Tag: Time

A venture that just kinda came outta nowhere…

Posted on by anele25

It’s about 9:24PM on a Sunday night and I’m getting ready for the week but thought I would write a post about something that happened almost a year and a half ago. In September of 2019, I decided to head back to Target. I’ve documented some things about Target on this blog but nothing out of the ordinary for someone who was young and looking to earn some money in his college youth. I was gone for approximately 1631 days from Target but I learned the value of being courteous and respectful towards people who could do nothing for you but in the end, they ended up having a better impression of who it was you were and what Target could do for them. I remember most of the time they were the simplest of questions like where is the toilet paper or where is laundry detergent but that impression of getting something for the guest really helped me get over my shyness and my social awkwardness towards people. I came back with the idea of doing Target as a part time job because it would be a nice supplement to my job at the time which was research coordinator at Sutter Health.

The research coordinator position was in oncology and I saw there was some opportunities for growth. I also was told at the beginning of this assignment that the role would be temporary with no real timeline for when my assignment would end. I had a feeling that because it was to cover someone who was going on maternity leave, it would be a few months after their child was born. I realized that it wouldn’t be easy balancing two jobs but for what it was at the time, its kind of helped me see that not everything can be easy unless there are challenges along the way. That first week proved to be one of the hardest sets of shifts I had worked because I worked 8-4AM that first set of days but eventually I settled into a schedule working 7-11:45PM. I slowly would work my way into getting a set schedule and realized if this was going to work, I would need one day of rest off which would end up being Sunday. At the end of October of 2019. I got the word that my assignment was over with Sutter Health and my last day would be November 6th 2019. I left with my head held up high and full of enthusiasm for what was next. I spent the next several months applying to more than 100 jobs I would say and it was tough to say the least. I got an interview here and I even got the word that the places where I interviewed were considering me for a position but after following up on several of these, I never got anything back.

However, target did me a big favor around this time because it allowed me to continue working at a time when I had little to nothing of income. Target also gave me something I was missing before and that was the ability to work with a new generation of workers. Gone were the times when after work, we would go out to eat at a local restaurant or going to work out after work because simply put most days we have to work the next day unless it’s a weekend. Now, I was and am still focused on “putting over” the new crop of workers. It also helps that I’m not as nervous or have trouble staring people in the eye. I can mix the idea of having fun and being serious because that’s what life is. But then, something funny happened in March of 2020. California and the rest of the world started experiencing a pandemic and all of a sudden, I was now a part of the front line. Those first few days everyone shopping for toilet paper, detergent, hand sanitizer, and wipes was quite overwhelming. As the days passed, we would get products but those products were gone in an instant. I also had the looming idea that I was still only working at target and just that alone was not a steady income but I was grateful for that alone. A month or so passed after the shutdown happened and I started again applying to places again in April. The weeks passed and after several interviews got an opportunity to work at a regenerative medicine company and have been there ever since June of 2020. With target and my current job at this company, I realized it’s okay to see that one job sometimes may not be enough.

I felt that if I worked two jobs, I would be seen as less but in fact I’m grateful and blessed to be able to still work at both jobs during the current pandemic, Even during the holiday season, I realized how lucky I was because most people around the world would not be able to have the same luxury of celebrating with loved ones who may have passed away. I survived working two jobs during the pandemic and during a holiday season that felt different than most. I got a kick out of people that everyday were looking for the PlayStation 5 because of how hot of a commodity it was. I also felt happy to do my main job at the regenerative medicine company without having to call out sick to target. Just overall, 2020 may have had a crap beginning with the pandemic and shutdowns but in my opinion, it ended with a bang. 2021 is off to a good start because I’m still learning and crafting my skill set in life, at work, at home, and in other endeavors. You don’t have to be the world’s best cook or best anything you just have to be able to say I can do this if I have the support and backing of family, friends, and acquaintances because no one does it on their own. The cream always rises to the top and with that comes great sacrifice and great time learning things. I hope I can continue down this path without any major interruptions. But mostly, I would like to thank Target for giving some confidence back on assisting people shopping and just with people in general. I mentioned earlier this idea of “putting over” team members is one reason I enjoy this the 2nd time around and I really do enjoy it even more so that I think about it. I hope one day this idea of having two jobs pays off.

