Tons of Thanks

Yes, I know -- it's been a long time since I've updated my blog. We're still working to adjust to the change in our lives due to Gregg's position being eliminated. No need to worry though; we're doing great, just working on making yet more changes in our lives.

Yesterday's Thanksgiving dinner hit both of us -- in the past we hosted the entire meal but this year we found it necessary to ask everyone to bring something. It felt weird, like we were giving up. Strange thing though, we noticed that everyone ENJOYED bringing a dish to pass -- even Manny and CeCe. So perhaps all along we were taking the joy way from our guests by doing it all. At times I can be my own worst enemy. Thanksgiving is a time for sharing and that's exactly what we did yesterday; shared the preparation, the meal, our lives. I had time to visit with my guests and learn what's been happening in their lives. My older niece and nephew are both back in college and doing quite well. My younger niece and nephew joined us for the first time this year; it was wonderful to recall memories of when Manny & CeCe were that young and to look forward to LP (Christie's baby's nickname) next year. My daughters are a constant source of pride and Kent challenged Manny & CeCe to some tough chess matches. He was quite surprised how much they have learned from his coaching. It was a different kind of Thanksgiving but I think I like this model.

Sometimes we're running so fast that we miss all the great stuff happening right in front of us.

So, we're clipping coupons and experimenting with different foods than we would have in the past. We're eating at home more and enjoying great conversation amongst the three of us (Gregg, Don, and myself). I borrow movies from the library and am working on reading all those books in my library that I've collected throughout the years. We're watching sales and even braved Black Friday and saved almost twice as much as we spent.

Sometimes we're running so fast that we can't slow down enough to think of a better way.

Christmas will be different too and I think it's going to be OK, just different.

No, This Can't Be Happening

Gregg came home today around noon, I thought he was stopping in to see how CeCe was feeling. But then he delivered the awful news that he'd been let go; his position as dispatcher was eliminated. At first I thought he was kidding, but no -- it's real -- after 34 years with the same company he's out the door. Those that know us know the name of the company and those that don't -- sorry, I'm not going to foreclose as I don't want any hard feelings between us and the company -- I know that it wasn't an easy or personal decision.

The company has been a big part of Gregg's life; he'd wake up in the middle of the night after figuring out a problem, shower and head on out regardless of the time. He was devoted to a fault. Being the great guy that he is, felt that he was responsible for making sure the customer received the best service possible and that his drivers were taken care of. Sometimes I felt as though his job was much like his mistress, as often 'she' did came first and I was a close second.

That was then, this is now -- life as we knew it has suddenly changed. The conversation at the dinner table won't start out with work stories; he and won't be telling Don about the people that he ran into that remembered Don over the years; no stopping in to make sure everything's OK while we're in the neighborhood; no calls at all hours of the night from his drivers . . . he's even going to have to change his wardrobe! No company tshirts, wow!

Gregg started working with his Dad before he got out of high school. He bought his first semi before he was old enough to have a CDL license and for a year paid a driver to drive for him. He drove both short haul and long haul; owned a small fleet of trucks; was a contract packer and dispatcher. He made some wonderful friends along the way that were shocked to hear the news. We're still receiving emails from co-workers across the country expressing their dismay at the decision.

How does someone who's spent more years working at the same company than anyone else I know (except my father) suddenly adapt to working someplace else? I'm not sure how this is all going to shake out but I am sure of one thing -- it happened for a reason. As I found out with my job elimination, he'll more than likely go through some serious soul searching and realize what he's really good at and find a position where he feels he fits. When that might be is anyone's guess.

Stay tuned -- this is going to be one interesting ride!