Tim's Training and Consulting Blog

Valentine's Day Love

2012-02-14T09:24:00.000-08:00

Today I received a link on Facebook and it read, "Every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favorite." This was posted by the most amazing Sheila Page-Bottorff, my wife, my Valentine, my everything. As this post signifies the last personal post under my Travel Blog, I wanted to make it special for the special person in my life.

Sheila has given me things I thought I would never possess. Now, possessions to me were important up until about a few months ago, but as I try to improve and remove the need for material things, I see that the most prized possession is not any single item per se, but someone's undeniable love and devotion. Which she delivers without hesitation in everything she does. I will always tell you that I do not deserve someone so valuable as Sheila, but I am thankful. I can only hope to give half as much love and devotion she has provided and perhaps she will find value in me. I love (live) you so much baby. Will you be my Valentine?

Brush off The Dust

2012-02-13T22:04:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I updated my business web site and needed a blog site to update my travels. So what I will be doing with this blog is talking about different personalities throughout my travels and extraordinary things from people I meet. 1, to show the appreciation and 2, to share with my subscribers that Business, Safety and Health will always be my focus, but there are things I learn that can be weaved in and out of the core fabric of my main business model. This last blog will be about Friends, and the new blog will be about business. Thanks for your patience as I transition.

Starting off, Tommy Adams, Eric Garcia and Sheila. First of all, Sheila will receive her very own blog post on the most special day of Valentine's day! So let me move on to Tommy and Eric. Affectionately known as T-Bone and G-Spot....Nick Names you see...

When I was traveling back and forth to Orange County The first two folks I met were these two characters. But I tell you what, I wouldn't change it for the world. They ended up becoming really GREAT friends. I miss them, but still hold them in my every thought. Here are some of the crazy things we used to do: We played trash golf, PSP Tiger Woods, rapped songs in the style of country, (Well Eric Did) I stunk at that, but could do a mean beat box.

Trash golf was simple. Take a wad of paper and shoot (throw) them into designated trash cans throughout the 4000 square foot facility. The PSP was pretty cool too, my first exposure to connecting hand-helds. In between these matches we would go to Eric's pad (before marriage) and have a game night, where I would rule the Tiger Woods Golf arena! Good Times Guys!

Tommy Left for Japan in Mid 2006 and it was just me an Eric. Although, Eric and I lived through Tommy's pictures and late nights, vicariously.

My week visits brought me back and forth to Orange County in which I started staying with Eric. He was so hospitable. We would have dinner and at times, his mom would make us dinner too. We would play tennis and sometimes basketball if me knee was up to it.

All-in-all, these were great times! Best of all, Eric is now Married, and has a new son, Noah. Tommy is back from Japan and has a great girlfriend too!

Memories were never better. Thanks for everything you two. I hope we stay in touch!

The best part about this blog is that if I could mirror these guys, I would. They are both examples of guys you would be comfortable marrying the next door neighbors daughter, but not mine...haha! Just Kidding! These guys rock! Thanks for all your technological upkeep for a no-tech savvy Filipino.

Windshield to Debris Field

2010-03-26T13:55:00.001-07:00

I'm sitting in the waiting room/lobby waiting to get a new winshield
on the Camry that Sheila used to drive. The car goes to Courtney in a
couple of weeks. As I sit here and ponder the thought that Courtney,
my oldest daughter is beginning to drive, what could be going through
the mind of a teenager in this era of super technology. Facebook,
Myspace, Blogging, Texting...whatever it is; are kids doing this while
driving? I have researched many publicized events in which teenagers
texting while driving causes much grief for family and friends. If
Nancy Grace ever gets a hold of it, never mind the family grief, but
drag the entire continent through the grief as well. The likes of
Oprah, local TV, 60 Minutes and many other outlets have explored the
texting and driving phenomenon. The reason I sat down to write this
blog was not driven politically, out of frustration with rules, or any
other reason other than just simple love for my girls. Don't get me
wrong, the texting and driving laws should be an effective way to
deduce the likelihood of a catastrophe, but is texting all that kids
do? What about rushing to school? What about eating breakfast? What
about friends in a car? What about a bad day at school which pro-
generates homeward bound frustration? What about the iPod connection
failing? What about the assignment they missed and all they could
think about was just finishing it and not the red light they just ran?
What about the billboard marketing a new Disney movie that they just
had to go and see? What about the wind that blows so hard it jostled
the car? What about the accident they just got in because......?

There are many questions that any normal parent would think the moment
their own child takes the keys to the car. You can only hope that you
don't get a call from authorities asking you to come and identify your
child's body in a debris field caused by an accident that occured with
them in it.

Some simple steps to help avoid a mishap can simply start with wide
open communication. Know what your child does. Know what their intent
is when they go somewhere. Know what their destination will be. Know
who their friends are and who they hang out with. Know their frame of
mind prior to them leaving. Triggering on Rushing is a trademark item
that I teach as a result of Safestart, but do kids do it? Are they
under tremendous amount of pressure? Yes! Have frequent discussions
with your child to better understand their frame of mind. You can
only hope that it won't be your last conversation.

In exactly two weeks Courtney takes the keys to the old family Camry.
She will be 16....where did the time go? With all my will, I have to
restrain fear and hope that Sheila and I have done a good enough job
for Courtney to think on her own. I think a tall tale sign is when
she constantly points out my distractions while I drive myself. It
sounds funny. But seriously, I get a bit defensive, but I know she is
absolutely right! So I just (mostly) bow my head and say alright,
alright. But she has been able to communicate like this because we do
it with her, but it is only fair that we behave as we want our kids to
behave, because the last thing we want is to have our kids peer
through the windshield and the last thing they see is a debris field.

I love you Courtney! Please take the wheel to your car and know that
your mom, sister and I love you and always want you to return home
safely just as you left it.

Three Awe Shits

2010-02-15T13:35:00.000-08:00

Three times this week. Three freaking times! Ok, the first one was
no big deal. They couldn't find an authorized gate agent to operate
the jet way. Who was the person that shut the door on the outside.
They are authorized to shut an aircraft door but not authorized to
operate a jetway? How unproductive is that. Maybe that's why they
filed bankruptcy..... Hmmm???

