uhm, no?

So I read today that Colorado State University's President Larry Penley is resigning. There are lots of yadda yaddas and blah blahs, but one of the points really gets to me. As part of his "severance" or whatever, he is going to continue receiving his salary for an ENTIRE year! His salary is $389,000! As an alumni, this makes me rather livid. I've seen some of the current college students and nobody needs to be making that for a year after they leave a post.
'Most' people try to build up something of a savings that we call an "emergency fund." This fund is for when we lose our job and need to pay bills. This is not right at all. This should be 3 months just like the rest of us.

"Life is the Point"

I've been reading through The Way of the Wild Heart. I feel so much better as I'm reading about what boyhood was is I imagined it. I really enjoyed building forts and playing essentially cowboys and Indians. I too received the wound that most men receive. "You're on your own." My dad tried, but he didn't know what it was about. I have a couple of fond memories I'd like to share.
I must have been about 5 or 6. Dad and I jumped into his blue truck and drove. After passing my grandfather's ranch over an hour away, we continued into the mountains. The road got worse and worse until we were on something of an old road resembling a miner or scout's road. When we descended to the bottom of the canyon, he shut the truck off. There was a cabin there that he was checking on or something to that effect. We walked down to the creek and he fixed a rod for me to fish with. I loved it.
After a little while, he came back from the cabin and we hiked up the canyon. This canyon is mostly flat on the bottom, but with jagged boulders that have fallen from the narrow walls climbing to the sky. It was so cool! I got to climb over rocks! And Dad was taking me up this huge canyon! And I was probably going to do more fishing! And I DID! Nobody was telling me to get down and that I was going to hurt myself. I was free to be a kid!
Some years later, I had graduated from high school and taken up climbing. I was about 20. I had been going to bouldering competitions. Bouldering is where you climb up a little way (usually 15-20 feet) and then jump down or climb down. There are no ropes or harnesses. It's easier to put a comp together like this. Then your top 5 most difficult problems (particular route up the wall) are counted to your score.
Well, there was a series of these comps over the winter. I tried to go to all 6. I kept track of the standings on my own computer. I climbed hard. I wanted to be called a champion. I had a training schedule. I had a friend I called a coach who made me climb harder. I just wanted to win my measly category. I have what is called a "non-essential tremor" so I shake all of the time. If a muscle in my body is tensed, it is shaking. Makes it a little tougher to climb!
Anyway, I won a couple of comps in my division and it was looking good going into the last comp. I was pretty sure that the one climber would not overtake me, but I wanted to turn in a good score to seal the deal. Of the series, they took your best three comp scores and that made up your series score. I wasn't sure who the guy was, but he was within a few thousand points.
Out of the blue, Dad called me and told me he had decided to drive me down and take me! It was so cool to have him there watching me! I pulled so hard too! I believe I upped my score enough to make the difference between the #2 guy and I more than 10,000. That is more than any climber in my division could overtake in one night. The after party/awards ceremony was held at a local pub. He was there to see me receive my clear-glass trophy. I still have a picture of me that he took in his car after wards. I had a special place in his heart.
These stories touch my soul. They help remind me that there was a man who tried to raise me in manhood. My dad took pride in me.

New Job et al

So I started my new job with Keller Williams this week. I wasn't really looking forward to having that regular work or whatever again, but I need it. Poker is grand, but I'm not playing the stakes I need to be making a good living... yet. But either way, I have a job. I work for a real estate firm. They are very focused on their employees. Their bottom wrung employees are the customers. The customers are all but irrelevant to the company. They belong to their specific agent and they are called leads. I've been blasting my old company so hard about their management policies. They believe that the main focus should be on sales. They don't care about the "peons" at all. At KW, the peons are agents. KW's main focus is on supporting the agents so that they can focus on taking care of THEIR customers! What a concept!

I am an open book sometimes

Solvo informatio!

enlightenment

I find that the romance in my life is frustrating in recent months. The funny thing is that I don't want kids. Now, I love kids! They are a blast! But I don't have the desire for having my own. This, translated, means that my options for dating are cut down to almost null. My ex and I broke up for several reasons and among them was a difference of opinion here. She wants kids.
I find that most women want kids. They may not all want them right now, but definitely in the future. At first, I thought this was frustrating. Now, I think it's funny. I started basically a survey to find out roughly the ratio of women who want kids to those who do not. I'd guess that I've asked a little over 100 in the past month or so. All but 3 want kids. Two of them are married; one to a man and the other to her job. I hear that the third is currently in a relationship. There is a qualifier to be considered as I see many more women than 100 in a month: they must be within my dating age range (22-31) and not obviously married. I just keep on laughing!

