2010
02.22
Flint River Dam
I have been living in Georgia since January 10, 2010. I started working at Albany State University (ASU) on January 11,2010. The surroundings here in Albany are laid back but at ASU my brain gets a real challenge.
This weekend Sylvia and I went to the dam in North Albany on the Flint River. We were sitting in Carino’s restaurant and the waiter asked us why we had moved to Albany. We have had this question asked to us several times since we arrived. Sometimes it seems like a trick question. Anyway we told him that we came here because I had a job at ASU. There was the usual response from the waiter, a sigh of relief. I am always quick to respond with the fact that we really like Albany’s quality of life and the nice break from the hustle bustle that is in big cities. We like the fact that even waiters take the time to find out who you are.
So this waiter told us about this neat spot that locals go right below the dam and we decided to check it out. There is an old Georgia Power plant with a boat ramp and lots of places for fishermen to sit and enjoy the roar of the river going over the spillway.
Lake Chehaw
I took several pictures and I imagine that when I come back to this spot in the spring and summer it will look totally different. It is nice to discover a new part of the country in the winter time first. You can see landmarks clearly when the trees do not have leaves. You are looking at nature when it is dormant. The trails are not surrounded by tall grasses, bugs and snakes.
The view of the lake behind the dam is really beautiful. Lake Chehaw is the largest lake in Albany, GA. Lake Worth is a smaller lake just north of Lake Chehaw but is still part of the Flint River waterway behind a second smaller dam. I can not wait until the summer to see how the community comes out to enjoy this natural resource.
We looked at a open house that has a boat dock right on the north shore of Lake Chehaw. I have always wanted to own a house on a lake. Maybe this will be the lake of my dreams.
Category Georgia, Ramble |
2010
02.08
Well this is a fine mess I find myself in. My plan was to get out of credit card debt, get a better job and start trail running again. I did not expect that all of these goals would find me living in Albany Georgia. This past weekend on the Saturday before Super Bowl Sunday I want for a walk around the
Albany State University (ASU) campus where I work and the Flint River.
There are several things that I miss here in Albany Georgia that I enjoyed in Austin Texas. I decided that instead of complaining about what I missed i decided to create the possibility of brining those things here. One thing that I want to create is a green belt trail along both banks of the Flint River. I would also like to create a world class ultra running event here.
I am not sure about all the details, but I will have fun working on these projects.
Category Ramble |
2010
02.01
Texas was not deep enough in the south for me so I relocated to Albany, Georgia. I have been her almost a month and the adventure of living in a new city and working at a new institution are still fresh.
This week week as I walked across the campus with my paper notebook in hand I was whistling as I passed through groups of students go to classes. I noticed how everyone of them was either talking on a mobile device or listening to music on them. I marveled at how odd I must seem to them as I walked without having any electronic device turned on and instead i was making the music with my lips.
Albany Georgia is a lot like Portland, only smaller and really flat. Albany has the Flint River running through the middle of the downtown area and lots of pine and pecan trees all over.
Category Ramble |
2010
01.05
Last year I voted for Obama and change. I knew in the back of my head that Obama was a politician but what the heck I wanted to see what he could do. At the beginning of a new year I realized that the change I voted for was not in how America is run but in how I would be transformed by what I created at the start of 2009. Last year I made a pledge to get out of debt and this year I am glad to say that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
As I pack up my belongings to make ready for the move to Albany Georgia I am reflecting on all of the memorabilia that I have collected over the years. I have drawings from when I was in first grade. I have work books from 1966 when I went to Gompers Junior High school in South Central Los Angeles. I have lots of pictures that remind me of the good times and the sad times.
One thing that I have learned though my experience with changing jobs is that I will always bring my wife to the out of state job interview to make sure that she likes the state where the new job is located. I did not do this with my first wife but I made sure that I did it with my second wife.
Change for me is a process of stepping out of my comfort zone and trying on something new that maybe I do not know about. When I first came to Austin Texas I had all of my belongings in a run down Toyota Camry that had engine problems. I did not know anybody and I did not have a job. As I prepare to leave Austin Texas after being here from late 2003 until early 2010 I am leaving behind a job that is better off than when I arrived and lots of dear friends.
I hope that all of my friends that read this will know that they will have a second home in Albany Georgia should they care to visit.
Category Ramble |
2010
01.04
Well I have survived another holiday season and lived to see 2010. 2009 was a year in which I set my sights on financial and fiscal empowerment. I wanted to reduce my credit card debt and increase my salary at day job. I thought about this all year. I put my recreation activities on hold. I stopped trail running, bike riding and drawing so I could focus on reducing my debt and increasing my income. I wanted to do this without selling my truck or trailer.
I am happy to say that I have come a long way to accomplishing these goals. It took 12 months for my goals to start happening.
First, I worked to sell some rural property that I shared with my sister and half-brother. I put the property on the market in August 2009 and a buyer materialized in December. Property is du to close in January 2010. My share from this sale will wipe out my credit card debt.
Second, oil was discovered close to the property. I worked to negotiate a lease agreement with the oil company so that my family can get royalties from the oil.
Third, I was offered a new job in Albany, GA with a 25% increase above my current salary. I am packing right now and plan to move to Albany, GA and live in my fifth wheel with my wife until we find a home.
These goals are not luck or some random occurrence. I created these events by bringing them into reality with my words and actions.
I encourage all of you that read this to create your dreams now by bringing them into reality and living into your future. I did not figure out how to do this on my own. I had some coaching from Landmark Education courses to help me out.
Category LandMark Education, Ramble |
