James Woosley’s Blog

Okay, so it’s been two months since I last posted. Life is busy and such. So here’s a speed-round to catch up:

• Jack (the new dog) is now Lily Jack. Turns out he is a she.
• Back pain, flu and sinus infection. Physical therapy, medication and antibiotics.
• Read several books I need to review here, including QBQ, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce and The Fair Tax Book.
• Started Winning the Future, Good to Great and The Search for Significance…need to finish and review here.
• Volunteered for a Newt Gingrich dinner sponsored by the Alabama Policy Institute…got my picture taken with the Speaker and his autograph, plus a very special souvenir…a future post of its own.
• Still adjusting to being on a local consulting job and sleeping in my own bed every night. Isn’t it strange that that’s strange?
• Dealing with hundreds of instances of blog comment spam. I guess it means my blog is getting noticed by someone?
• Started my sixth Financial Peace University Class (visit GazelleIntensity.com)
• Finished my taxes in February…the earliest I’ve ever done it! Something about getting a huge refund (Adoption Tax Credit) can squash the urge to procrastinate.

And today is the two year anniversary of my departure to Taiwan to pick up Ian. What a trip and what an amazing two years!

More posts and more detail to come shortly I hope…as well as a software upgrade that can hopefully deal with the comment spam better. I hate that stuff (but I filter it so you don’t have to wade through it).

This week I started running again. Not that I ever really ran that much before, but since I have technically run at least once in the past and also stopped, the statement is true.

I’ve never really liked running alone. Solitude is okay for a nice stroll, but for a run, I need the extra motivation that only another person can bring (aka I don’t want to wimp out as easy).

The pastor of our church, Ed Litton, lives across the street and I’ve often seen him running at night. He’s run a few 10K’s and while not a speed demon (proper reference for a pastor…yeah, I said he’s not), he’s committed to doing it regularly. And since I’m now home every night, I decided to see if he wanted a partner for his outings.

We first ran on Tuesday night. After a half mile walking warm-up, we did another half mile then a mile walk to cool down. Not too impressive, but I’m just starting out again, remember?

Then Thursday he was feeling a cold coming on so skipped out. I didn’t have the energy to go on my own (remember that wimping out thing?), so I skipped too.

I just got back and we turned it up a bit tonight. He was running late, so I figured he had another engagement and just started on my own (say “Wow!”). Again with a half mile warm up walk and half mile run. Just as I finished, he came out of his house and we walked a half mile together. Then we turned it up with a full mile, followed by a mile cool down. (Are you following all the math here or just skimming?)

It was another beautiful night in lower Alabama. The stars were out, and the temp was perfect (mid to upper 50’s) for a run in January.

In addition to great exercise, it’s a great time of fellowship. Not that we only talk about God. We all know that our pastors are real people, but we sometimes forget it and have unrealistic expectations of them. If you have the opportunity, get to know the person who is your pastor. Not only will you gain a friend, but probably some extra insight to the sermon come Sunday morning.

And maybe, just maybe I’ll be ready for a 10K of my own this year!

Note: Comments for this post have been disallowed due to over 200 spam attempts.

I can’t hardly believe it’s been one year since I last flew on an airplane. It isn’t a big deal for most people, but I’m not most people (do I really want to use that line?).

As a travelling management and technology consultant for the past five and a half years, I logged more than half a million miles flying the friendly skies. It started before September 11th and through the aftermath. But last year I got off my last flight in preparation for a new position.

I was still traveling, but by driving 100 miles instead of flying 1000. Still a road warrior, just a bit closer to the Mel Gibson version (wheels on the ground, that is).

Now I mark yet another end and beginning. On Monday, I officially start a job that is just over 50 miles from home. For the first time in almost six years, I’ll be sleeping in my own bed every night. I’ll be able to tuck my kids into bed every night. And I’ll be able to fight with my wife over who owns the remote control every night.

