Friday afternoon

It really sucks when you pour your heart and soul into something, only to find out it was all for naught. It doesnt matter if it is for a new job, a relationship, or whatever. It still hurts you where it counts the most - in your heart. I know I did everything I could and yet it still wasnt enough. I dont know what else I could do.

There are days where I wonder where I would be without my family. They support me no matter what is going on. They call me all the time to make sure I am OK. They call to find out where I am going and when I will be home next. They constantly keep tabs on me.

Why is it that I cant have just SOMETHING - JUST ONE THING - go my way. WHY is that so hard to understand? Why is that so much to ask?

There is a song by Switchfoot that really exemplifies how I am feeling tonight:

And it all seems so helpless
And I have no plans
I'm a plane in the sunset
With nowhere to land

Like I said the other day in my Facebook status - why do I put all of my eggs in one basket? I guess it is because when I want something bad enough, its the only thing I concentrate on. Maybe when I am 83 I will finally learn. Why everyone I know seems to have life by the horns, living it every day, I sit on the sideline hoping coach will finally let me play. Like Rudy. They say life is what you make of it, how do you make a life when you have no life at all...

J-Dawg

Packers / Ravens Game 12/07/09

Hello from the frozen tundra of Green Bay! Last night, I was fortunate enough to be able to go to the Packers/Ravens game. It was 24 degrees at game time. I was about the 20 yard line on the Ravens side of the field.

The first half, the Ravens looked FLAT! I mean, FLAT! I think Flacco's passer rating in the first half was 26.4! They just had nothing in the tank. The Packers werent that great either, but they were connecting from time to time on 15-20 yard scampers. Aaron Rodgers was missing alot of his passes high.

There were a TON of penalties in this game...there were at least 3 Pass Interference Penalties on EACH TEAM of greater than 30 yards. I swear I thought I was watching the rookie team practice or something. On the penalty side, neither team looked good.

HALFTIME Packers 17 - Ravens 0

Third quarter, the Ravens came out QUICK and scored...they looked like they finally showed up for the game! Flacco was on to Mason, and the running game looked like it was going to do something.

THEN the 4th quarter hit.....

FLAT as the day is long...They simply ran out of gas. The Packers took every advantage they were given, and won the game 27-17. It was interesting down the stretch though. We scored with just under 2 mins to play to put the game away, but only AFTER we made it interesting. Lucky for us, on 2 consecutive pass plays, we intercepted the ball, once in the end zone.

All in all, it was a great game.

J-Dawg

Paying it Forward

Tuesday night found me sitting in Olney Illinois (at one of our dedicated offsite locations) without a load - no big deal, since I was able to get some paperwork done, and relax a little. Wednesday morning I grabbed the company car, and asked if there was a "Mom and Pop" diner in the area I could go grab breakfast from since I couldnt pick up my next load until after noon. I went down there and it was a really quaint diner. Very nice waitress, and you could tell right away, this was a mom and pop place with the older folks sitting around drinking coffee and talking.

About 20 minutes into breakfast I noticed a couple walk in, and they just had a look about them that said "down on their luck" not to be confused with "havent taken a bath". Soon after they sat down, the guy struck up a conversation with me about the hat I was wearing (my South Carolina Gamecocks hat) and asked if I was from SC. I told them my family lives down there and had just been down there to visit. I listened as they ordered a breakfast they could split. They BOTH looked like they could use a good meal! We talked off and on for another 10 minutes before I had to return with the car. As the waitress brought me my slip (still the old hand-written type!) I took my slip and met her at the register. I asked her if she had written up their order yet, and she had just placed it with the cook. I told her to go make them EACH that meal, and that I was going to pay for it for them. She asked why, and I asked her if she had ever seen the movie "Pay it Forward" and she had...so I told her that they were one of my three random acts of kindness to strangers. I then paid for their meals and mine, and asked her to write on their slip "Merry Christmas to you both. Your meals are on me. From the guy in the SC hat. Pay It Forward". The waitress I thought was going to cry. She said they come in about once a month when they can split a breakfast - its their treat to each other. He lost his job a few months ago and was doing odd jobs to get by.

GIVING -- it makes us all better people. I felt so good about what I had done - so I spent $10 on
breakfast - doesnt sound like much - but its how I felt after I did that that means the world to me. I am not rich, and I am not putting $100 bills in people pockets. It was a random act of kindness - a Pay It Forward act...I hope someday to get back to Olney!

J-Dawg