Anyway, enlightenment! I was reading a pretty good book the other day and read:
"You see, what we have now is a world of uninitiated men. Partial Men. ... The passing on of masculinity was never completed, if it was begun at all. ... That's why most of us are Unfinished men. And therefore unable to truly live as men in whatever life throws at us. And unable to pass on to our sons and daughters what they need to become whole and holy men and women themselves."
Then things started to make sense a little bit. You see, I've always enjoyed being a teacher and/or adviser. Now, I'm not real sure what that entails, but this is what my gut is telling me. I wonder where it will take me.

hahaha

I have a new motto!
Warning! Consumption of the Chad may cause you to get religion, get naked, get raised, or get arrested!

The Rule of 20

I heard a story a few years back about a newly married couple that was having a "time." The husband had just been given a pretty big promotion. So, the lady went out and bought a bunch of food and prepped a very nice dinner for her guy. She had everything ready when he got home. She was "dressed up" for him too. After walking in the door, he was greeted with a big kiss and was immediately lead to the table. He stopped before sitting down after putting 2 and 2 together (that this whole ordeal was to congratulate him on his new job). He said, "The pleasure is in the work." This flattened the lady and the night was uneventful.

Let's take a quick look at what happened.
Lady: I know my guy works so hard to provide. He's been so stressed and I know how to work out stress! Hmmmm. I bet he'd love a nice home-cooked meal too! Oh man! I have to go get some meat! And we are out of his favorite drink too!

*insert spending 6 hours of errands, cooking, prepping (more than just the food), cleaning, oh! and chocolate! I love CHOCOLATE! here*

Oh WOW! He's in the driveway! I can't wait to see his face! "The pleasure is in the work" Ouch, I spent all of that time.... ouch.

Guy: #$%#$ I hate my co-workers. I just know this new team is going to dump all of the crap on me. I'm good at it but man. I can't do another 70 hour week. I need a good drink and a couch. Maybe I'll get some tonight. I don't want to be social. I don't want to speak. effing retards. I can't believe that guy didn't get fired.... and then was reassigned to my team. The boss is going to love what I have for him tomorrow. My resignation. I'll have to find another job fast. I've got to keep up with those damn payments. That ring was such a drain. Wait, IS such a drain. She loves it though. Man. I need to find a way to buy a new house. We need out of this dump. I know it's "nice." ... This isn't nice. This is NICER than my grandfather's house, but he had to build it by hand in like 1894. *sigh* I can't do this any more.

I just need to sit down and do a whole lot of nothing..... *walks in his house* *hupmth* *wife drills me and jumps on me* Man my head hurts. I wonder if I can make conversation enough to make her smile. I need to sit down, or maybe lay down. Yeah, that sounds good. A NAP! Oh, she's dragging me some.... oh. She's made dinner. @#$#@$ I can't make conversation. I need to be alone. Even five minutes would be nice. She's going to want to know how I "feel" about the day and the food and her panties and blah blah blah.
"The pleasure is in the work"

Now! Nice story huh! The lady was all about doing something nice for her guy and didn't quite get the reaction she was looking for. Now, she'll need to talk even more about her feelings when her guy does not have the energy or desire. She has driven him away. On that same token, the guy didn't realize what was happening. He didn't see that she had made a VERY time-consuming meal, nor did he notice that she was dressed up. He disregarded her feelings in the process. He was so wrapped up in his exhaustion and getting rest that he tossed his wife by the wayside.

I have now heard of a solution!

The RULE of 20!!!! I know this is just one more thing to ask of a woman, but I heard it from a woman. So, hear me out.

20 minutes after your guy wakes up and gets home from work, give that to him.

NEW STORY!!!! Guy gets off of work, rolls in the door and is greeted by his wife. She says one thing and doesn't take long. "Dinner will be ready shortly." She does so while handing him his favorite drink. Then she immediately goes back to prepping. He stumbles into the living room and collapses into a comfy chair.......
20 minutes later, he wakes up and realizes that he's been watching TV. Hmmm. Something smells good. Wow! She's easy on my eyes! Damn, I'm almost out of my drink. Hmmmm.... yeah, I'm gonna just push her upper back down and bend her over that counter.... yeah.

Some guys, it's more like 5 minutes. Personally, I think I'm closer to 30-35 minutes, but man am I excited after decompressing!

Oh, and just to clarify. The couple in the first story were my parents.... who are now divorced now. My dad never got it.