Won’t it be grand!?!

Still, after this much time on the road, it’s going to be a major transition for all of us. I have to give up a lot of late hours at the office and peaceful/quiet nights in hotels/apartments on my own. They’ll have to deal with a husband/father and my view of the world beyond weekends.

Heather will have more help around the house and with the kids. Anna can complain to her dad about doing homework. Ian can fight with dad about going to sleep.

Overall, it’s a good thing. But there will be moments. Maybe I’ll share some on the blog. But I probably won’t.

It’s selfish, I know, but there’s a part of me that’s going to miss the travel and time to myself. It wasn’t glamorous travel, as I rarely did anything but work and sleep. And the time alone was too much at once, often leaving me feeling lonely and longing for home (try walking down the baby aisle in a supermarket when you’re a thousand miles from home).

But I’m a bit of a nomad and a loner. That part of the job fit my personality well.

I’m also a bit of a family man. Can’t imagine being single again. So that’s going to fit me well too.

Gotta run now…I need to carve my name into the back of the TiVo remote before Heather gets home!

I set a goal in November of making 40 posts by Christmas, but it looks like I’m going to be quite a few short. I could go on a massive writing spree if the spirit hits me, but it doesn’t look likely at this point.

Still, I’m posting more frequently than I have in the past, and hope to keep that up. I miss writing, and there are more people reading the blog now than when I started.

So what’s caused the slowdown? Some has been standard holiday doldrums and I just haven’t felt like writing. But I’ve also been going through changes at work, including quite a few nights without internet access. I wrote some posts offline, but it just isn’t the same.

I’ll keep going, and I’ll count this one too!

A few weeks ago Dave Ramsey had Larry Stewart (aka Secret Santa) on his show. It was a really neat interview with a man who secretly gave more than $1 million away a little bit at a time.

Larry now has a website where you can sign up to be a Secret Santa. You don’t have to give away money, just promise to commit a random act of kindness during the holidays. I signed up last week and today was my turn.

I’ve been in a bad mood for the last few days. Maybe it’s the holidays (I’ve always found them hard to enjoy…maybe because it throws off the rhythm of the rest of the year). Anyway, today I had to go out and finish my Christmas shopping. Heather’s done most of it this year, but I had to get something for her and for my secret gag gift person (we have a wicked cruel time in my family!).

I ventured to the store (can’t say where, they might be reading!). People were driving their cars like idiots, driving their carts like idiots, and whether cars or carts, the cell phone to their ear made it even worse.

After that trip, I headed to Walmart to get the van’s oil changed ahead of the trip to Missouri. The young lady who took the key had a red nose and looked absolutely beat. I assumed she had a cold. But when I came back to pay for my stuff and the oil service, she mentioned that she had a fight with a guy (husband? boyfriend?) and that the bills were stressing her out. Probably not a cold, but some serious crying.

I tried to lighten her mood with some cliches, told her I’d pray for her and wished her a Merry Christmas before heading to the parking lot. But when I got there, I just couldn’t drive off. I stashed my stuff and went back into the throngs of people (throngs, not thongs!).

You see, in addition to my shopping, I was looking for someone to help. God was telling me that she was the one to help. So I found a simple Christmas card, wrote a simple note and stuffed it with some cash. I walked back to the service entrance, saw her there and gave her the card. It’s funny, but she instantly had a wonderful smile. I told her Merry Christmas again and said that I was her Secret Santa. Then I walked out the door, jumped in the van and sped away. I felt like I needed to get out of there before she could open the envelope.

What a cool rush that was!

I just hope she doesn’t feel the need to look me up in the computer and send it back. I have to believe that maybe that small amount of cash will help her buy food or a toy for a child. I have to leave that to God. At the least I can believe that for a moment she felt some holiday spirit, and maybe that will carry her through whatever pain she’s going through this holiday season.

Your turn! What can you do for someone else? The challenge is on!