Okay the second time was in Columbus, Oh. This is the lowest form of
wierdness I have seen US Airways pull. There was an odd flight
attendant with an incredible Napolean Syndrome, except she wasn't
short. She wanted everyone to know that she had authority. I mean,
gosh! Let me give you an example. I flew first class on the way to
Columbus and that flight was very comfortable and the service was
impecable! But, as the old addage goes, one awe shit takes away alot
of atta' boys. I digress, the return trip is the second awe shit in
this series of awe shits. The flight attendant I started explaining
about was stopping in every aisle forcing everyone to push their bags
in "or else!!". Now this is where it goes crazy! She cannot manage to
get the dinger sound to work to get the other flight attendant's
attention. She is in the rear of the aircraft and she was trying to
hail the front of the aircraft. The dinger didn't work. She came all
the way to the front of the aircraft and banged on the cockpit door,
they unlatched the lock to the cockpit and she literally screamed to
the pilot that the overhead dinger didn't work. It all sounds so
silly, but I was there! I was in my assigned seat, 5F (no upgrade
this time). The pilot calmed her down and told us we would be delayed
until they can get the dinger to work. 30 minutes later they still
can't get the dinger to work. But the pilot came on the sound system
and said very sarcastically, "we have other means of communication
within the aircraft!". Almost to say to the flight attendant, SHUT
UP! But of course he was politically correct with his calm submissive
self towards the antichrist of type A personalities.

So the third Awe Shit happened today on my way to Ohare, my second
least favorite airport; Denver International is my least favorite.

The aircraft secondary electrical system didn't work. I know that 72
degrees isn't stifiling, but put 143 people into an Airbus 320 and it
becomes a sauna. The AC didn't work without the secondary electrical
system. Well, guess what else doesn't work without that SES? The
engines won't rotate to start, so they have to roll the cart that
blows air into the engine to get it started. This really didn't annoy
me, because it has happened on several occasions. What really did
annoy me is a passenger in my row who didn't get upgraded to First
Class. I didn't either, but I don't let the whole world know I am
pissed because I didn't recieve an upgrade. She had the "whole world
owes me" attitude. I don't know what causes that kind of attitude but
I promise all of my readers to never act that way! If I do please let
me know!

So no matter what happens, if you are just glistening for doing
something so great and awesome, it can be overshadowed by just one awe
shit. You can have many great accolades, but one awe shit will delete
them forever. Why? It really doesn't matter why, but just remember,
people have a tendency to remember the bad things you have done
regardless of all the good. Don't leave this world with a bad taste
in everyone's mouth. US Airways has so much to give and learn, but I
see the same problems over and over again. I don't know if they can
recover from so much shit. No pun intended.

Sent from Tim's iPhone

SWA seat 15 A

2010-02-08T14:45:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting in seat 15A on Southwest (SWA) flight 1509 traveling to Portland, Oregon. I find myself laughing at myself. My ass is killing me, the flight is completely full. If they served cheeseburgers the seat capacity would expand so far that everyone would need those slimming jeans for women. Yes!!!! The men too.

I wanted to comment on the psychology behind the Southwest boarding phenomonon. If you have never traveled using Southwest you may not know about the rules and the boarding process. Let me explain:

The boarding process on SWA is a simple process for seasoned veterans. You know who I am talking about! The "A" listers. The people that fly SWA more than 30 segments a year. I fall into that category but I don't buy into all of the hoopla. But if it is your first time you are going to be blown away. Before I begin I have to explain that there are two types of SWA passengers. The first type is the anal pascifist who is an A lister who flies SWA so much he/she is recognized by every single flight attendant. The SWA A lister gets to skip the long security line and recieves boarding priveledges over the second type of passenger. The second type of passenger is the "who cares where I sit passenger" when they board or the person that knows nothing about the SWA boarding policy and arrives dumbfounded. What is this letter and number mean? Is that my seat number? Oh my god! Really?! I didn't know I could check in online. Those are a few quetions the second type of passenger might ask.

Now, when the second type of passenger arrives at the gate they approach five tall silver pillars and two tv screens. The pillars identify where you stand according to your boarding pass number and group. The tv screens tells everyone how the boarding process works but no one pays attention. 25 minutes before departure the gate agent reviews the boarding process. Again, no-one listens. What do you mean I board after the "A" group? That is what a woman asks traveling with her two small children. SWA is not family friendly. The families board between groups A and B not first. The A group has potentially 60 people. The B group also has 60 people but they board after the A group. A, B, and C are the three boarding groups. Respectively, A goes first then B then C. If you are in the A group you are almost guaranteed to get any seat in the airplane. If you are B, you are mostly certain to get a non middle seat but not your first choice. If you are in the C group you are very likely to get a middle seat.

Now, here is the phenomonon; most A listers travel together and sit together with a middle seat open. They also have a tendency to lean inward at the middle seat. If you happen to be at the end of the B or in the C group, you are gonna have to chose the middle seat. Secretly people are hoping you will pass their middle seat as they cower closer and closer towards the middle hoping you walk by them. If you happen to chose that seat, you are polite and ask if anyone is sitting there. As soon as you ask, you see the red sea split and that middle seat is wide open. The person sitting next to the hatch leans against the bulkhead and the aisle person leans out into the aisle.

It is comical watching people boarding on a SWA flight! Today the biggest person on the flight boarded last and was flustered because all that was left were middle seats. The guy sat between two other guys that were just as big in the shoulders.

I laugh beacause I start wondering what kind of SWA passenger I am...being an A lister, I don't have to check in online because I am guaranteed to board in the low A's. The only demand I have is usually a window seat that is perfectly situated to where my shoulder fits in it. Guess what? 15A wasn't assigned, it was selected. I chose to sit here. I suppose the irony between the two type of passengers are the one's that choose and the ones that settle. I want to choose what I want! I don't want to settle. I will live my life with this as my motto. For you SMFPB.

Sent from Tim's iPhone

Spasms to Arrogance

2010-01-28T16:50:00.001-08:00

Oh jeez! I guess being a safety professional keeps me honest in regards to power tools, ladders, safety glasses, oh and many other things! One thing it does not do, it does not allow me to have clairvoyance on potential progressively, worsening back injuries. Namely: Mine.

