tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69782998813717806712024-02-19T01:36:45.727-06:00Ca-JohEmptying my head one post at a time…Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.comBlogger405125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978299881371780671.post-63335001707935094012015-10-24T17:26:00.000-05:002015-10-24T17:26:44.292-05:00Rainy Day<div id="poem"><p class="closedindent">Rainy day<br />
just in time to break away</p><p class="closedindent">Away from the pain that makes you old<br />
away from the tears that make you cold</p><p class="closedindent">A chill that crudely rules your ways<br />
and also quickly numbers your days</p><p class="closedindent">So before your life has run you down<br />
just turn around so love can stay</p><div class="trademark">cj86'</div></div><br />
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Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978299881371780671.post-375222128801054852014-03-12T20:46:00.003-05:002014-03-12T20:46:48.492-05:00A sense of occasion<p>My mother in law made a comment about my wife in that she has a great sense of occasion. What she meant by this is she has the ability to make the most of any occasion (<i>no matter how small</i>) and make it special.</p><p>I am often reminded of this whenever we celebrate spontaneously. So often there may be an awards show on TV that evening. When we are out at the store we wind up getting food or items that relate to the awards show. Then when we watch the show later on that day— we feel special (<i>like we are part of the audience</i>).</p><p>Or the time when the Chicago Bears made it to the playoffs, and she gathered up all of the bears we had and sat them down on the couch to cheer on their long lost cousins…<br />
<div style="text-align:center;" class="note"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyGDIV2VqqElnL01pBQpCpsiM8W5sbdBZdddw2JFVK_dUPLUaKxxFd6C4uNh_fpetYUbnvqb0NrvZQiRux5UUhXjyAwbk2i1e0upUKhywLeuv3vGsIhzZ62xE68sIAyc6OiX5ERWnI-Fw/s320/IMG_3217.JPG" /><br />
Bears watching the Bears…<br />
</div><p>Do you have a sense of occasion too? If you do, let me know.</p>Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978299881371780671.post-5705781220811507892013-12-06T20:34:00.001-06:002013-12-06T20:34:30.485-06:00Something new to grab your attention<p>Now that the holidays are pretty much in full swing, I never know if I have enough time to do much of anything, let alone a blog-post. All the same… I thought I would post to see if anybody is paying attention.</p><p>I tend to wonder how much of the universe listens, especially when it is controlled by <a href='http://cajoh.blogspot.com/2008/11/tyranny-of-numbers.html' target='_blank'>algorithms that favor those who post often</a>. And even if I posted often, I wonder how large my <a href='http://cajoh.blogspot.com/2008/11/sphere-of-influence.html' target='_blank'>Sphere of Influence</a> is.</p><p>So, if you happen to stumble upon this post, be sure to let me know so I can thank you.</p>Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978299881371780671.post-90057859826698583172013-06-02T15:40:00.000-05:002013-06-02T15:40:01.652-05:00Pen(ish) Pal<p>I sometimes wonder if I just have poor luck of the draw. All throughout my life I have encountered friends who openly admit that they are not letter writers. One would think that after doubling my age since that time that I would at least have beaten the odds… but I have not. And since I have been writing letters, Email has emerged. The nice thing about Email is that you can easily send correspondence without having to worry about finding a piece of paper, pen, envelope, stamp, etc.. However, even with this added convenience— I am still cursed with non-letter writers. Of course, as of lately I have not been the best of pen pals either— so I guess I need to get the log out of my eye before I complain about the speck in my friends eyes.<br />
</p><p>I think if you ever speak to anybody I wrote letters to, they would tell you that I wrote quite long letters. I had stationery that was wide enough to fit in a letter-sized envelope and wasn't much taller than the width of a regular page. I would typically fill at least one side of the page, and many times both sides as well. Since I type faster than I write, I typed all of my letters. Of course, this was long before personal computers and ink-jet printers— so I typed my letters on a typewriter… <i>single spaced</i>. Being the creative person I was, I couldn't just type a letter (<i>how boring</i>). One time I typed the entire letter on a 45° angle, and another time I typed it rotating it every line. It makes me wonder if any of the people I wrote those letters to actually saved those letters. I know I keep my letters and like to re-read them them from time to time.<br />
</p><p>One semester in college I scheduled my classes in such a way that my week was finished on Thursday at noon. I did have a class on Friday, but that wasn't until 4:00 PM, and never required homework. The great thing about this was that I could get my homework finished before the weekend. The sad thing about this was that everybody else didn't do their homework until Sunday night, so I had my Sundays free with nobody to do things with. This gave me a regularly scheduled time that I could write letters.<br />
</p><p>I have been trying to write again on Sundays— but much like my blog writing… I have not been as diligent as I would like. That, and the curse of non-letter writers is still in full force— so I'm not as inspired to write if there's no one that will write back.<br />
</p><p>What about you… did you ever write letters to anybody? Do you think that written correspondence is a dying breed, or just sleeping? Do you still keep in touch with anybody through letters, or has the communication faded?</p>Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978299881371780671.post-75900001528963229452013-05-24T18:06:00.001-05:002013-05-24T18:06:51.048-05:00Blogiversary x5<p>I can't believe I forgot to make a blogiversary post. Not that I have anything to say, but I've been blogging for 5 years now. I realized how difficult it is to go through other people's posts, so I don't expect you to go browsing through my entire site.</p><p>I am curious as to who is still reading after all these years, or crazy enough to still follow me. So if you are… I do expect you to leave a comment so I can thank you for your readership.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ksa4VjKE3RY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
</div>Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978299881371780671.post-82742579861991398402013-04-14T00:00:00.000-05:002013-04-14T00:00:04.891-05:00400:100<p>If you are unable to add up the number of posts listed in parentheses under Blog Archive, I have now reached 400 posts. II also have 100 followers!</p><p>I was planning on waiting until my 5 year moversary, but that is more than a month away and I felt that I should at least celebrate these two milestones before the luster wears off <i>(or I forget)</i>. But then the question remains… how does one celebrate?</p><hr/><h2>The Big 400</h2><p>I think that after the first two hundred posts, there really isn't any need to celebrate— the occasion just comes and goes without any fanfare. But since I haven't been posting as often I noticed the 400 milestone approaching and felt I should at least acknowledge it. If you wonder how anybody could say 400 things, I encourage you to browse through my posts.</p><hr/><h2>Who are these 100 who chose to follow me?</h2><p>There was a contribution post back in 2009 called "Tuesday's Tribute"— it was soon passed to someone else who changed to be "Tribute Tuesday". The theme of this was that you were to tribute someone or something (It's not all about you). In keeping with the theme— I had an idea to do a spotlight on my followers. I thought… "what a great way of promoting their blogs and give them credit for bearing with my narrative/technical-writer style of writing". I decided to write to those followers that I could and ask two questions so that their words could be a part of the post:</p><ol><li>What reason do you have for following my blog?<br />
