6:47pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Tuesday evening, January 31, 2023. I didn’t leave the office all day except for a short walk in the morning. There were too many meetings scheduled back to back and the only window available to step out occurred when everyone else had already left for lunch. It is alright, I survived. There are only two full days left in my work week. After tomorrow and Thursday I will hit the road Friday morning. The weeks feel shorter now which reduces my anxiety. I can survive a couple more days and make it to the weekend.
Month: January 2023
The fifth Monday in January
5:35pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Monday night, January 30, 2023. Today is the fifth Monday of January. Which makes a long month feel even longer. Add overcast skies with drizzling rain and you have a very depressing day. I took my daughter to school this morning and drove to Palm Desert this afternoon. Work was slow so I left early to grab dinner and get settled. I am staying at another new hotel. This is a vacation club type resort, which is the third resort I have stayed at in Palm Desert. Of the three I like this one the best. It has a good energy, it is close to the office and the room is spacious. Hopefully, the week will go smooth and this trip will be a good one.
January 29, a nice weekend
5:54pm, pacific standard time, apartment in Aliso Viejo, California, USA, Sunday evening, January 29, 2023. There was no baseball game yesterday. Rather, the teams practiced technique and reviewed fundamentals. It was still a fun time and my daughter did well in every aspect. This morning, we got up early and went to a movie in Irvine. Afterwards, I dropped her off and ran errands by myself. All in all it was a nice weekend. Now the skies have turned gray and a little rain is falling. The forecast calls for precipitation tomorrow as well. My trip to Palm Desert might be interesting if it keeps up.
My daughter the baseball player
8:25am, pacific standard time, apartment in Aliso Viejo, California, USA, Saturday morning, January 28, 2023. My daughter has her first baseball game this morning. In preparation, we went to the ballfields after school and played catch. She has a good arm and isn’t too bad at catching. Impressive, considering it was her first time using a glove. I am nervous for her but, excited as well. She is athletic and wants to succeed. If she sticks with it she will have fun and be a good player.
My nephew and age 31
6:17pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Thursday evening, January 26, 2023. Today is my nephew’s 31st birthday. That’s significant because twenty years ago, when I turned 31, we lived close to his family in Valencia. In between jobs, I spent afternoons hanging out with him, doing homework, shooting hoops, and shuttling him to various activities. I look back fondly on those weeks. It was a rare opportunity, before full adulthood, to be carefree and spend quality time with a relative I might otherwise not have known. It was also that age, when shortly thereafter, I took the Utah hospice chaplain job. I consider that period the happiest of my life. Realizing he is now the same age brings back good memories. He’s been through a rough couple of years lately. For the occasion of his birthday, I hope he finds his “Utah” soon. And gets to enjoy a little happiness in his life as well.
Kind of a drag
6:09pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Wednesday night, January 24, 2023. I did not have any energy today. Even an extra cup of coffee this morning didn’t make a difference. From the moment I walked in the office nothing engaged my attention. I guess some days are like that; you just don’t find momentum and time drags on. By 11am I was counting minutes on my notepad. Hopefully tomorrow is a little better. Life is no fun just enduring.
Be here for a while
6:02pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Tuesday night, January 24, 2023. Spent most of the day cleaning up HR files. There are so many back office things that haven’t been touched in the past two years. I am finally getting a handle on the most egregious. The site is really starting to come around; new staff, new attitude. I believe it is going to be a successful year. Which is good because the recruiter announced on a team call today she is focusing on “critical needs” in the region. The Director position in Palm Desert isn’t one of them. I am pretty sure I am going to be here for a while.
Made it to palm desert, January 23, 2023
6:03pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Monday evening, January 23, 2023. Drove in from Arizona this afternoon. The wind was strong, especially on the California side of the border. Many times larger trucks swerved uncontrollably. Coupled with blowing dust the trip was far from relaxing. I made it to the office at 3:30pm and did some work before grabbing dinner and checking in to the hotel. Now I just got off the phone with mom. I am going to watch television and read before turning in for the night.
Eventually all things are lost
6:41pm, mountain standard time, apartment in Chandler, Arizona, USA, Sunday evening, January 22, 2023. There is a finite amount of time left in Arizona. I am struggling to say goodbye. I can’t stay but, letting go is difficult. A part of me exists here that doesn’t subsist anywhere else; waking up in my apartment, going for walks, exercising in the gym and drinking coffee while watching the weather. It is the best start to a morning I have ever experienced. Now the opportunities do those things are dwindling. Life is like that; you celebrate times and then let them go. It was just announced the minor league baseball team in Salt Lake City, Utah is moving to the suburbs. They are going to tear down the stadium in the area where I have watched games since I was nine years old. So many memories with my brother, my dad, my family exist in that ballpark. It is sad to see it go but, time marches on. Eventually all things fade and are lost. We have no choice but to enjoy them while we can and miss them when they are no longer here.
Baseball mitts
6:35pm, mountain standard time, apartment in Chandler, Arizona, USA, Saturday evening, January 21, 2023. Enjoyed a low key day in the apartment. Ran some errands this afternoon but, nothing too ambitious. I needed time to rejuvenate after a long week. I was going to meet a friend for dinner tonight but canceled. I didn’t have the desire nor energy to go out. On another note; my daughter is starting baseball next week. I dug our mitts out of storage and have been breaking them in. So far, so good. I haven’t played catch in years and never with her. I am excited to get back out there and to share that experience with her.
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