I think for those that know me, I have had minor back problems off and on again for the last 3 years. It has flared up causing me pain I labeled 5 out of a possible ten. I cannot tell you what a ten is on a scale of ten, but I think i might have a guess.

When I broke my leg in 1997 I called that a ten. To give you a picture, I was sledding down a small hill with my oldest daughter in the front of the sled. I promised the two ten year old boys that I would test the ramp before they got on it, and so I did. I hit the ramp, and went airborne......my leg came out and before you know it the Alpine Volunteer Fire department showed up to mend my broken leg. It was broke in two spots. The smaller bone called the fibula was broke and the major damage was done to the tibia/ankle connection. Yeah my ankle broke away and my tibia separated from my foot. I called that a ten on a scale of ten....If you scaled it on a score of cussing, well I think I said every cuss word I have ever said when I was in the Marine Corps.

So seven months ago, I received my last adjustment from my Chiro. I felt pretty healthy. I was playing baseball, traveling and doing everything I normally do, pain free. Some minor pain returned prior to Christmas and our trip to Illinois. It was a 3 on the scale. We drove to Illinois, and at times I reached a 5 on the scale of ten. I got a call from my chiro while I was in Illinois and he delivered the results of my MRI that was ordered after my last visit. It was pretty shocking: I had a herniated disk at L5-S1 Which is the last disk going toward your legs. The disk extrusion was bad enough that it pushed and pinched my sacral and sciatic nerve. At first the pain radiated down my left leg and then overnight started down the right leg. After we returned from Illinois the pain gradually increased until one day I could not stand up. The pain was an 8 on the scale.

At my last chiro and doctor's visit they gave me a pain killer shot, but that didn't even take the edge off. I couldn't even stand up. The ride home in the truck was painful too, you see, I couldn't sit either. I get home, my chiro even made a house call...my pain reached 9 on the scale. I was on my back on the floor for comfort taking muscle relaxers, pain meds, and anti-inflamatories. They just weren't working.

The last straw: going to the rest room. I couldn't even crawl back to my spot on the floor. I officially reached a ten on the scale. It hurt so bad that an ambulance was needed to take me to the hospital. I cried I was in so much pain....It hurt!

The hospital was the turn around. I got three shots, and Valium. When I returned home I slept on the floor with the cushion from the futon and the pain started going down to a 4 during sleep and back up to around an 8 on the scale of ten, in the mornings.

All in all, I feel much better but will no longer have arrogance and ignorance about my back. Safestart has really taught me alot. Safestart has been in motion with most everything I do but now it will be EVERYTHING especially if I know my back will be involved. I know, I know! There wasn't one injury that caused my back problems. But you see, that's just it! I took it for granted! Even today, I opened the door and leaned out the door for someone that was in a wheel chair. I used my back to force the door open and I felt the strain. I noticed it this time, but would have never thought about it before. (Mind on Task) (Self Triggering on the Amount of Energy)

Now the reason I titled this blog entry Spasms to Arrogance is simple. After watching the State of the Union last night, I was introduced to a phenomenon I have never seen before. Obama was so arrogant last night and the feel of his delivery felt circus-like. Most things were a joke and he kept cracking jokes. Our situation in the U.S. is so dire, why joke now? What about this crap calling the Supreme Court out in front of everyone. That is rediculous! It was a spasm to his arrogance. I will work hard to remember where I am, how much force I need to use, and understand the level of energy that will cause me to use force before I commit my back to anything. Unlike Obama, I will think first before I have a spasm causing arrogance(ignorance.)

I would not be in the spirit i am in today if it weren't for Sheila. She was there every step of the way. She brought me breakfast, lunch and dinner, she prepared my medication, she helped me bathe, she maintained the needs of the kids, the needs of the house, and managed to do this all with her back hurting too. Babe I love you! I will never be macho and I will never be arrogant about my back or anything else ever again!

Now, LET"S GET TO WORK!!

Stifling Humidity

2009-10-16T18:18:00.000-07:00

93, 94, 96, and yes even 99....

The average temperature for central Florida in October is 81 degrees for a high and 71 degrees for a low. We anticipated a ton of humidity going down there, but didn't expect that Florida would have record highs as well. When we landed on Friday it was a mild 97 degrees with 80% humidity. Heat indexes would suggest that the "feels" like temperature was 109 degrees. Now, you can get used to this coming from Phoenix! However, I was in Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada for a week prior to going to Florida. Even though the temperature is measured in Celsius......IT WAS STILL COLD! Flew to Phoenix for 8 hours and whamo....instant swamp ass factor in Florida. I could tell you that the Barometric pressure went up every day, because every joint in my body felt it. You could just call me a walking barometer. I am glad that I live in a "dry" climate, but man....it WAS HOT and NASTY! For you Floridians: Thanks for your hospitality, especially during WEFTEC. I know with the weight of humidty on your shoulders, it would be easy to lose your patience....but...you all had terrific customer service, so thank you!

Flag Ship Electrolab

2009-08-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

What a week in Belleville, ON. It's funny, I am listening to the Rent Soundtrack and "Would You Light My Candle" is playing in my iPod. This is a cool strange metaphor. As Safestart celebrated it's tenth year of existence and Larry's provincial hair flick, there were many good feelings I experienced this week.

I think lighting candles are important and I do hope that Safestart lights a thousand more candles. Upon the lighting of the tenth, I found myself in the middle of REAL family event.

I know I live in Arizona, and I know I travel all the time, and well, I only go to Canada really only 2-3 times a year. This time was the most incredible.

I laughed, cried, hollered, partied, slept, but most of all, the one emotion that I wish could be canned is the way I felt like I belonged. I thought it was mostly hypnotic because everyone was giddy. I don't think the liquor had anything to do with it either, well wait! This is Electrolab! Ha....just kidding, but really, if you weren't drunk, you knew what the feeling was especially if you work for or around Electrolab. To the folks at Electrolab! You are truly remarkable. I hope the ship sets sail forever and you all are around to light many candles and celebrate many birthdays. Because, Barb said it best, you are preventing 5,000,000 injuries each year! Thank you for letting me be a part of it!