I know this may seem selfish, but I am curious what motivated you to sign up.</li>
<li class="open">Why do you think that others follow your own blog?<br />
I know why I do and will let you know in my post along with my impressions on what your blog is to me.</li>
</ol><p>I realized that posting on all of my followers would be a very long post— so I broke it up into smaller manageable pieces.</p><ul><li>Hear what <a href="http://cajoh.blogspot.com/2009/02/tuesdays-tribute-followers-of-blog-01.html" target="_blank">the first ten followers</a> have to say.</li>
<li>Hear what <a href="http://cajoh.blogspot.com/2009/02/tuesdays-tribute-followers-of-blog-02.html" target="_blank">followers eleven through twenty</a> have to say.</li>
<li>Hear what <a href="http://cajoh.blogspot.com/2009/02/tuesdays-tribute-followers-of-blog-03.html" target="_blank">followers twenty one through thirty</a> have to say.</li>
<li>Hear what <a href="http://cajoh.blogspot.com/2009/09/tuesdays-tribute-followers-of-blog-04.html" target="_blank">followers thirty one through forty</a> have to say.</li>
<li>Hear what <a href="http://cajoh.blogspot.com/2009/10/tribute-tuesday-followers-of-blog-05.html" target="_blank">followers forty one through fifty</a> have to say.</li>
</ul><p>I started sending out the survey after I reached 60 followers, but never quite got the next 60 written (<i>I am currently 3 shy of getting 60)</i>. I also found that many of my followers suddenly did not have a blog of their own (<i>yet another reason for calling me one of the "Old Guard"</i>). Both of these reasons stopped me from continuing the series, but that doesn't stop me from asking my remaining 50 to at least ask the first question:</p><ul><li>What reason do you have for following my blog?<br />
I know this may seem selfish, but I am curious what motivated you to sign up.</li>
</ul><p>Please let me know by leaving a comment, or contacting me directly.</p>Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978299881371780671.post-66793891234884094242013-03-04T22:40:00.003-06:002013-03-04T22:40:48.754-06:00Reason Season Lifetime<br />
<div id="poem"><h3 class="closedindent">Reason, Season, or Lifetime</h3><p class="closedindent">People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.<br />
When you figure out which one it is,<br />
you will know what to do for each person.</p><p class="closedindent">When someone is in your life for a REASON,<br />
it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.<br />
They have come to assist you through a difficulty;<br />
to provide you with guidance and support;<br />
to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.<br />
They may seem like a godsend, and they are.<br />
They are there for the reason you need them to be.</p><p class="closedindent">Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,<br />
this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.<br />
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.<br />
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.<br />
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done.<br />
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.</p><p class="closedindent">Some people come into your life for a SEASON,<br />
because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.<br />
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.<br />
They may teach you something you have never done.<br />
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.<br />
Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.</p><p class="closedindent">LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;<br />
things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.<br />
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person,<br />
and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.</p><p class="closedindent">It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.</p><p class="trademark">— Unknown</p></div><hr/><p>I have seen this poem around for some time now. I think that it is used to explain why friends come and go. I am one of those people who never want to lose friends… especially those that I consider close to. True, it is unfair that someone you knew is taken from you— but to say that once they are gone, it is over and it's "time to move on" just doesn't make sense to me.</p><p>I believe that a person's <a href="http://cajoh.blogspot.com/2008/11/sphere-of-influence.html" target="_blank">sphere of influence</a> does not go away once they are gone. It persists as long as we have memories of that person. There may be an experience that you had with the person that you were with. This experience may not have been all that memorable at the time, but later on in life you find that the former experience now has a profound effect upon you. It us much like a form of <a href="http://cajoh.blogspot.com/2009/02/spiritual-communcation.html" target="_blank">spiritual communication</a> where the spirit of the person is communicated to you without them even being present.</p><p>I tend to ponder what the mechanisms for friendship are. What makes a friend a friend? What <a href="http://cajoh.blogspot.com/2009/12/friendship-types.html" target="_blank">types of friends</a> are there? Or even, how do we <a href="http://cajoh.blogspot.com/2009/06/pick-me.html" target="_blank">pick a friend</a>?</p><p>Some of you are my virtual friends— those of whom I only know on line. I know that I have not written in this blog as frequently as I would have liked and feel that this may be driving potential friends away. Hopefully you can let me know that you are still around so I can be more diligent at keeping in touch.</p>Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978299881371780671.post-76025167027020263172013-02-12T20:30:00.000-06:002013-03-04T21:34:16.074-06:00Job Interview Part 2<p>Whenever you get a nibble, I always find the best approach is to keep in touch with those that you interview with so that they do not forget about you. But when you do not get any response— you immediately think that they forgot. Quite a blow to anybody's self esteem.</p><p>Of course, the week before the end of November is not the best time to try and get a hold of anybody, mostly because of that crazy thing called Thanksgiving.</p><p>I had a phone interview the week before with the company that I wanted work for, but did not have any reply regarding the status of the phone interview. I finally managed to get a face to face interview with them on December 1st— the day after my contract ended. I was really hoping to have all my interviews rapped up and have a job offer before I left, but that wasn't to be.</p><p>On my last day of my contract I wrote to those I worked with to summarize the pleasure it was working where I did:</p><div style="margin-left: 24px; margin-right: 24px; font-style:italic;"><p>As many of you may or may not know, my contract here at Northern Trust ends today. Before I go, I want to thank those to whom I have worked with these past several months. Feel free to pass this along to anyone I may have missed.</p><p>Even though I have been here a short time, I feel that I have gained experiences that take others years to acquire. It is refreshing to witness the professionalism and the dedication to the process that each person I have encountered has. This makes the environment here a model to look up to and one that I will use as an example in the future. Plus, it is great that you are not all work and no play. There is an ease to conversations that do not always have to revolve around work. It is this casualness that makes it easy to approach anyone to clarify a requirement, or learn best practices.</p><p>It has truly been a pleasure working here. I will not forget the experiences I have gained, or the comradery that I have enjoyed.</p><p>Be good, and take care,</p></div><p>On December 1st I had my face to face interview. Based upon the address they gave me, I went to the front desk and spoke to the receptionist. They indicated that I should go up one floor and ask for the person I was interviewing with. I went upstairs and saw that there was no receptionist upstairs— so I went back down and asked again. They said they do not have a receptionist and just to ask anybody in the room. (<i>that should have been my first clue</i>).<br />
