Customer Service at Home

I am trying to be a better husband. I love my wife so much, and am so thankful to the LORD every day for bringing us together. Recently, I have come to realize that even though she knows that I love her, I am doing her a complete injustice if I am not constantly trying to show her how much she is loved.

My job description where I work is essentially to be an account manager for gas station and auto repair garage owners. It's a blend of customer service, sales, and public relations. I work hard to make sure they are taken care of, that their business is running smoothly, and that they feel well represented to the (often difficult to work with) oil companies. My customers have learned that when I come see them, before I leave I will always ask them the same question: "Is there anything I can do for you?"

What I realized today was kinda sad. My employees have heard that question time and time again, my wife? Rarely ever. Don't get me wrong, my wife and I do a lot for each other. But the fact that I consistently show this kind of service to practical strangers, and not to my wife is pathetic. Well, that changed today.

This conversation actually happened 45 minutes ago:

Me- "Is there anything I can do for you baby?"
Her- "What?"
Me- "Is there anything I can do for you? Anything at all?"
Her- "Why?"
Me- "Because I love you and want to take care of you."
Her- "Uhhh... you can change the channel." (I was watching ESPN)

This may have just been a baby step, but I want her to understand that I'm willing to do what it takes to make her feel as loved as she deserves to be.


Thank you God for blessing me with Bri. She is truly an amazing woman and I hope that I can honor her daily, only as you would.

KERRCHEL FEST '09!!!

Last weekend Bri and I went to Utah to attend our friends Kerr and Rachel's wedding. We were both looking forward to this trip for so many reasons. For me, this was going to be my first time back to Salt Lake since graduating from "The U" and I was stoked to spend some quality time with some good friends I hadn't seen in a while. Bri was excited to finally meet Rachel (the bride whom she'd heard so much about and Facebooked with for a couple of years) and enjoy the closest thing to a summer vacation she was getting this year. Needless to say, we were both excited for Saturday night when we would be able to welcome another set of friends into "couple hood".


The weekend really was everything we could have hoped for. We landed Thursday night and had just enough time to see Kerr and Rachel for a couple minutes before it was off to bed for Bri, and back to the airport for me to pick up Freddie. Friday we got the chance to go over to the campus to see some old friends in the athletic department before heading to lunch in Park City. The weather was stunning and Bri loved it (she had never been to PC without there being snow on the ground). Probably the only thing she liked more than the weather and scenery was Fred's dog "Pete". Between the weather, a great lunch at the Wasatch Brew Pub, the mountain views, and Pete, my wife was already pleading her case for a future second home in the small resort town before we had made it back down the hill.


Friday night we headed to rehearsal where we met up with another former Ute, good buddy, and fellow groomsman Chad. We got to the venue early enough for Fred to bust out his cooler for a quick wedding tailgate as you can see in the picture (you can also see I didn't get the no jeans memo... oops). Kerr and the rest showed up shortly after and the show was on the road. At this point in the trip is where Rachel began to score huge points with Bri. Having been through her own wedding hoopla, Bri was more than able to appreciate how laid back, relaxed, and sweet to everyone Rachel was. After about a ten minute rehearsal, we were off to dinner. Dinner was hosted by Kerr's folks (some of the nicest Texas folks you'll ever meet) at Tuscany, a really nice Italian restaurant down the street from the hotel. This was a great time for Bri to get to know some of these new people a little more and for me to catch up with my buds. After dinner we headed out to a little local dive bar where we hung out, laughed, met more baseball players from years after mine, and even danced a little.


Saturday morning all the groomsman and the fathers went to play some golf at a nice course out near the airport. Even though I am truly awful at the sport (as is Kerr), it was an awesome time for all of us to get out and play, laugh and relax. I left the rental car with Bri that morning so that she could make a mall run to shop for a dress for the wedding. That morning Kerr's bride scored even more points with Bri. Not only did Rachel have the presence of mind with everything else going on that weekend to think of Bri, she even invited my wife over to the house to hang out, get ready with the rest of the girls, and follow the limo up the hill. Bri really had a great time.




