December 6, 2023, Wednesday afternoon, 3:21pm, eastern standard time, Jackson-Hartfield Airport, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Getting ready to fly back to Los Angeles then drive home to Orange County. Casino night was fun. I drank a couple whiskey on the rocks and played blackjack and poker. On the last hand of the night everybody went all in. I won with a pair of 8’s. Even with pretend money it was nice to win. I look forward to getting back to California and working with my team on the things we discussed this week.

December 5, 2023, Tuesday night, 10:132pm, eastern standard time, hotel room in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Had a good time the last two days. Mostly listening to presentations, award banquet last night, casino night tonight. I won the big final hand at Texas hold ‘em poker which made me feel good. I must confess, I didn’t want to come on this trip, but now that it is over I am thankful. With my new position I will come to Atlanta more regularly starting next year. Now I have precedent and know what to expect.

December 4, 2023, Monday morning, 9:17am eastern standard time, gym at The Hotel Colee, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Got to the hotel around 11pm last night. It is nice except the room is missing an iron, hangers and trash cans. I stopped by the front desk to request everything. Also, the gym is closed for renovations so I walked a little ways to use the gym of a neighboring hotel. It isn’t great but better than nothing. My sleep was anxious. I feel better now that I am getting some exercise.

December 3, 2023, Sunday afternoon, 1:03pm, pacific standard time, LAX, Los Angeles, California, USA. At gate 135, terminal 3? B? Waiting to board the 2:20pm flight to Atlanta. I decided to fly out of LAX because there would be more options than Orange County or Long Beach. Not sure it really matters. Thats alright, the drive wasn’t bad and getting through security was easy. The walk to the gate was long. Now I am playing Spelling Queen, eating Smartfood White Cheddar popcorn and peanut m&m’s while waiting to board in 35 minutes.

December 2, 2023, Saturday night, 7:39pm, pacific standard time, apartment in Dana Point, California, USA. Spent the day with my daughter. We grabbed lunch from subway then went to the pet store to return a harness for the dog. We have to go back one more time because it is too big. After that we went to the hardware store to buy replacement bolts for a rolling storage bin. Then we grabbed water and snacks from the grocery store by my gym. We were going to head home but she was having so much fun she wanted to do more. So we went to the mall and then Ulta beauty to by Christmas presents. It was a fun day.

Decmeber 1, 2023, Friday night, 7:31pm, pacific standard time, apartment in Dana Point, California, USA. Yesterday was emotional. I got a promotion but others weren’t so lucky. Many roles were reduced, restructured, or eliminated. It made for a couple awkward meetings and some tough phone calls. In the end not much changed for me. I got a small raise, lost the Bakersfield and Visalia branches, earned a Vice President title and gained authority to sign contracts. My purpose feels clearer now. I understand what I am supposed to do and I am ready to do it. 2024 coming up and it is time to prove my worth. The original promotion in June was because I turned around one branch. Now it is time to show what I can do with five.

November 30, 2023, 7:47pm, pacific standard time, hotel room in Bakersfield, California, USA. I hate feeling small and vulnerable. Yesterday, my supervisor sent me a 1:1 meeting invite for 8am today. That is fine, we have a lot to go over. But when it showed up on my calendar my initial thought was “something is wrong, I am in trouble.” I haven’t been able to relax since. My sleep was fitful and my mind is racing. I am vigilantly looking for signs of distress in every interaction. It is exhausting. I think I mentions this before but I am thin skinned. I avoid criticism at all costs because it feels so catastrophic. Oh well, either way it will start and end soon. Time to prepare. Update: 8:13am the reason my supervisor set up the 1:1 call was to let me know I got a promotion. I guess I got that one wrong.

November 29, 2023, Wednesday afternoon, 4:07pm, pacific standard time, hotel room in Bakersfield, California,USA. Today was as good as it gets. Not many meetings, no expectation to be somewhere. Just wake up, walk/exercise, drink coffee, read, watch the weather, play NYT games then head out. I have a “dream scenario” of driving to Phoenix and working as a PRN hospice chaplain. Today is on par with what that would be like. I am in Bakersfield but it is more nostalgia than necessity. I have some some things to go over with the Director tomorrow then I will head back to Orange County Friday morning. all in all a good day.

November 28, 2023, Tuesday morning, 6:02am, pacific standard time, hotel room in Hesperia, California, USA. My first time staying near the Apple Valley branch. It has been alright but I have noticed some quirks. First of all, the hotel is 20 minutes from the office. Much further than Palm Desert, and even Bakersfield. Second, the hotel gym layout is unique. The treadmills and elliptical machines face the workout area. Not unlike being on stage, conducting a performance while the audience watches and exercises. It is odd, I have never seen something like that in such a tight space. It didn’t matter today. I am feeling run down and did not workout this morning. I got up at 5am and have been reading. The third strange thing is they don’t have coffee in the lobby. I had to run to Starbucks down the road. The good news is on my way back I was overcome with a sense of security. That is why I decided to write a post early in the morning. I want to capture these moments when they occur since they are rare. I don’t know how long the feeling will last but it is nice to experience it, even for a moment. At least until the end of the year I am secure in my job, my family and my health.

November 27, 2023, Monday night, 7:04pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Hesperia, California,USA. Woke up around 1am this morning with a headache. I have taken medication all day but the pain persists. My daughter tested positive for Covid. I might have it as well. I don’t feel terrible but I don’t feel great. I drove to Apple Valley today and worked a little. Now I am at the hotel resting. I don’t have any meetings in the morning so I will sleep in and get try to recover. Hopefully tomorrow is a better day. I have my dentist appointment in the afternoon.