I have the coolest job ever.

So after I got home (and frankly a bit during my trip) I realized that I have quite possibly the coolest job ever. I get to sell a great product where I actually get to have some input on how its developed to make it better, and I get paid handsomely to sell it from the comfort of my own home. That's right I get to work in my PJ's each and every day if I so desire. I am really excited to get going and beating up my quarterly quota. Nothing like a spiff of 3K to the store of my choosing for being top sales this quarter to get the blood flowing. :) oh and that part about not ever having to work a weekend or Holiday again sure is nice :)

I Hate Texas...

So for my new job I had the opportunity to spend a few days in Austin Texas. I had never been to Austin so i was excited for the opportunity to see a new place as I got my feet wet with my new job. The problem is as we were landing at the Austin Airport I looked out the window and remembered that I HATE Texas. I think this hate springs from those two fateful summers I spent in San Antonio with the Air Force. Looking out the window I could see... flat. lots and lots of flat. I missed the mountains, that add majestic beauty to where I now call home. Getting off the plain I felt heat and humidity. Heat really isn't that bad for example today in Utah it was in the mid 90's, but add to the mix a sticky variety of 90% humidity and you have a recipe for suffering.
You see I love to ski and I recall my dad saying something to the effect of "if God had wanted Texans to ski he would have made the Bull$h!t white." Not sure I can argue with this. Now that being sad my mother was born a Texan and still claims that heritage and I love her very much. Many Texans have this over inflated sense that their hometown is the only one on the planet that really has any significance in the world. This arrogance is similar to Californians who can't find anything good to say about any locale not located in the state that is do to break off and slide into the Pacific the next time a good quake rocks the San Andreas fault. I digress...
Home on the range sounds like a terrible bore. give me a home slope side with ski-in ski-out access and then we can talk about living the good life. One of the few things that Texans do up to the level of their ego is Texas BBQ. I cannot deny that this is really good stuff. For dinner we ate one night in a spot that the brisket melted in your mouth and the pork fell off the ribs in a mouthwatering symphony of really good eating. And in classic Texas style the place was called something like Bubba's. The food really was pretty good but after 3 days of Mexican and BBQ my gut was ready to digest something other than beef and guacamole.

The End of an Era

So today is my last day in the wireless industry. I have been doing this same sort of job now for nearly 5 years, but today I leave it all behind. It is a bit surreal to be honest. The industry has been good to me. I got the last year at BYU paid for courtesy of AT&T, I took a once in a lifetime trip to Cancun for 5 days on Sprint's dime. I have made great friends both with customers and coworkers, and I have met some people that I could probably do without ever meeting again. I have made good money and on the whole I have enjoyed what I have been doing. Life has been hard through the past 5 years. I changed majors in school and went through a divorce. Some of my life's hardest days corresponded with time periods during the past 5 years.
today things are looking up. I have graduated from BYU, I landed a great new job in a growing industry, and I am dating a wonderful woman who looks to make me happy. Simply put I am doing great and and happy where things are headed.
As with all new endeavors I am a bit anxious to get started and settled. The new job has great earning potential for me and I honestly think that I can excel and meet some financial goals ( Debt free by 32) which excites me.
Maybe it isn't so much the End as it is the opening of a new chapter of life. Whatever it is I am anxious to get moving with it.