Saturday night's ceremony was the reason we were all there, and it wasn't about to disappoint. The venue was a beautiful cottage tucked deep away in Brighton Canyon (I think). The ceremony was outdoors, with dinner on the patio under the stars. The bridal party hiked way up a hill on one side of the cottage, to come down through the trees to walk the aisle on the other (I was struggling worse than the chick behind me that was pregnant with twins). Rachel looked beautiful and Kerr almost cried. The bishop that officiated the ceremony did a good job following Kerr's one rule, "keep it short." Afterwards we headed across the street for pictures where we had our option of picturesque backdrops between the duck inhabited pond and the 100 ft. waterfall. Dinner was awesome and it was followed by toasts and dancing. Fred, Chad, and I teamed up to roast Kerr as we hadn't known him as long as his other groomsmen. We burned him pretty good as we recalled fun times and funny things he's said in the time we've known him. Kerr and Rachel and the guys in the audience we knew all enjoyed it, and that's exactly what we were aiming for. The reason I say this is because I actually heard the next morning that we had offended some old people in attendance, to which I replied, "ah well... what are ya gonna do?"

Our Utah jaunt was wrapped up with brunch at Rachel's folks' house Sunday morning. Bri and I told our friends to enjoy their honeymoon in Cancun and feel free to come to Phoenix and soak up the Arizona sun anytime they feel like it. We really feel blessed to have great friends like this, and I thank the LORD every day for putting people like this in my life. One of my favorite parts of this trip is it reminded me how funny life can be. For those of you that know the story of my baseball career, you understand how up and down it was. I lived those years and thought that baseball was the reason for everything in my life. What becomes more and more evident to me every day is that those events in fact had very little to do with the sport. Me coming to ASU for one year before being advised to leave, but finding my wife in the process is the most obvious example of this. This weekend though, was another. I still don't know what to think of my year as a Ute from a baseball aspect, but there's no questioning the success of that year off the field. I, by far, made more lifetime friends in my 12 months in Salt Lake than I did in my time in Tempe. Seeing Kerr, Rachel, Fred, Chad, and some of the others last weekend, really served as an awesome reminder about how good my life has been.

Turning a New Page

For those that know me well enough, the following is no real surprise: I skated through my school years doing as little work as possible. Do I regret that fact? Kinda. Is there anything I can do about it now? No.

Assigned reading was hands down, always my least favorite. I would rent the movie, read the Cliff's Notes, look for recaps online; anything to not have to read a book. What always left me scratching my head was how so many of my classmates were actually enjoying these books. Recently I have found myself thinking that maybe I really missed out on some good stuff.

Today I started something that I hope to carry out for sometime forward. While at B&N with Bri's family, I bought myself a book. It's a classic that I was supposed to have read my sophomore year in high school. The book is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I want to start catching up on some of the good things I think I may have missed. I'm going to build myself a little list of some American literary classics, and slowly work my way through them. Each time I complete one, I will VOLUNTARILY do a little book report on this blog stating my thoughts on it (my mom just passed out).

Here are just some of the books on my list so far:
-Great Gatsby, Lord of the Flies, Catcher in the Rye, Grapes of Wrath, Old Man and the Sea, Adventures of Huck Finn, Farewell to Arms, The Audacity of Hope (hahaha I kid, my mother-in-law just passed out)

This is just a small sample of some I want to read. But what do you think? Any I should add to the list? Let me know.


___________________________


On a separate note. Tomorrow morning I start volunteering with the jr. high group at church and am really looking forward to it. Bri and I have been attending Mission Community Church in Gilbert for a little while now and are going to start getting involved. I'm going to work with the youth group and Bri has tryouts for the worship arts ministry later this week.

Flex those golden pipes girl!!!

Successful Weekend in NorCal

I don't know for certain because she wears big glasses... but I think her eyes lit up when she saw this magic shop.

If she looks cold; it's because she is. Mark Twain once said, "the coldest Winter I ever spent was a Summer in San Francisco." (Alcatraz in the background)

"Hey Bud!!! What's goin' on???"

Fancy aquarium or RainForest Cafe gift shop? You decide.

I think they should change the saying from "kid in a candy store" to "grown woman in a chocolate shop".

NikeTown knows what's up.

"Look at me and my Bloomingdale's bag.... I'm a fancy girl." (A little spent after her first trip to SF)

I like this guy a lot.... Chris is okay too, I guess.

At this time they were just the "Future Henrys". Bri and I like Jenn a lot.

He thinks he looks pretty good. He wasn't fooling anyone about how nervous he was.

I gotta say.... we look good. Well, she does at least.

