Category: <span>Family Stories</span>

Published April 10, 2022 by

Being Set-Up For Failure

Anger, Aggression, Inadequacy, Pain
Anger, Aggression, Inadequacy, Pain

Estimated reading time: 17 minutes

As I’m beginning to wind down my career into retirement, I’m forced into reminiscing about career experiences both good and bad. One recurring theme of bad experiences relates to the many times I’ve been set-up for failures. I’ve never been able to understand why anyone would deliberately put effort into making the people around themselves fail.

I’ve experienced too many people in my professional life who seemingly worked extra hard to get me to fail. Most of the time I succeeded despite the best efforts of other people. But, there was one time I didn’t. As I reminisce about my career I keep coming back to the one time when despite my best efforts, I was successfully set-up to fail.

Continue…Being Set-Up For Failure

Career Management Family Stories

Career Set-up For failure Washington Navy Yard

Published January 6, 2022 by

The Snowpocalypse of 2022, Part I

Snowpocalypse of 2022 tree covered in heavy snow
Snowpocalypse of 2022

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

This past Monday folks here on the north-eastern seaboard of the United States discovered that it really is winter. The realization came from temperatures changing from 60 degrees on Sunday to 30 degrees on Monday. Accompanied by our first snow of the season, a whopping nine inches in my neighborhood.

Nine inches doesn’t seem like all that much snow, compared to what I’ve experienced even since living here in Northern Virginia. But, perhaps because we’ve had almost no snow for the past couple of winters, people forgot that snow happens. This past Monday, going into Tuesday and Wednesday, the great snowpocalypse of 2022 shut down a major interstate highways and dumped power for thousands of people in my area.

And this is only January. We have lots of time for a Snowpocalypse Part II, and more…

Continue…The Snowpocalypse of 2022, Part I

Family Stories

disaster planning Snowpocalypse

Published December 29, 2021 by

On Shutting Off The Electric

Reaching for Electricity by holding a lit light bulb.
Reaching for Electricity

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Our moving had a number of challenges, but one challenge we didn’t expect was having our electrical service cut off. But we did, at absolutely the wrong time. Not that there’s ever a good time to lose electrical service.

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Family Stories

Dominion Energy moving

Published December 28, 2021 by

The Tao of Moving

The Tao of Moving - how hard can this be?
The Tao of Moving

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

So Winnie and I have successfully finished moving into our new old house. As it’s been 15 years since I last moved housing, this most recent experience re-taught me old lessons. With luck, I won’t need to re-use my re-learned lessons again.

This all comes under the heading of “The Tao of Moving: How to Move Gracefully.” As opposed to “Dear, where the hell is my other slipper?”

Continue…The Tao of Moving

Family Stories

moving in Moving Out

Published December 11, 2021 by

One Trailer Load At A Time

Moving Day - Humorous Packing Box with Feet Hanging Out
Moving Day

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

So after nearly fifteen years of being settled into the same house, Winnie and I are moving. It’s not a big move, as these things go. We’re only moving across town so local rates apply. But we’re self-moving, one trailer load at a time.

I’ve discovered that fifteen years in the same place means a lot of accumulation.

Continue…One Trailer Load At A Time

Family Stories

moving in Moving Out

Published November 26, 2021 by

A Family Outing In New England

Reason For A Family Gathering
Reason For A Family Gathering

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

This past week Winnie and I made a trip to Rhode Island to visit family. It was notable for several reasons; it was the first overnight trip we’ve had since this Zombie Apocalypse started in March 2020. The occasion was the 75th birthday of one of my cousins still living in New England, and lots of other family came in to celebrate.

So we had several days of hanging around family and visiting in New England in November. It turned out to be a nice visit.

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Family Stories

Family New England

Published October 20, 2021 by

Accepting a Counter-offer; A Quora Question

Take This Job and Shove It
Take This Job and Shove It

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

I’ve had a long post-Navy career at this point, and moved around a lot in my jobs. Within the different companies I’ve worked for I’ve had the great fortune of moving around doing different things, learning new skills, and working with different people. Some of the things I’ve done and people I’ve worked for were good. Other things and other people – not good.

I’ve also made some bad decisions throughout my career, mostly on basis that my word was the same as my signature, and other people’s word was the same as their signature. So when I had a chance to answer a Quora question ” Did you accept counter offer from your current employer when you put in two weeks, how did it turn out?” I went with my most infuriating job-related incident of trusting someone to keep their word.

Continue…Accepting a Counter-offer; A Quora Question

Family Stories Quora Re-Posts

Career Jobs quora

Published October 15, 2021 by

This and That, Almost Autumn Edition

This And That - Catching Up On All The Family News for Autumn 2021
This And That

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

So yesterday was our wedding anniversary – this one marking eighteen years together. Over our years together we’ve been flooded out, moved across country, performed multiple home renovations, and worked at multiple jobs. We survived two years apart and now we’ve survived eighteen months of near-house arrest. We’re still together so that’s a good thing.

In other news; We’re getting into autumn with cooler autumn weather and shorter days. Such is the cycle of life.

Continue…This and That, Almost Autumn Edition

Family Stories

Backyard Chickens Fresh Water Clams kayaking

Published September 20, 2021 by

Don’t Take Those Wooden Nickels

Don't take any wooden nickels
Don’t Take Any Wooden Nickels

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes

On a daily basis, it feels like someone is trying to pick my pocket. The scams come in ever-increasing formats; from emails to text messages, phone calls, old-fashioned snail mail, and in-person. The one common denominator is that all these scams are focused on transferring my hard-earned cash to someone who feels they need my cash more than me.

The most recent attempted scam was this past week, when a person(s) replied to a Craigslist ad for an old guitar I’m trying to sell. The only notable part of this scam was that I exposed them. I’m going to expose these jerks even more in this post.

Continue…Don’t Take Those Wooden Nickels

Family Stories

fraud Internet Scam scam

Published September 14, 2021 by

Auto Mechanics Breaking Bad

Auto Mechanic Doing Bad Things To Cars
Auto Mechanic Breaking Bad

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

So a few weeks ago Winnie needed an annual safety inspection on her 2013 Nissan Versa. Considering that the car is in excellent condition, this should have been a routine process of taking the car in, getting it inspected, stickered, and out the door.

Instead, the dealer service center broke bad and tried to extort Winnie for an expensive and unnecessary repair job. They made a really bad choice.

Continue…Auto Mechanics Breaking Bad

Family Stories

auto repair Nissan Versa