T-3 Days... and other musings

So my last day is fast approaching here at AT&T. I am excited to get started on the new job. I have purchased my plane ticket to Austin, TX so that I can attend some meetings. I ordered a Vonage phone line so that I will have an office phone. It even has a cool phone number ending in 0999. Once I am up and running I will get an eFax line that will make my virtual office complete. Last night I even cleaned my office so that it is ready to begin work. I am told that a laptop is forthcoming with which to do my work, so with that and my desktop I will be set. I am interested to see what sort of laptop I am set up with. Alfresco is an open source software company so this screems "Anti-Windows" And my new boss's boss is a self proclaimed apple fan-boy so I might just be looking at a macbook, which I would be ok with cuz they are pretty cool machines. I have to choose what phone I would like. The company kicks in something like $200 towards its purchase. I think I will go with a Curve like I have now for the time being. However I am hopeful that the Blackberry Bold will come out soon so that I can move into that.
Last night I had dinner with a friend of mine. We went to Noodles and Co. and sat on the patio to enjoy the really great evening temperatures. We sat there for almost 3 hours shooting the breeze and talking about some of the finer points of life. I realized at one point that with my new employment I could make this sort of relaxing evening a ritual. No longer will I work until 9 pm. no longer will I work weekends or Holidays. everytime I think about this I get a grin spreading across my face. :) Time to enjoy life. When ski season rolls around I am not going to miss as many powder days. And the new job is going to allow me to pay off my debts at a rate that will let me reach my goal of being completely debt free by age 32. And I started dating a great girl. to put it simply... I am pleased with where life is headed.

Death Star Explodes

So today I accepted a job offer from a new company. No i am not going to sell drugs like I thought I might orignally. While that field still does enthrall me I have accepted a job with a firm called Alfresco Software. No longer will I be palgued with customers who can't understand how they could have possibly gotten thier phone wet, or how they could have gone 1000 minutes over on thier plan. Goodbye to retail. Goodbye to working Holidays, or Saturdays, or BYU football game days. No longer do I have to pretend that I didn't really wanna go home to Seattle to see my family for Christmas. I am now an Enterprise software sales professional. The best part? I work from home! Thats right I can work in my pajamas if I so desire. so these pics are for you AT&T. Ever noticed how the AT&T logo smacks of the intergalactic menace that Luke and the boys took care of for us a while back??

Stone Temple Pilots

Matt and I went and saw stone temple pilots last week. AWESOME SHOW!!! I highly recommend for any and all members of my fan-dom. I grew up with STP and remain a huge fan. here are a few pics from the show taken with my trusty Blackberry Curve.

The Bane of my Existence

So on Monday, Satan (aka Steve Jobs), announced plans for the 3G iPhone at the Apple world wide developers conference. This was not a wholly unexpected announcement. What was a bit unexpected was the release date, July 11th. Now for those of you thinking

"Hey that's only
a month off"

let me help you understand how that month is going to play out. For the next 4 weeks I will field at a minimum 25 phone calls a day asking

"hey when does the new iPhone come out"

or

"is there a waiting list that I can get on for the new iPhone?"

or my personal favorite,

"So, tell me about this new iPhone."

Needless to say I am already fed up and it will just get worse.

One side effect of this new phone will be a dragging month of June. Our Sales numbers will flounder. And then iPhone will come out and it will all be roses again. but until then I will have to endure a really rotten sales month. Thus adding fuel to the "get me the heck out of here" fire. I still have yet to hear from Johnson & Johnson but I am hoping that very soon this will change.

Spring Cleaning

So the other day I decided that it was bout d@mn time that I clean my room. After toiling away and getting a few loads of luandry out of the way. I managed to learn a few things in the process; that I do in fact have a floor under all that junk, that dust isn't actually a color for furniture, and that carpet feels better underfoot than an assorted mix of denim and synthetic fiber textiles. So after some dusting and a healthy dose of Pledge and Fabreeze my room is all nice and clean. A room that I am much more anxuious to show off than when it resembled a toxic waste dump mixed with a nuclear disaster site.
It is amazing how much better I feel with a clean room. Matt and I really do have a nice place. it was noted on my birthday how much better it all looks with the living room clean. I really enjoy entertaining when the house is clean. There are a few odds and ends that have never quite made it out the storage area... but on the whole its all very nice.

Tagged

My sister-in-law Katie tagged me... so here goes!

3 joys: My Daughter. she is daddy's girl. A good powder day. Waste deep and ultra light. Spending time with friends around.

3 fears: Being alone for the rest of my life. Not achieving my highest potential. And Missing a great powder day :)

3 goals: Out of debt entirely by 32. Find my best friend and put a ring on her finger. Get a job that lets me have my weekends again.

3 current obsession/projects: Getting back country ski gear, Pay off the car, My dating life is always a project currently the finding pool is depleted.