Goin' Goin', Back Back, To Cali Cali

Bri and I are headed to NorCal this week. I'm going to be in a friend's wedding on Saturday night in Oakdale... yeehaw! Let's just say that I've got this whole traveling back home thing down to an art. Here's what I'm looking forward to:

I want to hear Joedee bark at me when I come through the door.
I want to see her go nuts when she realizes it's me.
I want to watch her play with me like she does with no one else.
I want to meet Audrey Joyce.
I want to hold my first niece.
I want to see how big Seth's getting.
I want to hear him say something that makes me laugh.
I want to work out with BT so hard that he almost makes me puke.
I want to learn some new routines that will actually make Nick puke.
I want to watch Bri's eyes light up as she enjoys her first trip to San Francisco.
I want to hear her talk to the seals like her dad would.
I want to see her act like it's the Arctic because it's in the low 70's.
I want to watch Karli drink an adult beverage at dinner.
I want to hear Mike make fun of her.
I want to make fun of her too.
I want to watch James' face when Shannon chokes on her food.
I want to find a little bit of time to see some friends I haven't seen in a while.
I want to listen to Gandhi's take on the Jets and Mark Sanchez.
I want to hear crazy stories from Trevor.
I want to watch my dad laugh at him while he shakes his head.
I want to eat David's Pizza.
I want to see the Malone family.
I want to be a part of Chris Henry's big day.
I want to meet the future "Mrs. Henry".
I want to watch him weep like a girl as she walks down the aisle.
I want to give a toast that's hopefully somewhat entertaining.
I want to go to church on Sunday with Mom and Dad.
I want to be asked about Arizona and the "married life" by people I don't know.
I want to sit between my folks in the third pew on the preacher's right.
I want to listen and enjoy how loudly they both worship.
But most importantly, I want to be reminded about how lucky I am to have great people in my life that still love seeing me no matter how long it's been.


So it may end up varying a little... but overall, that sounds about right.

For You, My Dear Texan Friend

You have spoken out against my blog, so it will now speak straight to you. You have said you think I'm being pretentious, so now I will be thoughtful and heart felt. This is for you, my dear Texan friend:

-You are an individual (I've never met another 6'5" 230 lb emo)

-You are a man of integrity (you've never broken up with your girlfriend for the next door neighbor... I kid because I think it was a great choice)

-You are brave (not because you save cats from trees, but because you have a ball sack down past your knees... literally)

-You aren't big headed (what size hat do you wear.... 6 7/8???)

-You are unique (an Agnostic who spent three years at a Baptist college, is marrying a Mormon, and is as Jewish as anyone I know)

-You have good fashion sense (who else can get girl jeans on under a fire suit?)

-You are strong (helpful when dead lifting your passed out girlfriend off the driveway)

-You work hard (way to use your dad's title instead of that fancy Psychology degree to land a job)

-You are resilient (who else bounces back after not getting out of the 2nd against SDSU junior year?)

-You are a man of your word (by the way... I'm really looking forward to your wedding in San Diego)


Only words can be appropriate to explain to all of my three readers how important you are to me. For these reasons, and no others.... I love you Kerr Foster.

Rare Love for the 209

"If it wasn't for my family, my friends, my dog and David's Pizza... I might never go back." -Me

Those are actual words that have left my mouth when discussing my hometown, Stockton, California. I mean this in the kindest of ways but... my hometown sucks. It seems as though every time Forbes Magazine comes out with a new negative top ten list (foreclosures rates, violent crime, most miserable, etc.), Stockton's on it. Tough times have lead to my old stomping grounds being a pretty rough place to live.

It's hard for me to be all negative; I loved my childhood and my upbringing. I've also traveled enough to know that every city has it's own downfalls. I totally understand and hold no resentment towards my friends and family that still choose to call Stockton home.

However, as you may have guessed, true Stockton pride can be tough to come by. Fortunately, there is still some genuine hometown pride from one up and coming local hero. Attached is a really cool story I found last night on MLB.com. It's about a pitcher for the Oakland A's, Stockton native, Dallas Braden. The dedication and hard work from people like Dallas is something that this city could really use.

