As I sit here contemplating the world and everything in it, I realize that the next 18 months are going to be tough with my entry into this Masters degree program and trying to juggle demands at work, my kids and my girlfriend.  

They say that nothing worth doing is easy.  In the end I think although the next year will be challenging, in the end I have this gut feeling is going to be rewarding.

Tough Time at Work

Today I had to lay off an employee that just transferred to my area 3 weeks ago. The sad thing is I agreed to take them on in order to help secure their job. I guess in the end all that is going on in my company and the industry I am in couldn't save their job. In the end I had the tough job of calling them into my office and letting them go. It is something I have not had to do in several years. I guess I have been blessed by a great team and we have weathered the storms in the past. I just hope we can keep weathering the storm.

This all comes down to our struggling economy and the ineffective leadership we have in our government. I blame both sides of the aisle. I hear all the "good news" about how the economy is starting to see signs of life, I have not really seen it yet. We will see what happens in the next quarter.

Starting School Again

As the kids go back to school, I have embarked on getting my Masters degree. I am taking an online course through Lamar University. So far it has been difficult to gauge how much time I need to spend and should spend on my studies. It seems like things are so busy with work that I have to balance work, school, family, girlfriend and my mental and physical health.

If you have any tips let me know.

Sanibel, Florida

I met Robin at the Fort Lauderdale airport and after spending the night in Boca Raton we headed west driving across the state to Sanibel Island. I must say it was nice to disconnect from work and just "be". We just relaxed, hanging out at the beach, picking up shells and relaxing. We rented a kayak and paddled around the mangrove swamps on the east side of the island. I need to do this more often.

I guess this means Robin and I are getting serious. It has been an incredible journey so far and I wouldn't change any moment I have had in the last year with her.