An adventure to Santa Cruz and Writing Prompt #16: write about an item that is not worth much money but has great value to you…

Posted on by anele25

A few weeks ago me and my friend  (now girlfriend) headed out to Santa Cruz to see the cool sights of what nature has to offer. We started out at Target in San Jose and we did a drive up first to a trail in San Jose that was named the Sierra Azul Preserve and we thought it would be a little more beautiful. As soon as we got to the parking lot there was a note that said to take our valuables with us because they were not sure if that location would be able to guarantee the safety of our valuables. The journey itself was quite interesting. We saw some horses along the trail and we also saw a few people who were hiking the trail for the experience.  We started huffing and puffing a little as we started getting up the trail. What I enjoyed in the trail was that there was peace and quiet. There is nothing better than having the opportunity to see nature and what it has to offer. At one point we found two folks who had apparently found gold on the side of the road. I found this pretty cool as we started getting closer to the middle of the location. A few months ago we were fortunate enough to see some redwoods as well and those themselves were quite the site. A few other places I also felt were a little more impressive such as the Purrisma trail in Half Moon Bay. We hiked for a good two hours before we we decided to head out to Santa Cruz after a while. My friend and I started wondering what other areas we could go to so we decided to explore the option of visiting the Mystery Spot. The Mystery Spot is quite old and holds something to it because you can be standing there and there can be no gravity when you go inside. Our tour lasted a good 45 minutes before we came to a head with some of the mysteries of the spot. How did it get there and what do some of the truths that were there and how many of them hold true.

I found it cool that some of these theories were outlined by the tour guide including but not limited to that some of the o-zone layer is moving around the location. We also see that some of what is there is odd because the spot itself is tilted at a 30 degree angle. The fact that it is an illusion also gives credence to the idea that there was a meteor that hit there years ago before everything came into play. I started to see that some of what the tour guides suggest may or not be true. For one, having an electromagnetic field which dictates whether or not the field under dictates whether or not it moves can be helpful towards the theory. The drive up there was quite lovely and the sites themselves were awesome. I was telling my friend along the way that doing things like these are only done once in a lifetime. I, for one, attest to the theory that the spot itself is at a unique position and can hold together at a tilted position. My friend was also apart of some of these demonstrations that were shown to give away this illusion. For example, if you move one person from one end to the other end you’ll see that having some of these demonstrations available will give people a different opportunity to see how they can maneuver around and give the illusion of height and potentially envision something different. Our tour guide also made the journey lighthearted and fun throughout our time there which made it even funner. He would make jokes about marijuana and also about the place itself and how it was constructed along the way. He was also nice enough to want to take a picture with us as well. There will be pictures available as well. Afterwards, we headed out to a place called 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall which was also very good. We had popcorn shrimp, nachos, sweet potato fries, and some fish tacos. The entire time I was just thinking how appreciative I was of the whole experience. Not only was I able to do a nice walk with my friend but I was also able to explore the adventures of Santa Cruz with her as well. The food was delicious and afterwards we had some fun exploring some local spots around the area which included some jamba juice around the area. Next I wanted to talk a little about an item I’ve had for a while.

Back in 2005, my mom and I took a trip to the local flea market and I picked out what would be one of my favorite items that I have and that is my black beanie. The item itself has a value of about 10 dollars but to me it holds sentimental value because I have carried it pretty much anywhere. I remember a few months ago I was hanging out with a friend of mine and I thought I had lost the beanie, but there it was on the side of my seat. The reason I think it holds so much value is because I am able to fully hold an article of my past and present together with me for as long as I live. You can go through my articles of clothing and hats and beanies and that is one I will treasure because of how much I have seen events from high school all the way to my current life. I’ve seen births, deaths, new presidents, and even a move in my life with that beanie. Now, as I enter 30 I still carry the beanie with me and it still holds the same meaning as it did when I was 17. I hope that everyone has something out there that they treasure as much as this beanie. We’ll see if anything ever comes close to this item but to me it has held great value. I know it’s been a while since I’ve written on here but today I plan on doing two blogs. Oh and I wanted to leave some pictures of my adventure with my now girlfriend.