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090625&content_id=5526578&vkey=news_oak&fext=.jsp&c_id=oak

No Holds Barred... Church Style

This morning Bri and I were getting ready for church. We have a church down the street from us that we've been attending (when we're in Gilbert on a Sunday morning) for the last few months. During a text conversation with her brother, Nick, he invited us to the church he attends and works at. We'd been a few times before and decided to go because he was playing guitar in the worship band. We headed to the 11:59 AM service (I know Dad... we're slackers). Bri was really excited to see her big brother play.

When we got to the service, one of the staffers got up for the welcoming message. He started off by saying something you never, I mean never, hear in church. He said, "please take out your cell phones and turn them on... we're going to use them today." The church was trying something new; they were having Q&A with modern technology. Church goers could text a question they had to a computer in the back. Nick, the Media Arts Pastor, would hand pick some questions, forward them to two pastors on stage who would read the questions and give their answers.

I had never seen anything like this before at a church service, and was really intrigued. Questions from the audience were all over the place: from whether or not Christians should be pro-life, to whether or not the Suns should have traded Shaq (not kidding).

Talking about it after, Bri and I both really enjoyed the service. We thought the pastors on stage did a great job handling some very tough Q's with some quality A's. They discussed their stand on gay-marriage and their view of the overall sin of homosexuality. They talked about how even though he is a God of Love, the fact is that a "good person" without a personal acceptance of Christ can still be sentenced to eternal damnation. There were many other interesting questions answered; these were just a couple.

This was a fun and different experience for me and I would recommend it as a cool idea to those close to me that work at churches (Stockton, Santa Barbara). It can be very helpful to shine a light on what a church is all about. Also, it's a great way to hear some honest insight from people you want to hear honest insight from.

Gotta go. The Yanks need to get out of the 7th still holding onto this lead. I think facing the anemic Mets lineup may have been just what Chien Ming Wang's confidence needed.

The Gift of Baseball

Last night my brother-in-law, Nick, and I took his two boys, Jake and Eli, to the Angels-DBacks game. The tickets were a gift to Jake for his Kindergarten graduation. This was the first time I had ever attended a baseball game with my nephews, and I was really looking forward to it. The game went about as expected, the Angels worked over their struggling counterparts for the DBacks most lop-sided defeat of the season... so far. The only reason that we would have even stayed around to see the end was the fact there were fireworks right after. We ended up leaving around the eighth inning because Nick had been fighting a major tooth-ache all day and he was ready to be gone. The boys and I were all cool with that; fireworks were no new phenomenon to me and it was about two hours past the boys' regular bedtime.

The game itself was just any other game to me. I've been blessed through my lifetime to see quite a few Major League games, and hundreds of other baseball games on top of those. However, this game will be a memory I will keep around. It has been no secret to my new family (my wife and I haven't even been married two years yet) that baseball is an important part of my life. Over the last few months, however, I think they've started to see that it is a lot more than something I just played for 18 years.

Baseball was a big part of my father's upbringing. He played baseball through high school (hitting over .500 his junior season isn't bad for someone with a bad leg from the time he was a young boy). Baseball was one of the cornerstones of the awesome relationship that he had with his little brother. They became Yankees fans together at a young age. With no local team to root for in Idaho, the only teams consistently televised were the Yankees, Pirates and Dodgers (they chose wisely).

My dad knew no better way to help raise his kids then with the valuable lessons of this humbling sport. My two older siblings and I all played baseball (softball for my sister) at least into high school. It was something we could do together, learn together and cheer for each other. It was as good for family bonding as anything else I can remember from my early years (one would play, mother would keep score, father would coach, siblings would cheer). This general formula continued, for me, all the way through college. It is very, very real to say that I would not have played baseball as long as I was able to without my family's support.

The beauty of baseball is that the overall way the game is played has undergone very little change for the last 100 years. So one generation can relate with the game and pass it on to the next. In a recent radio interview I heard self proclaimed "baseball nut" Alyssa Milano describe it as one of the greatest generational gifts. There is no better way than that for me to explain it.

I am not a baseball fan because it's just something to watch and cheer for, I am a baseball fan because it is something I can be a part of with those close to me (to this day, it is rare for me to have a conversation with my brother that doesn't touch on the Yanks). I do not have kids; although I try to love and treat my nephews and nieces as though they were my own. My wife and I have decided to leave our parenting decision up to the LORD. If I am someday blessed with children, they will not have baseball "pushed on them". It will be there as something they can experience together with their father if they choose to accept that gift. Easy to say, I'm glad I accepted it from mine.