-09T09:34:51.565-07:00It's All in the Timing

Well, this begins week 2 of joblessness. It's funny, because last week hardly really counts at all, what with Independence Day smack dab in the middle of the week. At the most, I've only been out of work four days. Whatever: It feels longer for some reason. I'm just someone who needs to keep busy. If I have too much time on my hands I tend to ponder, and dwell, and glower. And considering

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-41315744339539810192007-07-05T09:52:00.002-07:002007-07-05T10:40:42.758-07:00Um Yung, and Politics

So, Independence Day was quite a nice little affair here in our neck of the woods. Our neighbors David and Della invited us and another couple (Master Nunan and his wife Pennie) over for a delicious brunch (complete with tons of fantastic food and fresh roasted peach bellinis -- delicious) in the AM. Seeing as we are currently undergoing some sort of Biblical punishment here in Texas, the

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-43467581253924665232007-06-30T07:02:00.000-07:002007-06-30T07:39:41.962-07:00The Idle Not-Even-Remotely Rich

Yeah, yeah, I know. No updates for ages. I've been pretty damn preoccupied with the whole "job going away" thing and I've been trying not to dwell on it too much. Or, should say, any more than I already have been. It's fairly all-consuming.Anyway, as of yesterday afternoon I am unemployed. Signed my severance agreement, cleaned out my desk, and hit Bitter Hour with some friends (it's like

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-64753651707840191762007-06-17T14:55:00.000-07:002007-06-17T15:11:00.771-07:00Father's Day, and Worry

Ahh, Father's Day. Coffee and the newspaper were brought to me, in bed, at 8:30 (I was allowed to sleep in, which was greatly appreciated after arriving home from my friend's birthday party at 1:00, after a bit of a sake-fest...). Breakfast tacos were procured not long afterward. Then we attended an early showing of Shrek the Third, which was far more enjoyable than I expected given the

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-1176326334307140762007-06-05T07:45:00.000-07:002007-06-05T07:49:51.518-07:00Drained / Waiting

Sigh. Feeling a little out of sorts today. The last couple of weeks have been fairly high-octane. Too much going on, first with the impending departure of my job, then with the networking and chatting up several friends to gain access to several very desirable positions with other companies, then with interviewing for one of these positions, then with a vacation to NYC with the family, then

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-83997293732766576712007-05-22T13:17:00.000-07:002007-05-22T13:45:05.922-07:00Updates

So, nothing big and new here since the last big announcements. I've got some fairly promising leads for new jobs that I'm working on, but I don't really want to pounce on them aggressively until next week. Christine, the kids, and I are heading to New York City this Friday for a week, and I'd rather not aggressively pump the job search machine until I know that I'll be available for interviews,

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-795363646912667252007-05-18T12:15:00.000-07:002007-05-18T12:57:19.779-07:00And it's a wrap.

Well, my suspicions we're confirmed. Our development team is being relocated to West Kingston, RI as of 6/30. I, along with all of my co-workers, have been offered a pathetic relocation package or fairly meager severance. My new job search begins Monday. I look at it as a 6-week furlough during which I interview and search for the next good thing.I'm not really in a good place. Not because

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-92118975947654250172007-05-17T17:17:00.000-07:002007-05-17T17:25:05.601-07:00Well, THAT'S Ominous...

So. not long after I finished my last blog entry I received a meeting notice for tomorrow morning. Required attendance. My entire product line team. 10:30 tomorrow morning. Not so odd, really, except that the invitation came from... the HR director for our site. And the managers on site didn't know anything about it.Hrrrm.So, then we checked around with the other guys on site, a parallel

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-46162985669017993542007-05-17T12:43:00.000-07:002007-05-17T12:45:38.451-07:00One Long Sigh

Having trouble getting myself excited, or even worked up, about anything these days. The last month or so has been a bit of a rough one, ego-wise, and I'd say it's having an effect on my overall mood these days. I'm kind of ... simmering. Not angry or anything like that, just sort of moving in slo-mo. When things are good, I have a generally fuzzy level of moderately pleasant if blase

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-26405116955363498872007-05-08T07:45:00.000-07:002007-05-08T08:04:12.088-07:00A World of Meh / Bigfoot ... in My Backyard

I keep thinking "Hey, I should really blog something. that last entry was kind of a downer." Unfortunately, though, there's just not a lot to talk about this week. The weekend was pleasant if fairly uneventful: drinks with my faaaabulous friend Joan at Eddie V's early Friday evening, followed by late night cocktails over at Aaron and Vickie's (missed the Pampered Chef portion of the evening

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237000.post-6461265042491785212007-05-02T08:25:00.000-07:002007-05-02T08:40:31.597-07:00And the Hits Keep on Coming

Man, why are all my bad karma chickens coming home to roost this week?Just found out the new position that I was practically assured would be mine for the taking two months ago has now gone away. There may be other positions of interest that will be available to me, but I won't know for at least 2-3 more weeks when they claim they will finally have figured out the organization structure. After

Gregg P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04473512992835037980noreply@blogger.com0