300 Writing Prompts #10: Have you ever taken a huge risk? What was it, and was it worth it?

Posted on by anele25

Risks in my life have never been the way to go and nor have they ever been. I once did take a risk however and in the end it was worth it. I was thinking back to three years ago today and today is the anniversary of my graduation. There were events that led up to that that started with one risk that I felt was worth it at the end. I am pretty open about my past and one of the risks I took was transferring Target stores in 2014. At the beginning of the summer in 2014, I met with a friend of mine asking if I had ever thought of transferring stores. The store was closer to my house and it would save me more gas. I also thought about the long term ramifications as if I had left the store I would be not as sentimental about leaving. For example, if I had stayed my full seven years at the same Target store I would have felt the burden of leaving behind all my friends. I worked that summer with the thought in my head that it was time to transfer. I worked closely with my managers to make sure I had a smooth transition.

 

As the date got closer, I really started doubting the decision because now I would leave everyone behind. The friends that I did make there finally became apparent to me afterward. In retail, you make these acquaintances that you may think are your friends but then after you leave you start to see who your real friends are. I left that old Target store with my head held high but I also started getting emotional towards the end of my first night. I thanked everyone for the time they had spent with me and for their mentorship as well. I walked out knowing that I had made something good there and I started crying like a baby as I walked out. I sat in my car for close to 5 minutes thinking about the memories I had made there. I told myself right then and there that everything had been worth it. The hardships, the fun parts, the struggles, and everything in between. I remember driving to Smoke Eaters that night ready to eat something because I said to myself that would be my small meal that I would eat to celebrate this new phase in my life. No longer would I be commuting and struggling to get to work in San Jose and I would be closer to home. I sat at home and wondered about what the future would bring and thankfully I was off for the next 4 days. I started at my new store that Thursday and I realized right away how different everything was compared to my old Target store.

 

Everybody seemed older and there was a mix of younger as well. I started talking to a few team members and started getting my feet wet little by little. I saw this also as a new opportunity to learn with some new team members. I remember being approached if I ever wanted to enter an executive role as well and then I started seeing how everything was constructed and I realized that it was not worth it. The way that Target works is they like to recruit from within and see team members as being ready for that role as well. An executive is in charge of owning their area and making sure their team leaders have their planners up as well as making sure their aisles are full as well. I quickly learned at my new store that staying organized is one of the bigger problems at retail. You also learn to deal with people whether they are old or young. You see the good, bad, and the ugly. That was something that was worth it because you got to serve a completely new audience and a complete new kind of guest as well. No longer, were they the high strung client from Saratoga but now they were the working middle class from Sunnyvale. I had grown up in Sunnyvale so I knew a little about what the people were like there. As the months went by, I started to realize that my time to enter into the real world was rapidly approaching. I was close to being 27 years old and some of my friends at this age already had pretty stable jobs. I was going back and forth wondering what I was going to do next. I was working at Target one day and they implemented this new strategy where they wanted everything full at certain times of the day. One day, it was my turn and by all means it did not look the best. I got berated by one of our executives and it just so happens that is when I said this place may not be for me anymore. I started thinking what can come along or what can I do to change this new environment of mine. I did my best to keep my head up but everything just kept getting worst whether it was hours or the way we were all being treated. One day, I got a call from one of friends telling me about a position opening at Stanford and if you have read some of my previous posts, I ended up leaving Target soon thereafter.

 

In hindsight, this risk I took because my friend had told me about has led me to today. I would not be the same person I am today because I learned that going into new environments can be intimidating but that is what life if all about. Adapting and overcoming those obstacles and seeing what comes out of it. I can say for how my life is that I am grateful for what has happened because the ultimate lesson I learned from my transfer to another Target store was I learned those that stick by you pull through for you in the end. It doesn’t matter whether things are the best in the world or if they are the worst in the world, they will give the skin off their back in order for you to succeed. I saw the good in what happened and now I can look back and say my risk paid off. Yes, I did miss my co-workers but then I saw they are only that: co-workers. I made the analogy the other day with a good friend of mine “when in war, you only talk about war and then everything just ends”. I made my destiny with those changes and now I am looking forward to whatever life brings next.