<p>I did feel funny just walking into a room with people all around and casually asking if so and so was in. Fortunately, everybody was really friendly and helpful. Someone walked be downstairs and showed me the office of the person I was interviewing with (<i>had I known…</i>). After I got together with the person I was supposed to interview with we must have spent a good 20 minutes trying to find an open conference room to interview in. (<i>Little did I know that they rented office space and shared it with several other companies</i>). We finally settled to having the interview in the hallway right by the same elevator I went up and down on. (<i>which was quite interesting to say the least</i>). The person I was interviewing with was so excited about the department he headed up I didn't have too many questions thrown my way.</p><p>The next day I got the call and the offer, so if you think about it I was only unemployed for one day.</p>Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978299881371780671.post-41668396038428304852013-02-11T20:30:00.000-06:002013-02-11T20:30:02.329-06:00Job Interview Part 1<p>I do find it interesting that there are two things about a job that I can either like or hate: the people and the work. So often I may love the work, but I don't get along with the people. Then there are those times when I get along great with the people only to find the work to be unbearable. I am very glad that at my current job I both love the work as well as the people I work with. One wouldn't think so based upon what I went through to get the job.</p><p>As a bit of background, I will let you know I was unemployed for nine months before I finally got another job. I was hired through a contractor and was the only person from this contractor working on site for a customer. I got the job because I had experience with the former software that they used. The great thing about working where I did was that it was more of a launch pad for the current job I am at now. I got along great with everybody and learned a lot. I was hired with the understanding that this would be a no end-date contract which gave me time to impress the people I worked for and hoped that they hired me on their staff.</p><p>The whole transition from working from one contractor to working for my current employer seemed to occur in stages. My current employer had a large presence there already with the majority of the contractors from that company. I really liked the attitudes and methodology that they possessed and thought to myself that I should consider seeing what it would take to work for them. Of course, working for my current contractor I really had no true benefits. I had no paid time off and had to wait 3 months before I got insurance and 9 months until I could apply for a 401K. So you can see why I admired trying to work for the other company.</p><p>I suspected that something was up because projects that I was supposed to be assigned to I was being taken off of, so when they called me in and told me that my contract was up at the end of November, I wasn't too surprised. Of course those dreaded feelings of anxiousness and lack of direction crept back in. I was still familiar with the diligence and routine necessary when you are unemployed and put that energy to work to apply for a new position. I asked the two people nearest to me if they could give me a good word.</p><p>Interesting what a difference a week makes. About a week from when I was informed that my contract was up I had three nibbles. The recruiter that one of the people near me worked for, asked to have lunch with me to discuss prospects. That same day, I got a call on my cell phone from a recruiter asking for an impromptu interview that morning. On top of this, I passed my resume to the other person near me to send to the contractor I wanted to work for and got a reply back asking to schedule a phone screening.</p><p>That day I walked over to another building to have the impromptu interview. I did get a bit lost because the building had two sections, one of which I went up the wrong elevator and couldn't find the room. I went back down to the lobby and called them to find out where the room was. They almost thought that I had the wrong day for the interview and was glad that I was only lost. After the first interview, I went back to the office and saw the person I was going to have lunch with in the lobby talking to the co-worker who passed along my information. I had lunch with him and found out that he was a recruiter that recruited for the company that I wanted to work for. It seemed great to know that three companies were vying for my attention.</p><p>Go forward another week and everything appears to have been put on hold. I couldn't get a hold of anybody to see what the status of everything that occurred the week before. Stay tuned tomorrow for "the rest of the story".</p>Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978299881371780671.post-13562422266829720812013-02-09T18:00:00.000-06:002013-02-09T18:00:00.059-06:00Spin Cycle: Love<p>In honor of Valentine's day, I thought I would spin up a few poems of mine about Love:</p><hr/><div id="poem"><p class="closedindent">Love is so simple<br />
but we don't have the patience to make it so</p><div class="trademark">cj85'</div></div><hr width="70%"/><div id="poem"><p class="closedindent">Love is like a flickering candle<br />
just one breath is all it can handle</p><p class="closedindent">Steady streams of air keep it going<br />
for love is always ever flowing</p><p class="closedindent">So find the love and you will know<br />
just how to grow in life's big gamble</p><div class="trademark">cj85'</div></div><hr width="70%"/><div id="poem"><p class="closedindent">If love is endless<br />
then have I found love</p><p class="closedindent">Is it creeping around the corner<br />
like a peaceful dove</p><p class="closedindent">Will I know its place<br />
like the back of my hand</p><p class="closedindent">Or will I have to look further<br />
like a penny in white sand</p><p class="closedindent">Can I be sure of what I know<br />
or will I never know</p><p class="closedindent">Will I then learn to grow<br />
and see all of the above</p><div class="trademark">cj85'</div></div><hr width="70%"/><div id="poem"><p class="closedindent">Love grows within the briars an bushes for the fire<br />
for love is the only pain we all want to acquire</p><div class="trademark">cj85'</div></div><hr width="70%"/><div id="poem"><p class="closedindent">Where is my love whom I adore<br />
has it disappeared into forgotten lore</p><p class="closedindent">A story told to please ourselves<br />