3 random facts: I can text with either hand, I am now the owner of 4 pairs of skis, I still have yet to see a national park in Utah. (sad I know)

Lets see I tag Kody, Kate and Matt

Another day another year

So yesterday was my birthday. I DID NOT in fact go skiing. I woke up in the morning and just was feeling particularly lazy so I slept a bit more and then went to church. For my birthday my parents announced that they are getting me the very skis that top my personal wish list (shown above). Dad ski races with a few guys who work for K2 so they're going to hook me up :) All in all it was a good birthday. We have more cake left over than I even wanna think about. All in all it was a sucessful birthday. I still can't believe I'm 29...

My Homeboy

So over at the Ski Utah website they are selling T-shirts with a Yeti on them. This is quite possibly the awesomest looking Yeti that I have ever seen. With his skis strapped to his back complete with avalanche gear I wanna meet this abominable skiing snowman. I think we'd be homeboys. We could rip the steeps all over the Wasatch, and hike for powder on an epic day. Or maybe he and I could finally make the ascent of Timp and ski the front face. hey maybe he can come be a heathen with me this Sunday as I take a near once in a lifetime opportunity to ski on my birthday. At any rate he is obviously one cool hombre.

What to do...What to do...

So my birthday is this week. I have even worked a minor miracle and managed to get a Saturday off in order to take the time to celebrate. The only trick is I am not sure HOW to celebrate. I am torn for what I actually want to do. I have considered being a heathen and skiing on my birthday(which happens to fall on a Sunday this year). But I am tempted simply because I have never been in a position to ski on my birthday. Real, honest to goodness, lift served skiing on the first of June. Snowbird is running that day and so I may very well go make some turns before putting the Recons away for the summer. I am trying to figure out what to do with my free Saturday. Last year I had a kegger party with some varied success. I was a little disappointed that people didn't stick around and party but alas it is what it is. The keg is probably out for this year but should make a triumphant return for "JR's XXX Birthday" next year (that's roman numeral 30). So this year is likely to be a bit more low key but I still want to have a good time. So perhaps riding some roller coasters at Lagoon will be the choice. The weather is supposed to cooperate with highs in the 80's.
Its funny I really don't feel any older. if anything I feel younger. but that 1979 in my birth date tells me otherwise. I get to be the same age as my mom this year. That oughtta make her happy. :)

Rain

So being from Seattle I am not afraid of the rain. Many days I even welcome it. But this morning I caught myself in a moment of Utah wimpiness... I considered getting my zip-on hood for my Gore-tex jacket because of the downpour outside. I quickly shook myself out of the strange funk that had gripped me and put my head down like a good Seattleite and met the rain head on. The rains are due to continue to the weekend so it will be a respite from the sunny and mid 90's heat from the weekend. It is a double edged sword. The heat outside was nice but running the AC in my apartment is PRICEY!!! So the rain allows me to sleep more comfortably and keeps my wallet healthier. :)

the bottom line is I am so bored at work that I am blogging about the weather... yeah You said it I need a new job.

JR's Wishlist

So my birthday is coming up. and I got to thinking. With my new found budget and my goal of being out of debt by the time I turn 32 I wont be spending tons on toys but I think it is still important for me to put away a little from each check for "mad money" spending. So I wanted to compile a list of stuff that I am wanting to purchase for myself. Some of its gear I need for backcountry skiing with my pops, some of it is stuff I just wanna get cuz... i want to. And as long as I do it with cash and not to the detriment of my more far reaching goal then I feel justified.
Here is the list:
1. K2 Shuksan Backcountry skis
2. A/T binding for said ski
3. Garmont Radium A/T Boots
4. A Mountian bike with which to enjoy the incredible terrain in Utah.
5. SigSauer P229 .40 Caliber
6. I'm sure the list will grow over time...