300 writing prompts #6 Write about your first day at your current job:

Posted on by anele25

The current job where I work at is doing coordinator work for a research study at Stanford and it was almost exactly 3 years ago that I started my job there. I started working there first as a research assistant and slowly worked my way up to be a coordinator. My first day, however, I would describe as nerve racking because it was right before midterms were to happen. I had been studying frantically for 3 midterms that I had that week and I was also wondering if I would like the job at all. The night before, I had worked at Target and was a little tired because I had stayed till 2-3 in the morning talking with a friend of mine. We were talking about the changes that were happening at the store and what would happen now that I was leaving Target. The new position at Stanford had me wondering at what I would be doing and how I would be doing it. I got up pretty early day because I did not know how my first day would go. I got up and sat in traffic for a bit and walked in to see where I would be sitting. I asked the receptionist where to head to as I was confused as to where I should go. I remember the first I saw was a nice older lady who pointed me to where I could go and one of the people I still talk to to this day helped me out. I remember looking through something called a “screening form” and looking at all the details of that screen. I was excited for the opportunity but once I saw the form, I kind of hesitated because it was something new for me. The first day I remember doing some trainings about HIPPA compliance and looking through modules about different types of research that were examined through history. I also remember taking my time with these tarinings because it was something that was new to me at that time. The desk where was sitting at also

 

The one that sticks out in my mind were the experimental functions and the kind of research that we did actually did have some sort of impact upon people. I also remember getting told by my colleague that recommended me for the job that we were getting ready to go on a mini field trip. I also remember my boss telling my colleague to not take me on any joyrides while we went along on that field trip. That day during the ride I remember eating some burritos because I had not yet eaten lunch.  This mini field trip I feel was more of an introduction to what we were getting ready to do at these community centers that we were going to be at.

 

The funny part I remember about that trip is my friend in the back, saying he was tired from the weekend because he had just celebrated his daughter’s birthday. I call him my friend because he is someone from there on out taught me so much about life and the workplace. If it were not for him, I don’t think I would have the position I have right now.  He specifically referenced how much he had to drink and this really made me think how normal everyone in a job setting can be. I also remember having to ask embarrassingly where the microwave was and where the restroom was as well. The whole first day seemed like a dream because I had been used to working retail and moving so much throughout the day. I wasn’t used to looking over trainings or talking about research studies, the whole concept seemed foreign to me and here I am three years later and now people are amazed at how I can remember certain events and timelines of how things have gone. Anyway, the one memory I also have was that my friend who had recommended me was giving me pointers on how I should act around an office and introducing me to as many people as possible just so I could get a feel as to how things went around the place. This idea of networking was also something that was new to me and in retail you just got the runaround on how a store ran and that was the jist of it. That same day I met someone who had been working with my colleague beforehand and once again I got the feeling that this person was someone who was “normal”. I remember ending the day and thinking how amazing it was that now here I was and how awesome my first day had been. Since that first day, I have not looked back because in some way I have changed people’s lives for the better. It doesn’t matter whether it was someone who was there for a short time or someone who was there for a long time but what mattered was what kind of impact they had on my career at that point in time. For example, someone who was there for a short amount of time may have told me some information about themselves that they may otherwise have not told anyone else. The other fun part about that first day was the transition that I had made from working one job to another. The joy of having to not work weekends anymore and not having to leave my family anymore was quite the relief. No more leaving parties halfway to go and work for a few hours and wondering how it was going. The joy was real and this is something to this day that I take as a blessing because not many people get to experience this joy. The first day of my current job was once again something that I won’t forget because you remember many of your firsts and this was one of them.

 

Writing Prompt #5 Imagine you are planning a trip across the continent on which you live: Assuming you have unlimited time, resources and energy, what will be your mode of transportation?