as we put our love on forgotten shelves</p><p class="closedindent">To lock the door with unmarked key<br />
and stop ourselves from being free</p><p class="closedindent">So free ourselves from this pleasurable pain<br />
so we can gain our love all the more</p><div class="trademark">cj86'</div></div><hr width="70%"/><div id="poem"><p class="closedindent">Love it is a wonderful thing<br />
it makes some cry and others sing</p><p class="closedindent">It takes some in and lets some go<br />
and is always there and helps you grow</p><p class="closedindent">So don't let your love play the opossum<br />
and let it blossom like the early spring</p><div class="trademark">cj86'</div></div><hr width="70%"/><div id="poem"><p class="closedindent">Beauty is in the heart<br />
where love always makes its start</p><div class="trademark">cj86'</div></div><hr width="70%"/><div id="poem"><p class="closedindent">Life is an axle where all things revolve<br />
and love is the center from which life can evolve</p><div class="trademark">cj86'</div></div><hr width="70%"/><div id="poem"><p class="closedindent">Love is like a plant<br />
give it the proper nourishment and it grows</p><p class="closedindent">But stop feeding it<br />
and it will die and fade away</p><div class="trademark">cj87'</div></div><hr/><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="snap_noshots" href="http://www.secondblooming.typepad.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://secondblooming.typepad.com/spincyclekeelyresize.jpg /" _mce_src="http://secondblooming.typepad.com/spincyclekeelyresize.jpg /" alt="Second Blooming"></a></div>Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978299881371780671.post-56406139038325398022013-01-16T22:37:00.003-06:002013-01-16T22:37:58.502-06:002013 Chili Fest<p>During the month of January, I tend to want something warm to eat to keep me from freezing to death. One of my favorite dishes to make is chili.</p><p>If you like chili, the Ravenswood Fellowship United Methodist Church will be hosting their annual chili fest. There will be several different versions featured including: mild and hot chili with beef, mild and hot chili with chicken— and even a vegetarian chili (<i>for those who can't or won't eat meat</i>). But what makes this festival worth attending is "all the fixin's". <i>What do you like on your chili</i>??? We have corn chips, popcorn, rice, macaroni… and even mashed potatoes, and much much more.</p><p>I am including the information on how to get there if you want to attend:</p><p>Saturday, January 26, 2013<br />
3:00 pm - 6:00 pm<br />
ALL YOU CAN EAT FOR $7.00<br />
Children 10 and under $5.00</p><p>Ravenswood Fellowship United Methodist Church<br />
4511 N. Hermitage Ave.<br />
Chicago, IL</p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=4511+N+Hermitage+Ave,+Chicago,+IL+60640,+USA&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=4511+N+Hermitage+Ave,+Chicago,+Cook,+Illinois+60640&ll=41.965681,-87.67313&spn=0.005584,0.00912&z=16&iwloc=A&output=embed"></iframe> </div><p>I look forward to seeing you there.</p>Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978299881371780671.post-15479016109142152742012-12-30T12:49:00.001-06:002012-12-30T12:49:39.326-06:00Happy New Year<p><i>Now that the end of the world is a wash— I can wish everyone a Happy New Year…</i></p><p>Given that this next year is an odd numbered year, I never know if I will have a fruitful year or not. I tend to think of even years as being more productive and lucky, but if you think about it a lot of odd years are just as productive.</p><p>I look ahead and have not made any plans, nor have I made any resolutions. All in all I feel a bit lazy and want to blame it on the end of the world hype. Anybody else in the same boat, or am I the only one who forgot to make resolutions?</p>Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978299881371780671.post-79900391281266135222012-09-19T16:10:00.001-05:002012-09-19T16:10:20.395-05:00Cap'n Cup-hand here<table><tr> <td align="center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakwIBg6VkRBYbplALxcVsvrXtS93beAhnMkUOiEVvGCBFaVwOA6zcq_8_I51SjDXKOU4gWmdDlTbSd_1O_bZAqnpejZkP1B-Yl31igU41Gncm2r29v4p8vu0buLD08wvJdYX6dTNlYz8/s1600-h/SignLanguage-R.PNG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakwIBg6VkRBYbplALxcVsvrXtS93beAhnMkUOiEVvGCBFaVwOA6zcq_8_I51SjDXKOU4gWmdDlTbSd_1O_bZAqnpejZkP1B-Yl31igU41Gncm2r29v4p8vu0buLD08wvJdYX6dTNlYz8/s320/SignLanguage-R.PNG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247421242046837714" /></a></td> <td align="center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrHZEia2_CfHJO6MCM-Bg-YKm4lHMHIXusbNgEuKWQUytgxoJCbQegxn1jXcizBFrCDppFi2cVwH3j4-7WVAPXJa90WY8lHpQ8x2kztRRFDSN9W8LM6iDYNkHVVpTBMjeayPc3jJeyXgo/s1600-h/SignLanguage-I.PNG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrHZEia2_CfHJO6MCM-Bg-YKm4lHMHIXusbNgEuKWQUytgxoJCbQegxn1jXcizBFrCDppFi2cVwH3j4-7WVAPXJa90WY8lHpQ8x2kztRRFDSN9W8LM6iDYNkHVVpTBMjeayPc3jJeyXgo/s320/SignLanguage-I.PNG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247421588613515250" /></a></td> </tr>
<tr> <td align="center">"Aarrr"</td> <td align="center">"Ayeee"</td> </tr>
</table><p>Today is <a href="http://www.talklikeapirate.com/" target="_blank">International Talk Like A Pirate Day</a>. I never knew about this event until recently, so I may not be as great at it as others, but it does remind me of how "Captain Cup-Hand" came into being.</p><p>Ever since college I have typically had a large plastic cup that I always filled between classes. Sometime in the early 90's I got in the habit of cramming the cup on my hand as I went to the drinking fountain to fill up. Someone noticed and asked me if I was part pirate, to which I quickly replied "Ayeee, Capt'n Cup-Hand here" and proceeded to talk like a pirate whenever I went to refill my cup.</p><p>I have always known a smattering of sign-language, and in order to be fair to the deaf community I take the international signs for the letters R and I and use them. In order for them to "sound" appropriate for pirate-speak, I typically hold the letter firmly and shake my hand in the process ("RRRRRRR…", "IIIIIII…").</p><p>Feel free to join in the fray (ayeee) and talk like a pirate today.</p>Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978299881371780671.post-82753696462363888162012-07-19T17:39:00.000-05:002012-08-08T11:33:24.832-05:00Writer's Workshop: Watch Your Step at the Wishing Well<p>In honor of <a class="snap_noshots" href="http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/2012/07/no-complaining/" target="_blank">Mamma Kat's Writer's Workshop</a> I have decided to tackle prompt #1:<br/><br />