Mad skillz and dealin drugz

So my cousin who works in pharmaceutical sales told me that I need to put together a "brag book" so that I can show off my mad skillz. This is a book that basically shows a potential employer why I'm so cool and they should therefore hire me. So I get to show off my serious nunchuck skillz ( with the Wii anyway), my bow staff skillz (a broom/mop handle works right?) and my Jedi Mind tricks (convincing my Calculus professor to give me a B when I had originally been scored a D has to be a Jedi mind trick.) The problem I have with the brag book is that I like others to realize that I kick some serious arse without having to show them. If I have to point it out its sorta like having to explain the punch line to a joke, it loses its effect. But the bottom line is this. JR is a pretty killer salesman and if you give him a job he might just be the best drug dealer you've ever hired.

The end of the internet

It is quite frustrating when i am at work and I reach the end of the Internet. I got to that point again today just before deciding to blog about it. There is nothing worse than needing good quality online entertainment and be devoid of it. Granted out work firewalls block a few items that could supply endless hours of entertainment such as YouTube or any of the social networking sites but you would think that in the vastness of the World Wide Web that I could find something that would entertain me as I look outside the window and see near 70 degrees and partly cloudy skies. My typical list of things to do runs something like this. Check on the Mariners(yes this is terribly painful of late), next is BYU football, followed by anything new in the Wireless world, followed by checking on the most addictive site on the Internet SteepAndCheap.com. At this point I run out. I have read most of the relevant news for the day by virtue of being on the Seattle Times web page or one of the rags in Salt Lake. So i ask. WHAT ELSE CAN I READ and not get fired, thrown in Jail, or disowned by my loving parents?

Total Money Makeover

So for graduation my parents got me a book. The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. Ramsey is a guy who has a radio talk show and gives financial advice. He has been through the wringer having gone bankrupt in his late 20's and then risen back to millionare status by helping other people not make those mistakes that he did. Pretty noble. I enjoyed the book a great deal and realized that I need to make a few changes in order to be financially healthy. The motto of the book is "Live like no on else so later you can LIVE like no one else." My parents have become Ramsey converts. After reading the book I too have decided that following his "baby steps" will help me to better financial health. The first step? Establishing a $1000 emergency fund. I am half way there after selling a few toys that would get better use from a new owner. Once my emergency fund is in place then I will start tackling the debt that I have racked up. my goal is to not turn 31 with any debt. Now this is a Huge goal considering when I say no debt I mean no student loans no NADA. I feel like this will set me up so that by the time I am 35 I will be financially secure and able to do anything that I like. I think these are realistic but definately streching goals. But how sweet will it be when I am financially free to do as I please. :)

Great Picture

Creative Juices... & mixed random thoughts

So the last few days I have been trying to feel creative and to come up with a blog post that would be fun... yet I have been woefully inadequate. I simply cant get a good feel of the creative flow. I am not entirely sure why.
My birthday is upcoming. 4 weeks from yesterday. I can t believe I am going to be 29, and 2 days later Makayla turns 5. I am not old enough to have a 5 year old. That reminds me it is time to get pictures taken with she and I again. I will need to call my friend John Tahero so he can shoot those for us. Pictures are fun to take with Kayla and always come out good. They have become my annual birthday gift to myself since the divorce.
I have been contacted by a few head hunters looking for sales people. I will see what happens but I am not convinced that I want anything they are offering. i dont want to take a pay rate cut. I cant afford to. So basically I want everything I now have AND something better. yes yes I want my cake and I want to eat it too. But hey I'm worth it.

Time to read

One really great side effect of not having to deal with school any longer is that I get to read books that I WANT to read. I have re-found my love for reading a good spy novel. Right now I am neck deep in "The Invisible" by Andrew Britton. I really enjoy the author. After I finish this one I will delve into a couple new ones. Perhaps a Grisham novel or my roommate has a new one that he is reading that I might steal. It is rather refreshing to be able to spend my free time as I see fit. This coming week I plan on spending some time in the gym in a renewed effort to get back on my LGN (Look Good Naked) diet. and maybe just maybe I can gain those extra 10 pounds that I have been after for the past year plus. :) And, no, I'm sorry... I have tried but I cannot take anyones' extra 10 pounds that they are trying to lose... sadly it just doesnt work this way.