Knee This

2009-08-10T18:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I suppose it is the end of a very active summer for me. Last week we went to Illinois for a 20 year class reunion at my old high school in Mattoon. I had loads of fun, but it was a precursor for things to come. After we returned from Illinois, we immediately had to pack to go to Las Vegas for my brother's 21st birthday. We partied, we walked, we danced and oh yes, we gambled. But still, a hidden devastating injury lurks. After we returned from Vegas, I had to pack to do my monthly JoshuCasey trip in Anaheim. I left on Monday after returning from Vegas on Sunday. My week went spectacular, and I managed to play three days of tennis with Eric, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I got home on Friday and had a baseball game on Friday night. I felt out of sorts on Friday and made some mental mistakes on the field. Sheila and I went to a wedding on Saturday morning and had a great time! I was gonna stay home with the girls Saturday night while Sheila had a night out with the girls. Her friends from high school were getting together, but she talked me into going with them. We went to Cadilac Ranch at the Tempe Marketplace and had a good time, drinks and dancing. Got to bed around 1am Sunday morning, and had another baseball game at 9am. It is the 7th inning and I was catching my good friend Mike Mcloughlin and we were playing Dan Marjele's baseball team. The batter hit a 1-2 pitch foul behind the plate towards third base by the dugout. I jumped out of the catcher's croutch and ran over to field the ball. The ball was playable, but the wind brought the ball back towards the field and I miss-judged the ball and planted my leg on the fringe to catch the ball, that is when I heard a snap and my knee buckled. I didn't feel any pain but felt some discomfort. I had previously tore my ACL in 1997 playing basketball at Motorola. I got up and tried to warm up with Mike but my knee buckled again, and this time made three crackling sounds. This time it was very uncomfortable. I think I tore my ACL again.

Ground Zero No More

2009-01-18T19:59:00.000-08:00

As the Wife, Kids and I approached Liberty St. in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, we were taken aback by the construction cranes, fences and workers. We knew why we went to this location but did not have any expectations. This is where the twin towers of the World Trade Center stood.

The new foot print was just about complete with upwards progress nearing street level. There was still a great deal of work to be done, and the promise of something new going in its place was immanent. Then, there was the visitors center. With Ladder Station 39 next to it. It ALL came rushing back in my spine and an instant feeling of horror. I was terrified. I instantly remembered that fateful moment.

FLASHBCAK! I got a phone call at 5:35 am in California on September 11, 2001. I was getting ready to teach an Emergency Response class for the City of Escondido and Sheila was on the phone asking, if I had seen the news about an airplane crashing into Tower 1 of the World Trade Center. Then two minutes later, I saw the other airplane slam into Tower 2. Did my Uncle get out? What about all those people above the crash areas? Should I teach class? How am I going to get home? What about all those people? The towers fell..... What about all those people? What about the Emergency Responders. I literally did not know what to do.

Flights were cancelled. Rental cars were scarce.

FLASHBACK! I was standing in front of the memorial. There were 2752 names enblazed on the tablet in front of me. I was absorbed in overwhelming sorrow. Sobbing with Sheila and my kids, I was just so happy for what I had. And I still could not answer one question. What would I do if I lost either one of my family members? I could not stand it at all. In the room where the names were listed, one of the twisted bits of metal from Tower 1 was encased in a glass box with pictures of the old standing tower behind it. Next to that room was a wall that resembeled the walls with missing people pictures.....it was a wall that never ended. I saw a name on the memorial, then I saw the missing person picture that the family must of put together on their home computer. Al Claxo was his name. It was at this moment that I had moved from sorrow to just pure anger.

FLASHBACK! I was on my way home in a Lincoln Navigator. I had to drive from San Diego to Phoenix because all the flights were cancelled. Once I got home I hugged both my kids and my wife. I got news that my uncle was okay and he got away from the tumbling wreckage. I shook my head and was in complete awe, and wondered who could have done this? Was it the same group that tried to take it down in 1993? It was! Osama Bin Laden and Al Queda....Anger Anger

FLASHBACK! I walked out of the memorial and saw the Ladder Station that belonged to Ladder 39 of the FDNY. No more anger, now I fealt releaved that there were men and women that walked up many flights of stairs, that tried to evacuate most people, that followed some emergency plan...that did so much to uplift the spirits of all that needed help. I fealt that these people will always be remembered as Heros! It was at this point I walked by a construction fence that had a hole in it and I saw Ground Zero, where the towers once stood. There was new construction there and an explanation of what to expect. http://www.national911memorial.org/site/PageServer?pagename=New_Memorial_Page

I was happy to see that the pools with silent water falls were going into the foot prints of the old towers. Then, it was at this point......I thought, This is Ground Zero No More, but the New World Trade Center.

It was Ironic. Two blocks away, the US Airways flight 1549 where ALL the passengers survived, and I happened to get pictures of the wreckage, was being rigged and preped for transportation to a marina across the Hudson. The Irony reminds me of a statement that George W. Bush said, "You can knock our buildings down, and we can rebuild, but you cannot knock our resolve down." This was evident in the air around the construction site once referred to as Ground Zero. More importantly, it has shown me how resiliant we are as Americans. Like the pilot that guided that plane to safety and allowing everyone to survive.

I have learned so much growing up, but it is these last 9-10 years where I have learned the most. Since 9-11 we have stood up to tyrany, we have rebuilt, we have elected a black president, we have failed, we have prospered, but we never say, we are still at Ground Zero. We knew the level of destruction, but what we knew more of is how much more we are capable of, in others words, it is the Phoenix that makes me think this deaply. Out of the Ashes comes something newer, and yes there will be a memorial, but 9-11 will still be remembered, and something new will be in its place. IT WILL BE GOUND ZERO NO MORE!

No First Quarter Blues

2009-01-11T19:44:00.000-08:00

It is a happy New Year, and things are progressing absolutely wonderful. At the end of the year I was fortunate enough to get to teach some wonderful folks in the village of South Lake Tahoe. The snow, the blue water, the mountains and old friends. It was all terrific! It was a sign for things to come in the new year.