<i>Recycle a favorite post from July of any year that you have been blogging.</i></p><p>Since it's summer, here is a post from July of 2010 for your reading pleasure:</p><hr/><p>I just recently finished the book <a class="snap_noshots" href="http://stores.lulu.com/watchyourstepatthewishingwell" target="_blank">Watch Your Step at the Wishing Well</a> by Lisa Hudon. This is one of those easy reads that you can easily go through while on the beach or poolside. I highly recommend adding this to your summer reading list.</p><p>The story is almost like a fairytale in how an average everyday girl from the Midwest named Nicolle Bocelli falls in love with a rock star named Gary LaForge. And much like Cinderella, just when you think our heroine is living the life of bliss— true reality sets in like the clock striking midnight as this fairytale life of hers becomes complicated with drama and intrigue. And just when you think you have everything figured out, an additional twist is added which keeps you in the story and keeps you reading further. Not only does the story line keep you interested, the scenery the author uses keeps you interested as well.</p><p>I must admit that growing up in the same home town as the author there is a lot of imagery about the heroine's home town that I can identify with— but I also believe that the settings are quite believable and paint an interesting picture that assists in the character development. The contrast between the home towns of both Nicolle and Gary complement each ones character and assist in showing where they both come from as well as showing why their personalities are the way they are.</p><p>I rather like the way in which Gary interjects from time to time with his own telling of the story. It is almost as if Nicolle sat down after the fact and was writing her adventure when Gary decides he needs to give "his" side of things.</p><p>And just as everything in the story seemed to come together and reach a dramatic climax, it quickly ended. Everything was neatly put in its place and a calm sense of normalcy returned. But this sense of a heroic and dramatic ending leaves the reader wanting more. There are a lot of unanswered questions… but I'll leave that to the author to answer when the sequel is released.</p><hr/><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="snap_noshots" href="http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/writers-workshop-directions/"><img src="http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac331/mamakatslosinit/workshop-button-1.png" border="0" alt="Mama’s Losin’ It" /></a> </div>Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978299881371780671.post-45068871149109467082012-07-16T00:00:00.000-05:002012-07-16T00:00:10.141-05:0025 Things<p>This past week I discovered a Meme that I wrote back in 2010. Little did I realize a lot of it I also wrote about in my posts. So… if you want to know a bit more about me, here are 25 things about <i>Me</i>:</p><ol><li>I believe I have a unique personal philosophy. I only wish I could share it with more people.</li>
<li>I am the only person in my immediate family who is left handed. Strangely, I play all sports except pool right handed. I also taught myself to use chopsticks with my right hand.</li>
<li>I am usually shy around strangers. I have forced myself to try and be more sociable, but tend to fall back to being a loner when I am stressed.</li>
<li>I have never lived outside of Illinois. Excluding moving into the dorms for college, I have only moved three times.</li>
<li>Sometimes I wonder how many people I have influenced in my life, and how big that <a href="http://cajoh.blogspot.com/2008/11/sphere-of-influence.html" target="_blank">sphere of influence</a> is. I tend to think that many people are more <a href="http://cajoh.blogspot.com/2010/03/out-of-sight-and-out-of-mind.html" target="_blank">out of sight, out of mind</a> and forget about you when you are not around. But I also am pleasantly surprised when people remember me fondly.</li>
<li>At last count I <a href="http://cajoh.blogspot.com/2009/04/whats-in-nickname-my-nicknames.html" target="_blank">have over 60 nick-names</a>. One I picked up in high school was Groucho— anybody remember why?</li>
<li>I love to cook, but never considered myself to be a great chef. I admire those people who can make something out of the odds and ends that you have around the kitchen. I also admire those people who know how things taste and can make great combinations of flavors.</li>
<li>I have discovered that I do not just listen to music. I found that I listen to music <a href="http://cajoh.blogspot.com/2012/06/taste-music.html" target="_blank">many different ways at once</a>: As a musician, as an educator, as a singer, and as a sound engineer.</li>
<li>Exacto knives and I do not get along. I once <a href="http://cajoh.blogspot.com/2012/07/tip-of-my-finger.html" target="_blank">cut the tip of my finger off</a> with one. I sliced my knuckle another time just removing the blade.</li>
<li>When I was in first grade I wanted to be a plumber when I grew up (I really don't know why). When I started high school I wanted to be an electronic engineer, then a historian, then a music teacher. Now I am glad I found a job that I like and I can feel that I am productive doing it.</li>
<li>I share a birthday with John Lennon and my grandson. I also <a href="http://cajoh.blogspot.com/2009/05/spin-cycle-double-date.html" target="_blank">dated someone who was born on my birthday</a>— no I didn't date John, or my grandson (though sometimes I do date myself).</li>
<li>I love to give, but sometimes I hesitate because I don't know if what I am giving will be well received.</li>
<li>I am not a world traveler— in fact I have never left this country. I would like to go someplace far away like Australia, or Japan.</li>
<li>I used to say that I don't want to be famous, but rather well known in my field. Sometimes I think that I would rather have people know me well, than have many people know of me.</li>
<li>I noticed that I have many different laughs. When I am really laughing hard, I laugh so hard that nothing comes out.</li>
<li>I am so glad that I met my wife. I know that I would be lonely without her.</li>
<li>I am proud to know that I have a family who loves me. Even though the children are not my biological offspring and I met them when they were teens, they still love me all the same.</li>
<li>I find that I am a conservative who lives in a liberal city and state. Perhaps that is why I avoid politics in conversations.</li>
<li>Even though I have been a Congregationalist and a Methodist, I tend to think that my spiritual beliefs are more Zen in nature.</li>
<li>I love all the seasons for different reasons, but I tend to like Fall and Spring more than Winter and Summer.</li>
<li>I <a href="http://cajoh.blogspot.com/2008/12/oh-go-jump-in-lake.html" target="_blank">jump into Lake Michigan</a> on New Year's Day.</li>
<li>I am glad that I have friends. Sometimes I tend to forget that I have them, so forgive me if I don't say how much I appreciate your friendship enough.</li>
<li>Even though I live in a big city like Chicago, I am glad that I am close enough to be able to go to the beach and also go to the woods depending upon my mood.</li>
<li>I am surprised how long it originally took for me to come up with these 25 things.</li>
<li>I know that everybody is multifaceted. So often we think we know somebody well, only to discover that there is something about them we never knew. I hope that I gave you a bit more about the "me-ness" of Me.</li>
</ol>Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978299881371780671.post-87697613626845895682012-07-13T01:00:00.000-05:002012-07-13T01:00:05.942-05:00Master T<p>The elementary school in our neighborhood has an art fair. One of the highlights of the fair is the T-shirt auction where you bid on T-shirts that the students paint based upon the masters. The proceeds go towards funding for the Art department.</p><p>Last year I won the bid on a T-shirt based on a Lichtenstein painting:</p><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOs-nK0nfOULSccB2YZqSyMBoXKOLCxVX_gdzqAPKTzHjt8XytmGgndm6ZvO3pjcfODTkKMOia4MhIiTxFc7lAjhIkdXp_WwTrulFavTAky3ez411Lfi4SapX6yAjZBGUrENr7OPxpXDE3/s400/IMG_3376.jpg"/></div><p>This year I paid $75 for another Lichtenstein painting:</p><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="text-align: center;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwlcXPbgDjxz_LQ65hCAd0K7RVmnaLIxFVtPcs62sCQTBlAvF3xAy9OUZn6UNi7QJ0zsLxuaOhGLbysoDXjN7GIXfHwypH94ZyuXqPkd9RVD7-lyu6V_yDeTMEMTHrW3fJIh1kArDKy79/s400/IMG_4294.jpg"/></div><p>This by no means was the highest paid for a T-shirt. There was one during this year's fair that fetched $120. My Step daughter holds the record for the highest bid at $260. It was a Surrat painting in pointillist style which probably explains why it fetched such a high price.