Posted on by anele25

I was digging through the 300 writing prompts last night and came across this prompt which got me thinking: What would be the easiest mode of transportation? What would be the hardest? I narrowed it down to an airplane being the easiest and the car being the hardest. In the middle I would put a train. The continent I live on is North America which consists of 23 countries and I would imagine several dozen states. The continent itself consists of 9 million miles and I would first start out with the local United States and eventually head down south. Afterwards, I would head back up north to Canada. Out of these three options that being the “planes, trains, and automobile” options I would take a car because I would get to see some interesting places that I would not see on an airplane. I get the sense when I am on a plane that I get to see the clouds, the scenery of the mountains, and the rain if the weather permits. On a train, you get the option of seeing the scenery as you go along and you can also tune up some of your music as you go along on the trip. For a car though, you get all the stories of traveling around the continent and not necessarily limiting yourself to one place. The unlimited resources and time would also be a plus because I would not have to worry about spending money. I would be quite fond of also getting to get that unlimited resource perk because you never know when you might need something for the trip such as food and gas. I would also want to go with people that I have in my life so that the trip will be entertaining and I would get to experience many other things with them. There is something fun and exciting about getting to spend hours and hours in a car with the ones you care about. For the most part, I have been in cars with my family on trips. However, I remember a few years ago when I took a trip with a friend of mine to Hawaii and the experiences we had were unforgettable. I can just imagine what it would have been like had we had a car and some other unlimited resources such as money. Another nice thing about traveling with others and having these unlimited resources would be the discussions that people would have. I know friends I have would discuss some interesting topics as well.  I’ve also been on a few trips by myself and it is peaceful but experiencing these things with others would be worth it. I still remember what it was like driving from Tampa Bay to Miami and just remembering how peaceful it was. It rained afterwards but I still remember just thinking, this is a nice life to have and want for the future.

Another example I can think of is if I were traveling across the country and I happened to hit a state like South Dakota it would be nice to stop by some national parks such as Mount Rushmore, Badlands National Park, and the other wonderful scenery. I’ve always wanted to explore some states that I may not know so much about that you hear so much about. There may be nothing there (or so I think) but I feel we are so used to going and going but sometimes we forget that there are other states out there. A few states that come to mind in this case may be South Carolina, Iowa, and Montana. South Carolina is one of those states that also plays host to the coastal resorts and this is something I would also want to explore. Iowa is also host to the Bridges of Madison County. From what I have seen, there are a total of six bridges and these too would be something on my list of must see. The bridges are Cutler-Donohoe, Cedar, Hogback, Holliwell, Imes, and Roseman. These bridges all look like something that would be quite the experience. There is also something about bridges that gets me thinking and also the construction that may have gone into them is also something that is interesting. Another example that I can think of when I pass these states would be to visit the national parks there as well. The two national parks that are famous there are Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park. I’ve also seen someone that was in the wrestling business who now lives in Montana. He lives on a ranch and the more I think about, the more I think that this would not be the worst idea because you would be away from the hassle of the world. I also think having unlimited energy is also something that can be important towards traveling across the continent. We live and care for our houses, work our jobs, and take care of our loved ones. The one thing we forget sometimes is that having energy to even travel is there. We do our routine of getting up, doing our regular grind, and then we go off. The traveling aspect of seeing these new locations can give one the idea that it is such a small world around us and the continent that is around us can be so much bigger. For someone’s job who it is travel, it may get boring and routine but it would be something different because I would actually get to stop and see these destinations.