2009 has already started, and I have been busy. I have been to Portland, Oregon to do some Safestart overview sessions and am packing for Calexico and El Centro. Of course, I leave tomorrow, but I wanted to write about my (if any) resolutions and what I am thankful for in 2008.

2008 was not like our usuall installment of every four years. This year we had a crazy Olympics, we had an historical election, and the economy is at its worst in 65 years (so the TV says). You all remember my opinion about the sluggish economy, and it still baffles me. I also wanted to add, that I had some wonderful personal stuff happen to me as well! Other than becoming the National Water Environment Federation Safety Committee Chair, and becoming the first Non-Public person to be the Program Chair for Tri-State I have actually made some time to spend at home with the wife and kids which I am very happy about that. I also got to see Tommy Adams and Kelly Dempsey, after a two and a half year hiatus.

So, lets see......do I have any resolutions??? Get Eric to join Facebook, Negotiate a more beneficial salary for JoshuaCasey. Make Sheila Happier! Treat her with respect....watch her in Carnegie Hall. Go to Disney World and New York City. Consider a potential stock market collapse with a "more-government" president in the white house. Wonder why businesses have the first quarter blues.

We do have the savior in the office come January 20th and the big three auto makers are considering bankruptcy. We have a majority of the Fortune 100 companies struggling and shrinking and...well I am going to stop there.

Is the first quarter blues going to cripple the market? Time can only tell. Ronald Reagan said, "The economy needs less government to rebound." I think that is profound. We saw the economy rebound fully. Barrack Obama said, "The economy needs more government." Wow, I hope his vision is right. There is a proven track record for the other to work. So, maybe this is the injection we need, of course, the long lines at Costco, and the sold out Mario Cart for Wii, and the American Girl Doll accessories will be more abundant too if the economy gets stronger. Right? Oh yeah, I forgot the economy sucks. Maybe we all have the first quarter blues, especially if everything is sold out and there are long lines at all the retail stores. Remember people, profit is different than total sales. If total sales are down then, that doesn't automatically mean that profit is affected.

Exit 44 and the Voice of Reason

2008-11-05T16:51:00.000-08:00

Today I was traveling across the overpass of I-80 in Oakland. When I got onto the 880 freeway going to the Oakland Airport, I passed Exit Number 44. As I approached that exit, it suddenly dawned on me that the 44th president was going to be someone that I did not vote for and this was an exit I had to take whether I liked it or not. (How Ironic)

After watching the concession speach delivered by John McCain, I was stricken by a sad situation that the stigma of George W. Bush has put into the minds of everyone. I watched a war hero turned-Bush fall guy deliver the most impactful speach of the year. He moved me in such a way that I had no other choice but to believe in Barrack Obama. John McCain is truly a professional nice guy, and I will always remember the fight he had to battle. For every step he took forward, there was always some sand pit, or swamp, or hot dessert, or deep pit, or aligators pulling him back. It was a cliche of a campaign-in that McCain already lost before the election. For every step forward he took two steps back. Mostly, the two steps back were directly related to the dogma/stigma of being so close to the adminstration that over 69% of America did not approve of.

Shame on you America for not deciding for a man who could have provided change. The change we needed.

I will not leave you on a negative note, because like you, I was truly uplifted by the presence of hope that the elated faces looking upon Barrack Obama had. I told my cousin, who attended the Grant Park historic event that I fealt overwhelmed with feelings of being Patriotic after the announcement of the President Elect on Fox News. The sole reason, I think, is because of the barriers it breaks for a great number of people. American People! The People of the United States have spoken. I may not agree, but nevertheless, I feel patriotic about what happened.

I hope that Barrack Obama can live up to his Tiger Woods-esque expectations for his, our's and our children's sake. We do not need a let down, after so much uplifting hope has filled over 57% of all America. I hope the 57% is the Voice of Reason because exit 44 is a road we ALL have to take now. Let's support our President and serve our country to the best of our ability. I know McCain has, I know my dad has, and I know I have. Have you?

The Economy Sucks When.....

2008-09-13T20:39:00.000-07:00

...you go to Las Vegas and you can barely move around because there is no room. Why is there no room? Everyone is spending money on drinks, gambling, smoking, dancing, sporting events, concerts....

...you go to Olive Garden and there is a two hour wait. But as you walk up to the bar...you can sit down and eat right away....

....the Suns Season tickets are sold out, even before the season starts.

...people keep using all the fuel but complain about conservation and global warming.

...people blame government for their mistakes.

...when people want more government when they are still on welfare.

...people go out and spend their tax return check, but then complain about taxes.

...the Dark Knight makes a record $155 million dollars in its first weekend.

...Hollywood makes more money in the three day weekend the Dark Knight opens...ever...

I have really been trying to stay away from the political unrest that is the Media of our upside down 2008. The democrats have really condescended the idea that an outsider cannot bring in new ideas(Speaking of Palin). I watched Bill Maher last night on HBO and his panel were really inserting feet into mouths. Janeane Garofalo was the epitome of backfire. I think that the democratic party is shooting themselves in the foot by belittling the candidates of the republican party. The media feeds fuel to the fire, by showing and asking all that they want to here for their audience. Show the whole story, not just the stuff you want to here. I can't stand the editorial-isms from the liberal media.

It has been this way for democrats for a long time. Bring somebody down to bring themselves up. When Garofalo said that Bush did not win either election...hmmm I think he is in office now...I know that she is just a liberal hippy that looks for the first weed machine in downtown L.A. when her depression kicks in, of course, it was the federal government that was responsible for her depression in the first place. Damn the federal government for not creating a psychological disorder for what she has...she may need it when she files for federal reimbursement. Of course, which needs federal oversite to make sure that the money is being appropriated to people that actually filled out the right applications.

I am definitely being sarcastic but I am just sick and tired of people complaining. It is not the people making a case about the issues, it is the people that take things to a personal level. Like, Garofalo. She needs others to make sure her low self esteem can be picked up once and awhile. The economy sucks when people like Garofalo are concerned that there isn't enough government to make the economy better. Sorry, Janeane IT IS THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE THE ECONOMY GREAT, NOT GOVERNMENT!