</p><p>Unfortunately, the art teacher who started the fair over 20 years ago is retiring this year. We may not ever see another art fair, but we did enjoy supporting the arts by buying T-shirts. We like to wear them all the time, and even wear them the Art Institute which gets a lot of people asking if we bought it in the gift shop.</p><hr/><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="snap_noshots" href="http://www.secondblooming.typepad.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://secondblooming.typepad.com/spincyclekeelyresize.jpg /" _mce_src="http://secondblooming.typepad.com/spincyclekeelyresize.jpg /" alt="Second Blooming"></a></div>Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978299881371780671.post-77104534933340991142012-07-12T08:54:00.000-05:002012-07-12T08:54:14.492-05:00Writer's Workshop: I'm not the one<p>In honor of <a class="snap_noshots" href="http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/2012/07/grandmas-house/" target="_blank">Mamma Kat's Writer's Workshop</a> I have decided to tackle prompt #3:<br/><br />
<i>Write a poem that about a time you felt betrayed.</i></p><p>This is not written for any particular time, but it seems to portray the feeling that one gets when they feel that they have been betrayed by the one they love:</p><hr width="50%"><div id="poem"><p class="closedindent">Without my love my body weeps<br/><br />
within my soul my heart sleeps</p><p class="closedindent">Awakened again by cold pain<br/><br />
my body shivers without restrain</p><p class="closedindent">I hold my head still to hear a sound<br/><br />
but I only discover there's no one around</p><p class="closedindent">I've found my place, I've won no race<br/><br />
I only wish they'd see my space</p><p class="closedindent">So who's to say I can't go on<br/><br />
my love is gone… I'm not the one</p><div class="trademark">cj85'</div></div><p>I particularly like the way I tie the end of one line logically with the next. I'm really proud of this technique— so much so that I use this technique in many of my future poems as well.</p><hr/><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="snap_noshots" href="http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/writers-workshop-directions/"><img src="http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac331/mamakatslosinit/workshop-button-1.png" border="0" alt="Mama’s Losin’ It" /></a> </div>Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978299881371780671.post-89162270707102219572012-07-04T06:00:00.000-05:002012-07-04T06:00:12.580-05:00By the rockets red fade<p>For those unfamiliar with the redundant profoundness that today's calendar date signifies— today is July 4th. Of course, those who live in the United States know that today is a national holiday that people like to celebrate by watching fireworks.</p><p>If you live in a city which bans the possession of fireworks by average citizens, you may be fortunate enough to witness an illegal display held by a rabble-rousing neighbor. Or you could make the trek to a nearby suburb to see an authorized fireworks display. In either case, you typically see the fireworks going off in the sky.</p><p>A few years back my wife and I went out to California to visit her Sister in LA, then proceeded north by train to San Francisco to spend the remainder of our vacation. We made the decision to go down to the Wharf in the afternoon, then wait around and see the fireworks in the evening since they were supposed to be held there.</p><p>Of course, by the time the fireworks were supposed to start, a fog rolled into the bay which made it impossible to see the fireworks going off. We could hear them going off, and we saw glowing blobs where they should be, but no spectacular displays whatsoever. All the same, we didn't want to force our way out of the crowd so we stayed and did our best "Oo's" and "Ah's" every time we saw a blob in the sky. Thank goodness that we didn't have to pay for the fireworks or we would probably want our money back.</p><p>What about you… have you ever gone to fireworks that were a big disappointment? Any awesome fireworks experiences you want to share.</p>Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978299881371780671.post-15777483053209568882012-07-03T06:00:00.000-05:002012-07-03T06:00:01.620-05:00Tip of my Finger<p><i>My apologies for putting <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tip_of_My_Fingers" target="_blank">The Tip of my Fingers</a> song in your head</i>:</p><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/J3viOgVx8dI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<p>When I was working as an archivist, one of my duties was to cut custom labels for the backup tapes we used. We typically printed out the labels onto a single sheet, then trimmed them to fit with an Exacto blade. Whenever I hold a straightedge, I typically span the edge with my thumb and forefinger of my right hand to hold it steady— then trim with my left.</p><p>My forefinger must have shifted enough on the straightedge to cause the tip of my finger to protrude just enough… the next thing I knew my right forefinger hurt and a bead of blood was soon forming. Quickly putting my finger in my mouth so that it didn't bleed all over the table, I picked up the tip and proceeded to look for a bandaid.</p><p>I must have looked pretty ridiculous with my finger in my mouth wandering around asking people where I could find a band-aid. Not getting a straight answer, I proceeded to go into the washroom to at least try and clean the wound. I was getting pretty desperate by this time since I could not stop the finger from bleeding and didn't want to use masking tape and toilet paper to cover the wound only to have it bleed all over the place.</p><p>I wound up putting my finger under cold water and pressing the tip back on until it stopped bleeding. Worked pretty good too. Then I dabbed the tip of the finger with toilet paper and then wrapped it in tape (<i>I would worry about a proper bandaid later</i>).</p><p>Fortunately the only problem I had with the finger was the fact that I was the Choir Director at church and had to use my right hand to conduct with that evening. I don't think that waving a hand around that just had the tip of its forefinger cut off the morning before was not going to throb and hurt— but I worked through the pain and got through the rehearsal without a hitch.</p><p>Even though I lost the tip of my finger, I did manage to reattach it and looking at it today you can hardly tell that I cut it off.</p><hr/><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="snap_noshots" href="http://www.secondblooming.typepad.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://secondblooming.typepad.com/spincyclekeelyresize.jpg /" _mce_src="http://secondblooming.typepad.com/spincyclekeelyresize.jpg /" alt="Second Blooming"></a></div>Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978299881371780671.post-15476842248117843462012-06-27T06:00:00.000-05:002012-07-02T15:32:01.304-05:00Taste the Music<p><i>My apologies to <a href="www.skittles.com/" target="_blank">Skittles</a> lovers, as this does not relate to tasting the rainbow in anyway.</i></p><p>I realized early on that I listened to music on many levels. What I have found is that over the years the number of levels has increased. Not to say that all of these levels are achieved with every song I listen to— but I can listen to music and have more than one way of perceiving what I listen to simultaneously:</p><dl><dt class="open"><b>Aesthetically</b></dt>