Sometimes, when people travel all they do is their business and they are just out of the area. For example, one of my friends who was recently here for work said his co-workers just wanted to see San Francisco. I can vouch for one that the Bay Area is much bigger than that and there are many more cool destinations to see around the area. The same thing can be said for the Space Needle in Seattle possibly. I remember going up the hill for Kerry Park in Seattle and thinking the average person most likely not see these places when they travel. These words that I have written are just of the few reasons I would want to drive instead of flying because the accomplishment of actually getting there and seeing it is something for the human eye to see. The car itself would probably the car I have right now because having that wonderful Dodge Challenger traveling across the continent would be awesome with engine revving across and experiencing it along the way. I would also make sure to stay at least one night in every state in the United States portion. As for the other parts of North America, I would definitely be open to exploring the other countries as well however for now I would stick with going here in the United States first and then going to other places as well. This was definitely an interesting piece of writing to write because it got me thinking of the possibilities that would be possible with all the places to explore with unlimited time and resources which is something we can never get enough of! Until next time, I’m really enjoying these writing prompts! Your author Jose.

What happened when… Jose went to Tampa Bay Florida

Posted on by anele25

About two weeks, I wrote that I wanted to cover my trip to Tampa Bay in long form. The story as to why I went is simple. I had two weeks off from work and I’m also a huge fan of the hockey team the Tampa Bay Lightning. The goal was to catch two games from the Lightning on a Tuesday and Thursday. Last year around this time, I started planning out the trip and lo and behold, this is what happened when I went to Tampa Bay Florida.

 

The day of the trip is usually the most anticipated because you have to everything in order. First, you have that damn itinerary ready just in case you forget which airline you’re flying and which terminal you’re going to. Second, you have to have all your necessary items that you’re going to carry with you. The day of the trip I had everything ready. The night of December 19th 2016 I left wheels up for Tampa. I remember the majority of the flight I slept because it was a red eye and I was listening to the now highly acclaimed Something to Wrestle with… Bruce Prichard. We landed early that morning and I also had a connecting flight from Atlanta. The connecting flight, (known little to my knowledge) was on final boarding and I now rushed over. I just missed the flight and I felt rather devastated. I had never been in this situation and I was lost as to what I should do. I asked around and someone pointed me to services from Delta. I was gladly handed a new boarding pass and there I was on my way to Tampa Bay. I landed about 1 hour later than my original time. Once again, when I’m in a new city I try to look for new things to do and see. I’ve found that planning out a trip detail by detail beforehand can end up backfiring on you. Built on spontaneity, a trip can have so much more adventures and elusive stories.

 

Nevertheless, I went over to my rental counter for my car and asked which kind of car I had reserved. Knowing me, I said yes to upgrade a sports car. I ended up driving a Ford Mustang and that thing at first was hard to navigate. I grabbed my car and eventually went exploring around the city. The first thing I did was grab some food and I went shopping for some groceries as well to have for the next few days. I did that and also explored a little around the city. The city had some nice harbors and the beaches were wonderful to look at from afar (more about this in a bit). I ended up checking in later that day to my hotel. Whenever, I go to hotels I make sure that they are a Days Inn because usually they are pretty reliable. After some relaxation, I ended up making my way towards my first game of the trip. The first game was against the Detroit Red Wings and the atmosphere from Amalie Arena was quite interesting. I had heard that perhaps Tampa wasn’t a hockey town but it was quite a fun experience. I saw the passion in the fans and the amazing amount of support for the team was awesome. I went by myself on this trip and I was practically up on the top of the rafters. I was able to observe the game more closely and able to appreciate how shifts are happening and how the defensemen are able to guide the game for their team.  I had some Red Wings fans seated next to me and even there I said that hockey has the ability to bring fans from anywhere. This makes Hockey one of the premier sports for me because of the excitement, competiveness, and grit in the players. I had fun at my first hockey game in Tampa and we ended up winning 4-1 after some crazy plays happened involving the goalies going down for both teams. Afterwards, I came with the idea in my to head down to Miami. The Miami idea came about from the fact that I wouldn’t know when I would come back. I woke up the next day at 7AM ready to head out by 8AM. Once I headed out, I had little idea about the famous tolls in Florida.