17 Years of Bliss

2008-08-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

In case you might be wondering, I have not traveled for a week and am home for another week. I have decided to skip talking about traveling and talk about my wonderful wife who, I met 17 years ago August 31.

As I relax today; Sheila and I went on a long awaited date lastnight and we had a great time. We went to a restuarant/bar called Barcelonas in Scottsdale. We ate, drank and danced. But, neither of us figured out it was our 17 year meeting aniversary. You see, we met 17 years ago.....Here is the story:

There was this Maroon 1985 Ford Escort driving in circles on Camp Pendelton, California Marine Base. We happened to intercept the car. What's more, there were three ladies in the car. Funny thing was, you could not see the driver over the seat. But for me and my buddies, there were some chics in the car.....so.....lets.......follow......them! As we followed them, they get lost, we get frustrated, and we continue on. But now, they make a u-turn, and they start following us.

Our final destination was the Del-Mar E-club. You see, the term E-club means, enlisted Marines club, so we knew there would be a lot of horny drunk marines there, but what the hell. I liked to dance, and there were women to be had! Until......

These three young women came up to me and my friends and asked us to sign them in. Civilians cannot get into the club unless they have an escort. Here is the irony, these three ladies were the ones in the Maroon Ford Escort. One of them was Sheila. My wife. We drank, we danced but we did not eat. Sheila had to get home with her sister and cousin. We invited them to Dennys but we got denied. I thought that would be the end of it. Sheila went to work the next day, and I hung out with my friends. I call Sheila that evening, and she thought my name was TOM???!!!?? So I corrected her. Of course, she didn't tell me this until 16-17 years later.

As you can see in this picture, this is 17 years ago. Damn we look good. I have had the most memorable 17 years of bliss. We have two wonderful girls Courtney, 14 and Camryn, 10. We have a gourgeous house in Mesa, AZ and we both love what we do. What more could you ask for? I would ask for, 200 more years just like the 17 years of Bliss we just had.

Ithaca is Gorges

2008-08-15T06:55:00.000-07:00

Instead of complaining about traveling, I decided to post a positive note this time. I traveled to Ithaca, New York on Monday to deliver a couple of overview sessions for Safestart. The company was Borg Warner who manufacturers several components for engines, transmissions and many other items for cars and trucks.

Between sessions, the host (Training Manager) Steve Waight drove me out beyond the finger lakes into an area that had many gorges and waterfalls. When I typically think of New York I automatically get a vision of Times Square or Taxis bustling around town. Well, that image is now changed forever. The waterfall in the picture is the tallest waterfall east of the Mississippi river. It is called Taughonnock falls and the area was incredible. If you wanted to say something about the majestic areas of the United States, you would think The Rockies, or the Grand Canyon. This area was truly majestic and belongs in the same sentence as the aforementioned.

I have ended my week for the last training class for Terra Industries. They manufacture Anhydrous Ammonia. There location is in Woodward, Oklahoma and is near the pan handle. When I left Phoenix on Monday it was already 92 degrees at 6am. When I got to Ithaca it was 56 degrees, and when I arrived in Oklahoma it was 74 degrees. What a relief from the desert heat. Whats more, is I played a game of golf on Thursday, but it started pouring and there were lightning strikes within less than a couple of hundred feet. So, the golf game was suspended. But the company was incredible! Justin, Scott and Mr. Ellis, all employees from Terra, were awesome. So within the last couple of weeks, I have played golf in Aliso Viejo, Anna, Ohio, and now Woodward, Oklahoma. What a treat. It makes the whole traveling in an airplane worth it. More importantly, I get to meet nice people like Steve, Scott, Eric G., Brian, Justin and ole' Smokey.

Just as Ithaca is "Gorges" so are the people I get to meet each and every time I go to work. If it weren't for the people, this job would be meaningless.

The Next to Last Nail

2008-08-08T13:25:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe my Thursday this week. Well the first 1/3 of the day was great. I performed observation and feedback training to TAM International in Houston. Students were awesome and the southern hospitality was incredible.

On the way into Houston, we were flying about 1 to 2 hours ahead of Tropical Storm Edourd. We landed and there were no problems. Unless you want to consider 40 minutes to get your checked bag a problem...

After Thursday's class I had a 4 hour break between the class and flying home. Regrettably, I had a bit of anxiety getting home. Never-the-less, it does not excuse US Airways' behavior on this evening.

The incoming flight arrived in Houston an hour late. This was the typical, oh no big deal, it happens all the time simple "it's okay" error. As we were lining up to get onto the airplane, the gate agent (who worked really hard, it's just that he had that logo on his shirt that said US Airways) was told by the pilot that there was a tray table that would not lock in the upright position. So we had to wait for maintenance. There was another problem with the aircraft, a seat was stained from a previous passenger so they would not let anyone sit in it. I would say that would be about a $350 error (the cost of a one way flight from Houston) Literally, it was already 9:40 when we started loading. Now we are sitting on the airplane and the engines won't start, so now we have to wait for an air cart, to manually start the airplane engines.

Finally in the air. 8pm Phoenix time. 9:45pm we start to circle over the border of Arizona and New Mexico. We circled in the air for about 45 minutes. There was a storm on the ground in Phoenix that forced the closure of Sky Harbor airport. UGGGGHHHHHGHHGHHG.

We run out of fuel, and we have to divert to Tucson. Oh, well. Wait, there are all of the other airplanes that were supposed to land in Phoenix here on the ground in Tucson. 17 aircraft waiting for fuel. We ended up being 12th in line. I was an optimist and said, "at least we weren't last." But o contrair mo'frare. We were on the ground for 2.5 hours in Tucson. We received fuel 12th in line just like we were supposed to. But! Wait! Our engines wouldn't start. Well they wouldn't start in Houston.....why would they start in Tucson? So we had to wait for an air cart again. Last plane on the ground, and wouldn't you know it a passenger looses their cool. She just HAD to get off the plane. So they let her off. There is another story here for another time, but my gosh, we were ready to leave, and she spazes out now????

