Great song:

"I have days where I hate my job, this little town and the whole world too and last Sunday when the Bengals lost...lord it put me in a bad mood

I have moments when I curse the rain then complain when the suns too hot, I look around at what everyone has and I forget
about all I've got

But I know I'm a lucky man Gods given me a pretty fair hand, got a house and piece of land, a few dollars in a coffee can, my
old trucks still runnin good, my tickers tickin like they say it should, Ive got supper in the oven a good woman's loving and one more day to be my little kids dad, lord knows I'm a lucky man

got some friends that would be here fast, I could call em any time of day, got a brother who's got my back, got a momma who I swears a saint, got a brand new rod and reel, got a full week off this year, dad had a close call last spring it's a miracle he's still here

my old trucks still runnin good, my tickers tickin like they say it should, I got supper in the oven, a good woman's loving, and even my bad days ain't that bad...yeah I'm a lucky man

I'm a lucky lucky man"

Lucky Man - Montgomery Gentry

A few of you may know, a few may not, but I just quit my job at E-markets yesterday. Naturally, in my own life, this is a big deal. Huge, actually. First of all, I have never quit a job in my life which gave me an influx of over-played worst-case scenarios, nervousness, sweaty arm pits and a million alternate endings racing through my mind. This feeling I had, it was heightened by the thought that maybe I was making the wrong decision. I have never quit a job, let alone one I felt secure in and one I really enjoyed.

What would make a man give up something like this? One could make examples of money, security, an accident, perhaps a shorter commute, pursuing a different venture in life, people, etc. These are all justifiable in one way or another, but none pertain to me. Though, financially, I do ask for enough to cover the necessities and a little in the bank for savings (and whatever else after that is appreciated, also), my driving reason of making this decision is a couple of things. Firstly, it is because I know I will be able to expand myself and grow in ways I can't right now; as a person, artist and programmer. Secondly, where I am going, I feel that I am very needed and will be able to expand a cause that I am very interested in. If not for self-worth, it is for the sake of something I believe in.

Without further redo, I am going to work at Famous Davis and will specialize in Web Development. This is very exciting for me, as this has been a dream of mine since I was fifteen. I will be working with my father, Chris "The Duke" Davis and with my wife, Jacinda. This change has been on my heart for the past few months, but timing felt off, or the opportunity didn't feel right. It was also a scary move as I have been very comfortable with E-Markets. I have so badly wanted to write about it or talk about it more openly, but that would not have been a good move. So instead it stayed within the ol' brain.

October 16th is when I start at Famous Davis. It's going to be a ton of fun. Sounds like I have a bunch of projects lined up, waiting for me, which I cannot wait to pounce on. We are soon moving out to the MinnWest Technology Campus. I also have an awesome computer and a 22 inch display to play with. Through all of this, however, I need to remember why I am at this point in my life and what my priorities are. God has pulled me through something tough and I pray that I am not steered too far away from the main point of things. Everything still sort of feels like a blur, but is clearing up faster and faster. I need that clarity in order to know which path needs to be taken and how to please God in the actions I take. He's helped me come this far, I don't feel like giving up now.

A huge thanks to my former employer and coworkers, for the great working environment, opportunities and knowledge gained. Also a huge thanks to my parents and especially my wife for supporting me in this venture.

   What have I been up to lately? Paying heat bills, playing board games and working out when possible. I'm sad to say that I've hit 185lbs, which to some may not sound too bad, but it's the most I've weighed since mid-2005. I'm relatively ashamed as I haven't started working out until this month and my diet has been less than ideal. Enough of that, however! I am going to try and dedicate myself to keeping healthy. Dad, Jacinda and I are going to start trying to make it to the gym in the morning. The alternate motive for me is to get my hiney out of bed early, as I love mornings, but I love sleep a little more.

   As far as boardgames go, I've been playing plenty of Carcassonne and Ticket to Ride lately. I just ordered Tide of Iron yesterday, so I'm really excited to see how that goes. I'm so glad I found boardgames after Christmas, otherwise I'd be going crazy from Winter! AHHH! That's the update, kids. See you in March.

   WOW! Where have I been for the past month?! I'd like to say that I've been busier beyond belief, but I don't know if that is the case, really. Work has been pretty eventful lately, no doubt about that. It's been really exciting. We've had quite a few sites go up in the last month (of which we are quite proud of. Check out our website for updates in our portfolio that should happen soon). I've also been busy working as a software developer. Lately, I've begin to understand exactly how awesome being a developer really is. It's like a new puzzle everyday of which I get to solve.

   Tae Kwon Do has also been a lot of fun. I've been helping teach classes lately, which is a different learning experience in itself. Adult class is a piece of cake to teach, but it's the kids classes that teach you the true meaning of patience. Coming from a large family, I'm pretty well acquainted with interacting with children. These Tae Kwon Do classes, however, really help me to fully grasp the heart of a child. They have so much energy stored up over a long day of school! What better way to release it than to kick a bit? They are all absolutely amazing people.

   Home life? Well, I built two raised garden beds and planted a few tomato plants today. That was a lot of fun and I have the sunbrun to prove it. We are current with the television show "The Office", I still have a knack for board games (recently traded gangsters for Cuba), no water is running out of places it shouldn't, the basement is in progress of becoming a game room. My wife, Jacinda, is great, happy, beautiful and amazing (feel free to visit her blog for some fun and informative reading). As I write all this, I am realising exactly how blessed I am. It's all simple things, of course, but aren't the simple things what make life beautiful? It's the lessons we learn in everyday life. It's what makes us who we are.

Sappy sappy. :-) Now that we are in a different season, I am hopefully going to be blogging more. I can't make any promises, however! Have a good one!

   What am I doing?

   I find myself asking this question a lot lately. I'm not sure if it is because I have achieved all of the goals I set when I was fourteen, or if I have lost course with the direction I need to be going with my life. Maybe it's just the age I am at where the world lunges at you in a fashion different than what you you are used to. Perhaps I'm just confused.

   Lets go back to my life between the ages of fourteen and nineteen. Everything was taken care of for me. I had a bed, warm meals and entertainment in exchange for dishes duty, lawn mowing and the occasional kids diaper. The job I aquired when I was fifteen was handed to me in a fashion where I almost didn't realise what a blessing it truely was. Not until a few years later when I understood the financial pain of a house mortgage as well as a heat bill, electricity and new roof.

   I'm self sufficient. Completely and utterly self sufficient. It's in my upbringing. I've got a job, car, house and wife (of which were my goals set when I was fourteen). It leaves me with a question that I've been struggling with for the last year and a half. "What's next?" I ask. Children of course will be a trip, Lower car insurance will ocme at twenty five... I don't want to retire ever in my life for fear of losing my mind.

   Perhaps the goals I'm trying to fabricate are ones that are too general and huge that I need to start smaller. It may be a mix between trying to find goals and procrastinating with the ones I already have. I for sure know I need more time  talking about serious matters with friends, quality time with my wife, time by myself to recollect my thoughts and most importantly, time with God. The things I fill my life with currently are starting to set in as a huge distraction. I feel drained and craving more precious time.