 

As I went about on I-75, I had no cash and I saw the signs for the tolls. The drive itself was rather relaxing because I saw the swamps, could feel the humidity in the air, and was surprised that it was not raining as much as I thought. As I was going along paying my tolls, I wondered about what I would do on the way to Miami. I told myself I would probably catch a movie because the drive was quite long (about 4 hours to be exact). I ended up seeing Assassins Creed and the movie was great because I was curious as to how they would adapt a video game into a movie. The movies (if you have not seen it) had to do with Michael Fassbender’s retrieving the Apple of Eden which is being researched by a scientist because he wants to see wars and what not continue into the 21st century. It was panned by critics but I rather enjoyed it because it took the idea that revolutionaries can be created by going up against the system. After that was over, I decided to sit in traffic for a bit to head to Miami beach. Previously, I had been in South Miami but the trip to Miami Beach was worth it. I stopped by Miami Beach for a few hours and just sat on the beach taking in the time and effort I had put into making the trip happen. Everything that happened and everything that was to happen in the next few months had not come into my head. I think that’s what we forget sometimes is that we have to breath everything in. The ocean air and the sound of the ocean are enough to send me into a frenzy because that’s where I become one with the Earth. I sat on the beach for close to 20 minutes and afterwards headed back to where I was parked. Little did I know, it started raining and I said what the heck I’ll walk around in the rain. I just stopped by and saw all the little shops that were around. These shops give me the idea that someone will shill out enough money for a Miami Beach towel or a Miami Beach surfboard. The destination cities do a remarkable job at marketing these products and you can say they do well deserve it.

 

Afterwards, I headed back to Tampa around 6:30 in the evening. I found this drive to be much more adventurous than the first one. When I was driving back, I drove with the top down for a part of the drive. I just let the breeze blow through what hair I had left. I remember from some of the drive I had a semi-truck in front of me and I could feel the breeze getting colder. I wanted to drive with the top up again but the breeze was just too tempting to resist. I also remember when I was driving earlier in the drive that I was just zooming in and out of the lanes just trying to stay awake from all the driving that was happening. Once I got close to Tampa, I got a little bit more relaxed because I had done my driving and was ready for the next day’s adventure. The next day, I asked myself what else I could do? On this day, I decided to head up to St. Pete beach. Of course, the drive once again was wonderful and once I arrived I just laid on the beach for a few hours reading a book called ‘The Arm’. The book deals with Tommy John Surgery and what pitchers go through during the process. One pitcher in particular I remember they talked about in the book was Jon Lester. Lester himself talked about the mechanics of having to recover from Tommy John and what kinds of recovery that pitchers have to go through. I also found Todd Coffey’s comeback from Tommy John to be one of the most compelling pieces because of how he tried to come back and got hurt right away when he threw and he felt pain up his elbow. The author himself details how much money and how much stock into how these pitchers are developed from a young age into sensations at 19-20 and it all depends whether or not they can throw a 90 mile per hour fastball. I also found it fascinating while reading this that pitchers go out there every 5th day and are depended on for a 1 win or one quality start. It kind of reminds me of when a horse may just be gearing up for some races but he comes back on that day to run and he wins the big one.  If you’re not familiar with a quality start it’s usually 6 innings pitched, 3 earned runs, and maybe 5 or 6 strikeouts. I remember in particular on how kids in high school or in high school are scouted at a young age and eventually they are drafted into an organization. The development from these pitchers is worth looking into and I would be interested to see if another book such as this one dealing with maybe infielders or outfielders. The position players I feel can have just as a compelling story with pitchers because they understand what it takes to succeed. What I mean by this is that they have to have a good arm to throw out a runner or maybe even be willing to hit for power.

 

Anyway back to Florida. After I finished reading a good chunk of this book, I headed to look for some pizza and chicken. I settled on something and headed once more over to the hotel. I waited for a bit until the next game was to start. I headed out a bit early to check out the awesome downtown and see the arena and see a bit more. Once I was finished with that, I headed to the game ready for another showdown. This time we were playing the St. Louis Blues. This game I felt was a bigger challenge than the first one. The team of the Blues was much more talented and I was ready to see this one go down. After going down two goals, I said to myself ok we gotta find a way to come back. I also said once again I did not come all this way to see my boys lose. I had also that night bought a Lightning jacket which I really enjoy wearing these days as well.  After that, we never looked back and ended scoring up 5 unanswered goals (something about me and 5 unanswered goals really goes a long way). After the game was over, there is no doubt I felt there was definitely a sense that I would be back. I was planning to go back this year for my Christmas break but at this juncture it doesn’t look like it is going to happen because I have some surgery going on. I’m telling myself at this point that life is extensive and I do want to go back soon enough. I got back on the plan one day later and I sat there watching Jason Bourne and Dogs of War. I told myself there, ‘Life is Good’. I landed just in time for Christmas Day and had a very nice and relaxing rest of my break.