So what do I do? Is US Airways at fault here? DO I call them up and complain?

Comment me back and let me know what my next steps are. I am sure this is the last time I keep my composure. This is the Next to Last Nail that will keep the coffin shut.

US Airways, Nickels and Dimes

2008-07-31T21:02:00.000-07:00

As I returned from Columbus, Oh. I am absolutely frustrated beyond words.

I read in the USA Today last week that US Airways lost $567 Million Dollars in the first quarter of 2008. First of all, I find this hard to believe, because every flight I have been on these last four months have been full. The first few months of the year, I received incredible customer service. Recently, I have felt betrayed and raped by US Air"WORST"

1) I used miles to fly my daughter to Cleveland, OH (50,000miles) they charged me $50 to use my miles. Seriously?

2) I get to the airport, and they charged me $200 to fly her because she was not 15 years old yet. Now most major air carriers UM (unaccompanied minors) age limit is 14 or 13; not US Air"WORST" their's is 15, and low and behold, they just changed their UM policy to charge customers $100 each way of travel. Seriously?

3) As of July 1st, they are charging $15 for the first bag and $25 for the second bag checked. Now this isn't a big deal to me, however, the ripples in the water are. For example, since there is a fee to check a bag, travelers are now NOT checking bags, and carrying on. This does a couple of things, one; it overloads the overhead bin space, so the last few travelers are going to be forced to pay either way. Two, now the aisles are more stuffed than before, causing flight delays and all other kinds of abnormalities. Seriously?

4) To top it all off, US Air "WORST" is now going to charge each traveler $2.00 to receive a soft drink, water or coffee. In addition, they are increasing their cost of alcoholic beverages to $7.00 per drink. Seriously?

Now, the big problem! I have been traveling with US Air "WORST" for the last 14 years. Even when they were America West. I have been trapped at an airport with America West Employees during the blizzard of 2006 in Denver. I have had flights canceled. None of which has caused me as much frustration as I feel now. What Knucklehead thought of the brilliant idea of charging $2.00 for each soft drink? This is the person that does not know the strength of long term investing.

Let me explain. These little short fixes for US Air"WORST" will only cause harm in the long run. Since I have been traveling, I have seen the likes of Southwest, United and Continental. I simply refuse to fly NorthWORST for customer service reasons. Organizations like Southwest really inspire me to travel with them for the long term. Southwest builds a relationship with their customers, to keep them coming back. US Air "WORST" is just in it for the money.

I use a business philosophy, if you nickel and dime, you will get nickel and dime! US Airways is nickel and diming their largest customer base, their frequent fliers. This will harm them in the long run. I will now avoid US Airways when I travel on long halls. Simply because they are blinded by the dollar. They want to fix now, and not the future. You want to know why? Well! They cannot see the future. They are blinded by their losses. They are blinded by nickel and dimes. SERIOUSLY!!!

Powerspace, Ace and Danger

2008-07-24T15:19:00.001-07:00

At the end of my last trip, which I was going to call Anaheim Chronicles II, I decided against it. On Friday when I returned to Phoenix, My trip was capped off with a concert with my daughter, her two friends and Ashlee my Niece.

We saw Powerspace, Ace Enders and a Million Different People and Danger Radio. Cute is What We Aim For was the title band who played at the end, but I went outside and talked with Ace Enders.

The week started off with a golf tournament in Aliso Viejo with my good friend Mike Medina and went through to be one of the hottest weeks in SoCal.

I commenced to play Eric in tennis on Tuesday and again on Thursday. I thinked I faired better on Tuesday because my serves were going in. Thursday, Eric smoked me in two sets. I think I just got too frustrated and got too mad to play correctly. Overall, it was a pretty active week for me.

Now for work, I just did Traffic Control training all week! I topped it off with a one hour presentation at an auditorium in Huntington Beach. It was a very good presentation. I had a bit of a challenge on Friday with some of the students. They were having difficulty picking up the math in the traffic control set up phase of the training class. To top it all off Marjorie brought lunch to class and it might have served as a bit of a distraction to the students. Oh well, we recovered and I got really good reviews.

To finish off the week, as I alluded to it earlier, I went to a concert on Friday. What a blast. Courtney was on the stage side of the bar and I was on the "Adult" side of the bar. It seemed to be the right thing to do because I did not want to get involved with the teenage wasteland of stagedome. The kids were crazy in the middle of the dance floor. So, I just hung out at the bar. Come to find out, so did all of the band members from each band. What a kick! I hung out with Max and Kevin mostly from Powerspace. And then Alec and the keyboardist from Danger Radio. Courtney was now looking at me going, ha! my dad is hanging out with the band members, what a cool dad! To top the night off, I saw Ace Enders, yet again. In March, Eric and I saw Ace in Anaheim at the House of Blues with Angels and Airwaves. This guy is great!

He was sick this night, but he signed my Volcom shirt and all was good.

I think to top it all off, as I was walking out the door, Courtney asked if I could get her Danger Radio bag signed and I said okay. Walked right up to the band and they signed it right away. These guys are really awesome! Thanks Powerspace Ace and Danger Radio for a great night and to cap it all off an overall great week!

The Ends of 10

2008-07-11T13:16:00.000-07:00

As I leave Jacksonville, Fl. I just realized that I am going to be at the each end of Interstate 10. From Jacksonville to Los Angeles. ( I will be in L. A. next week)

This week served as one of the worst sleep weeks I have had. From working third shift at Honda to training first shift in Jacksonville. I was still stuck on midnight training and could not make an adjustment. I stayed up until 1-2am each morning in Florida. Now it is 4:30pm EST and I am on my way home, via a connection in Charlotte.

I am due to arrive in Phoenix 12:00pm EST. I think I will sleep on the Aeroplane!

Well, I suppose I can describe my time in Florida. First, I purposely avoided visiting with my cousin. After a disagreement between My Aunt and Mother, I just decided I could not handl the drama.

My two days in Fl were with IFF International Flavors and Fragrances. They manufacture chemicals that help flavorize things like doritos, chips, and odorize dryer sheets, and household deodorizers. What a plant! Many chemicals.