<dd>I, like nearly everybody who listens to music, enjoys the music I listen to. It may seem like this is obvious— but sometimes the other ways of listening to music tend to drown out the good feeling I get when I hear a great song.</dd>
<dt class="open"><b>Analytically</b></dt>
<dd>There are several different kinds of analysis, but I typically focus on music theory and practice. I listen for the different chordal structures used; the phrases and how they are executed; melodies and counter melodies</dd>
<dt class="open"><b>Choreographically</b></dt>
<dd>I am not a choreographer, but I do like a song that makes you want to get up and dance. I also enjoy trying to interpret the way the song rises and falls and how that moves me both physically and emotionally. There is so much here that it probably deserves a separate post entirely.</dd>
<dt class="open"><b>Compositionally</b></dt>
<dd>Usually this goes hand in hand with music analysis. I try to figure out how the song is structured and how I would write the music so others can perform it.</dd>
<dt class="open"><b>Engineerically</b></dt>
<dd>Since I have a degree as a sound engineer, I tend to listen to music using a technically acoustical approach. I ask myself how that particular sound is reproduced— or even how the engineers who recorded the song may have set up the microphones in order to capture that sound. I listen for the balance and the layering involved. I listen to see if they used compression and determine how best to make the sound translate to mono. etc. etc.…</dd>
<dt class="open"><b>Pedagogically</b></dt>
<dd>Being an educator means that you are looking for ways of teaching something. Since I have a degree in Music Education, I look for ways of teaching the song. This ranges from how do I pick apart the melody to teach it to somebody, to even how do I teach the diction to the singer so that they pronounce it appropriately.</dd>
<dt class="open"><b>Poetically</b></dt>
<dd>I tend to gravitate towards songs that have interesting lyrics. I enjoy interpreting the lyrics and what they mean to me. I also enjoy good wordplay and creative diction which makes singing it quite a challenge.</dd>
</dl><p>I'm sure that there are others, but these are the ones that seem most prominent. What about you… in what ways do you listen to music?</p><hr/><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="snap_noshots" href="http://www.secondblooming.typepad.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://secondblooming.typepad.com/spincyclekeelyresize.jpg /" _mce_src="http://secondblooming.typepad.com/spincyclekeelyresize.jpg /" alt="Second Blooming"></a></div>Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978299881371780671.post-77826874000294862512012-06-26T06:00:00.000-05:002012-06-26T06:00:13.614-05:00Easy commute my foot<p>I have always said that every trip is an adventure no matter how short/long simple/complex it is. I sometimes find that the shorter the trip is supposed to take— the greater of an adventure it becomes when that trip is somehow delayed. This week, Prodigal Magazine is featuring <a href="http://www.prodigalmagazine.com/travel-stories/" target="_blank">travel stories</a>, and I thought I would contribute a story about my commute home that occurred four weeks ago:</p><p>One of the nice things that I discovered about my new office is its location. It is about two blocks from the Metra station and a half block from the Green line station for the CTA El. I take the Metra since the station is about 4 blocks closer to my house than the CTA, and I can more easily predict when the next train departs the station.</p><p>A few weeks back I got into Ogilvie station downtown only to find that all of the northbound trains indicated that they were delayed. Thinking that this was probably just a switching problem at the station, I decided to wait it out.</p><p>After about 30 minutes of waiting I overheard someone say that the trains were delayed because a train <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-metra-delays-on-north-line-after-person-struck-by-train-20120529,0,7569940.story" target="_blank">struck a passenger around the Ravesnswood stop</a>. I decided that I wouldn't wait any longer and take the CTA instead.</p><p>I called my wife telling her that I was planning on taking the Green line east to the Red line, then take the Red line north and would call her when I got to the Morris stop. I then hung up and proceeded over to the Green line station. Right at the time I was on the platform digging in my coat pockets to get change for the CTA fare, my phone rang again. My wife told me that there was <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-05-30/news/ct-met-cta-multi-alarm-fire-0530-20120530_1_ogilvie-transportation-center-extra-alarm-fire-union-pacific-north-line" target="_blank">a fire near the tracks</a> and that all northbound trains were stopped.</p><p>I proceeded to get off of the platform to get away from the noise of the train so I could offer some other possibilities. I suggested that I get on the Northwest line since that train was not effected by the delay and get off at Dee Road, but she didn't want to drive all the way out there just to pick me up. I then said that I would take the Green line west to Western Avenue and would call her before I took the Western bus north.</p><p>I put as much change on the transit card as I could, then proceeded up the handicap ramp towards the westbound platform— but halfway up the ramp realized that the Green line does not stop at Western Avenue. I turned around and headed towards the eastbound platform. I knew that the Blue line did connect with Western Avenue, so I would take the Green line east to the Blue line, then take the Blue line west and get off at Western Avenue.<p><p>The Green line was not very crowded and I was hopeful that the Blue line would be the same— but I was wrong. I don't know if you ever see the pictures of Japanese commuters getting packed into the trains— this was very similar. Thankfully everybody was in the same boat (<i>so to speak</i>) and was very polite about being packed like sardines the whole time.<p><p>I decided to call my wife to let her know that the 49B bus route that normally stops near our house probably does not go this far south and that I would have to take the 49 bus first, then transfer over to a 49B bus. I did see a bus arrive about 5 minutes later, but this bus was packed full. The driver opened the door and yelled that there was a bus right behind, shut the door and pulled away. True to his word, there was another bus about 5 minutes behind that one.</p><p>This one looked just as crowded as the one that pulled away, but I got on anyway. I don't know wat was worse, having the lady with a stroller who wouldn't move, or the handicap man with his oxygen tanks in the middle of the aisle that made this more unpleasant than the Blue line fiasco. As we went further and further north, the passengers shifted so that I could get out of the roadblock at the front of the bus and could actually hold on in order not to fall on those seated.</p><p>Just as we are approaching Lawrence Avenue and the Brown line station to where I would be departing the 49 bus… but what should my tired eyes should appear— but flashing lights and fire engines near the tracks. Could it get any worse… would I ever get home???? Thankfully it was just a fire that wasn't effecting the northbound busses.</p><p>I waited a good 20 minutes for the 49B bus to come from the north and turn around at the Brown line station. I got on and made my way to the rear door and stood there so I could easily get off— only to be told by the driver that everybody has to pack it up better, and wound up sitting at the very rear of the bus. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to depart the train and would have to push my way past a dozen or so passengers just to get to the rear door— but the further north we went the lighter the number of passengers in my way became. I slipped out at Peterson and walked the rest of the way home.</p><p>By the time I got home I looked at the clock which said 8:30. Three hours late isn't too bad considering…</p>Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978299881371780671.post-88400318568092791582012-06-25T11:45:00.003-05:002012-06-25T11:45:56.370-05:00Standing still while the world moves around you<p>I got my business cards today. One would think "It's about time", but I figured I would wait until the new office was settled. I wouldn't want what happened the last time when I got new business cards:</p><p>At a previous job I was told that I would be getting new business cards after we moved so that I could have the new address and phone number on the card. Interestingly, about a month later the mailing address of the building I was in was changed to accommodate an access road which was promoted to a street.</p><p>About two months after that, the building I was in had an addition added to it. Rather than using the same room numbering that existed for the addition, it was decided that the entire building would be renumbered. Mind you, I have not moved in anyway, but now my business cards are grossly outdated.</p><p>Fortunately/unfortunately we moved from that building and we got new business cards to match. I guess you could say I got my revenge because a month after we moved, I changed departments and had to get a whole new batch of cards.</p>Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978299881371780671.post-61487381320356383432012-06-19T15:00:00.000-05:002012-06-19T15:00:04.779-05:00Spining Tags<p>This weeks Spin Cycle is on <a href="http://www.wordle.net/" target="_blank">Wordle</a>. I wanted to have a spinning tag bundle, but found that implementing it into a post is a bit more challenging than I thought. So… without further adieu, here is my Wordle based on my Personal Philosophy tag:</p><hr><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="snap_noshots" href="http://cajoh.blogspot.com/search/label/personal%20philosophy" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1cEuO1MSeAmGRfUNDLhH1jMW3HweayEH7L8r7X-Ql4DTvxqLd1K6btFrkaGLnUECiHhYjED1USBYHiv69PNlc2s970f5yzp0to3aCGxSmBm-Waf1qoxhHGVUNsruTZiDEvLCBbDm7xb8/s500/Wordle_20120619.png" /></a></div><hr/><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="snap_noshots" href="http://www.secondblooming.typepad.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://secondblooming.typepad.com/spincyclekeelyresize.jpg /" _mce_src="http://secondblooming.typepad.com/spincyclekeelyresize.jpg /" alt="Second Blooming"></a></div><br />
<br />Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978299881371780671.post-21334561537195265472012-06-07T06:00:00.000-05:002012-06-07T06:00:02.706-05:00Spin on Friends<p>This week's Spin Cycle is on Friends. I thought I would wax philosophical and re-post a theory of mine on Friendship Types:</p><hr/><p>I have found that there are three basic types of friendships that you can have— Acquaintances, Buddy-Buddy, and Close. At first I thought that these were levels of friendships that an individual achieves in a relationship with somebody, but I have changed the definition to be more role based instead. One thing that I know about these types is that you will always have more of one type than another. I have listed these in the order of popularity (<i>which type you have more of</i>)— and will give a brief description of each.</p><dl><dt class="open"><b>Acquaintances:</b></dt>
<dd>These are the type of friends that know you and you know them. You typically have a lot of these types because there does not need to be any real commitment outside of recognition. These can range from the commuter you sit next to on the train— to the person you used to sit next to in English class.</dd>
<dt class="open"><b>Buddy-Buddy:</b></dt>
<dd>These are the type of friends that you go out with. They are your "buds" and there are typically less of these than acquaintances. These range from the workers you go out to drinks with— to the couple you have over for dinner.</dd>
<dt class="open"><b>Close:</b></dt>
<dd>These are the type of friends that know you very intimately. You typically do not have very many of these types of friends (<i>if at all</i>). Some labels for this type of friend include soul mate, partner, confidant, best friend.</dd> </dl><p>I believe that there are times that all of us participate in these roles with others and that they are not necessarily reserved to happen all the time. I have known acquaintances that have acted (<i>even if briefly</i>) as close friends— even though <a href="http://cajoh.blogspot.com/2009/03/sometimes-stranger-is-better-company.html" target="_blank">I hardly knew them</a>. It is good to know what kinds of friends you have, and appreciate the fact that you can have them.</p><p>What about you… Do you find that you have more of one type of friend than another? Do you have other labels that you use to describe the types of friends you have? Do you feel that you need to achieve each of the friendship types in order to progress in a relationship with someone?</p><hr/><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="snap_noshots" href="http://www.secondblooming.typepad.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://secondblooming.typepad.com/spincyclekeelyresize.jpg /" _mce_src="http://secondblooming.typepad.com/spincyclekeelyresize.jpg /" alt="Second Blooming"></a></div>Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978299881371780671.post-77196164751323638592012-06-03T09:12:00.000-05:002012-06-03T09:12:14.122-05:00Intersting Interest<p>If you know me well enough you should know that I tend to take on challenges for Lent, or as New Year's resolutions. Not only that, but I also phrase the challenge in such a way as to make it easy to explain to others. To give you an understanding of one of my challenges, see <a href="http://cajoh.blogspot.com/2009/12/inclusive-resolutions.html" target="_blank">Inclusive Resolutions</a>.</p><p>For a few years now, there is a resolution that I've been wanting to make: "In order to be interesting, be interested". I have found that in conversation if you ask more questions than explanations, you tend to have a more fruitful conversation. I find those people who pose an interest in me interesting— so I figured if I am interested in others, then I too will be interesting. The challenge is to not come off as fake— to not just go through the motions to fulfill the requirement. I know if I am to be successful, I need to truly be interested in them— not just sound like I am. People are fascinating— and discovering who they are is a thrill in itself.</p><p>One particular person who I think is a good example of an interesting interested person is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Letterman" target="_blank">David Letterman</a>. The thing I admire about him is that he has an interviewing style that makes the person he is interviewing feel at ease. He shows an interest in the person he is interviewing and makes them feel important. I hope that I can be able to incorporate some of his techniques as my own.</p><p>What about you— do you feel that in order to be interesting, you need to be interested in others? Do you think that being interested in others is important?</p>Cajohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17705931109877069830noreply@blogger.com0