 

Now that I’ve written about my experience about traveling, I want to go back to something I haven’t written about in a while and that is wrestling. Recently, I listened to the Bret Hart 96/97 podcast with Bruce Prichard of Something to wrestle with fame. I am going to go ahead and write down some of my thoughts on one of my heroes and what he meant to me during that time almost 20 years ago. I’ll also take some snippets from the podcast and what I remember during that time. Hasta luego! (A little thing to remember this trip down below). IMG_2793

Going Mobile…

Posted on by anele25

The fun filled year of 2014  brought me some pain, joy, happiness, and sometimes frustration but I’ve began to discover new things about myself. I finally understand what I want out of life. Not that I have the meaning to life , but I have found some sense of purpose in my life moving forward. It wasn’t long ago that I was content just sitting at home and not doing much other than going back and forth doing the same thing 5-7 times a week. In the past month, I’ve transferred from my old work location and moved to a new store. The store isn’t as well staffed but the opportunity to work with new, younger talent is enticing. My schooling is going great and even though it may not be perfect (why should it be?), I’ve made new friends and have kept some of the same ones from previous years and semesters. I’ve said that being on your own can be kind of scary but when you’re moving from location to location and you know how to navigate yourself, what’s there to be afraid of? Not too long ago, I wrote a paper describing my mom’s struggles and her ability to move to a new country when she was 24. I can’t imagine the fear and the pain that goes through someone’s head when they are going through that phase of their life. I know that my mom was happy enough that she decided to stick it out and settle down here in the United States. Even speaking Spanish, and not any English must have been somewhat of a scary thought because you are thinking in the back of your head that what if I don’t make it here in the United States? My point here being that I’m no longer that afraid to approach new situations and new locations in life. Just in the past year, I’ve gone to places I wouldn’t have imagined I would go to. For example, in June my brother, mom, and niece went to Disneyland for my birthday which seemed out there but we did it anyway. I’ve also been to Seattle which at first sounded like a sedentary place to go on a trip but my friend and I said what the heck let’s give it a shot. The trip as you can see here was awesome:

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I found myself in this different type of mode because instead of being in my normal mood, I found it soothing that we were in a different city with different kinds of people. Case in point, instead of being quiet and not really talking to anybody, I was talking with anyone that seemed interested in having a conversation. I would talk to them about wrestling, football, and even baseball. Not taking anything away from the Bay Area, but having the opportunity to talk to people from another part of the country felt right. I told my friend Ricky that doing this was worth it because we got a different perspective from the northwest where I wouldn’t have even dreamed of going in my lifetime.

I also happened to go to Hawaii recently and here are some pictures that prove that our adventurous and raunchy style of living doesn’t hurt anybody in the end:

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In a way the trip that took place two weeks ago opened my eyes to a world that I’ve never known. I met people that were funny, witty, and smart. There were those I appreciated for their candid open spirit. I would want to go back and expand upon my social settings because I feel I haven’t scratched the surface yet when it comes to holding a conversation and bantering with people. One day I will go back and I can feel that growth is a part of life that never ends. I started this blog almost 5 years ago and though it has slowed down, I will continue to update with any crazy adventures I may have in the future. I am almost done with school and I feel that I have to focus on finding a real job once I am done. It is exciting yet wonderful because I can begin a career or continue my schooling with a master’s degree. With this, I see that my life has meaning because I have been given opportunities to do anything I want. I sometimes see others that have less than I and I truly am blessed that I am where I am because when something is given to you, you must take it and run with it as fast as possible but at some point you may slow down. Happy new year everyone and keep striving!