The students went through a Train The Trainer for Safestart and it was incredible. The Union is strong and not a big advocate for behavior based safety. The Steel Workers Union. Hmmmm it figures. 20 people, 20 excited reviews. GREAT! I think I was hitting a grand slam the entire time. I enjoyed. Loved the southern hospitality!!!!! It is 10 after on the 10th day, I digest, it is the end of 10......

Columbus Red Eye

2008-07-08T11:09:00.000-07:00

After connecting in Las Vegas at 11:00 pm, I arrived in Columbus, Oh at 6:30am. The flight was rather long and it was very difficult for me to sleep. For those that know me, I usually fall asleep without hassle. Well not this time. My internal clock is really messed up today, I slept till 1:30pm today and feel overly tired. Oh well....

I am here for a reason and that is to implement Safestart for Honda of America. The groups I am teaching are for the second an third shifts. Which ends around 1:30am.

On Monday, I received a call from a good friend in Bismarck, North Dakota. He is the Safety Manager for the DOE Western Area Power Administration in North Dakota. His phone call was not good news. He told me on the phone that another real good friend and the Safestart Administrator had died in a car crash. The crash happened at work on July 1, 2008. He wasn't speeding, he wasn't out of control, he wasn't frustrated. Brian Morris was neither of those. However, he was driving in a large dust storm with low to zero visibility and he could not see the dump truck in front of him. Brian will be missed.

From the Red Eye flight to the information about Brian, it has been a tough week already and it is only Tuesday. I leave for Jacksonville, Fl on Wednesday, I think things will turn around....I hope.

The Wonderful People of the South Pacific

2008-07-01T18:23:00.000-07:00

Okay,

So My oldest is home from a 21 day trip to the southern islands of Fiji, New Zealand and Australia. She came home with the 2nd wind of an exhausted lion waiting for a kill. She had many stories and gifts from the visits to those islands.

I wiped away a tear when I saw her coming down the exit ramp from the security area at the airport.

The parallel here is that I went to the South Pacific too. I remember a trip in the Marine Corps when I went to Micronesia on and around the Equator. This trip was so self gratifying that I hope Courtney got to experience that culture as well. My trip earned a Humanitarian Service Medal. We (The Marines) went to Chuuk, Truck, Pulau, and several other little islands to recon their water wells, after most of their wells went dry in a long drought. We took sea water and desalinated it, my job was to inspect the water and test the pH and other contaminants.

The locals, when I went, were very cordial. I think Courtney, for the most part, witnessed high levels of civilization, however she did spend some time with locals in Fiji and the Maori in New Zealand. She did go to a museum in Australia and watched a Aborigone tribal dance. Metaphorically, Sheila said something to me that has stuck, The U.S. is the only country where you can be poor and fat at the same time.

These countries that Courtney and I visited did not have any evidence of that. Which should tell you something. Of course, I shall refrain.....but understand this, these people find a way to survive. The people here in the U.S. look for the next thing to complain about. For example, the price of gas, the cost of food, how far away your friends house is, what are you going to have for dinner what did George Bush do now.....etc, etc, etc. Quit complaining, make something happen. TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY

Mesa in the Round

2008-06-28T09:48:00.000-07:00

Well, I am finally home for a total of 8 straight. This comes after a week in Orange County and Riverside County. I finished my week off at the Cox Communications Corporate Building. The class was great. The Host Elise Fischer was awesome and the students were the type of students you wish for in every class! These guys were network techs, construction specialists, and safety professionals. The class was traffic control in Rancho Santa Margarita, home of Carson Palmer and my good friend Mike Medina.

I have come to realize throughout the last few months that I rely on Eric Garcia to keep my attitude straight! There are so many things that need to get done and Eric is the one that does all of that. For example, not only does Eric have to do his job, but he literally follows up on open ended items for me. Doing last minute things for people is what he is does best. Someone calls up and presto Eric takes care of it. Thanks Eric! Eric even created my Blog Picture. Isn't it awesome!?

The Anaheim Chronicles

2008-06-26T17:06:00.000-07:00

Today I finished a 24 Hour First Responder Technician Class for Metropolitan Water District of Southern California outside of Temecula, California. I have learned so much working with MWD that my brain hurts. Today we were discussing potential failures in a chlorine evaporator system and one of the students mentioned that engineers during the desing phase "Cut and Paste" their designs from one building to another. Inherantly this causes many internal issues becuase of location, elevation, material flaws, employee strife, and many others (too many to list). The Cut and Paste dilema is in just about every industry I have visited by none more important than the folks who treat and distribute our potable water supply.

It is important for me at this point in my career because I am writing a technical MOP (manual of practice) for the Water Environment Federation that directly relates to Design for Wastewater Treatment Plants. Now if safety is forgotten, then, there will be unmistakeable problems later on during treatment well after construction. Could you imagine how compounded the problem becomes if the engineer who designs the facility just decided to Copy and Paste from the last design used? And you wonder why I live in Arizona?

Well, I am off to do a Traffic Control Class in Mission Viejo for Cox Communications tomorrow and I am home for one whole week (8 straight days) WOOHOO

Update

2008-06-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

Okay,

It has been quite a while since I posted. But since Eric has posted a blog, I am going to keep this updated as frequent as possible.

Since I last blogged last, I have been to

1) Salt Lake City
2) Las Vegas
3) Roanoke Rapids, NC
4) Anna, Ohio
5) Holland, Ohio
6) Detroit, Mi
7) Anaheim, Ca
8) Decatur, Il
9) Chicago, Il
10) Sacramento, Ca

Most folks usually ask, "Do you ever go home?" I say yes I am home every weekend. However the travel time is offset by trying to get the word of Health and Safety out. I really truly believe that I am a traveling advocate for health and safety. Those ten listed visted spots were for clients mostly involved with Safestart and Safetrack. This is a behavior based safety program that looks at peoples human error and tries to illuminate the errors as "these things happen" Just try and fix it so it does not happen again. It also provides folks with a little accountability for there own actions. Take a look: www.safestart.com.

The work I performed were for clients like Honda, Crown, Kapstone Paper, and many others. You can go to my web site to see what type of services I provide. Site created by T-Atoms.

www.totalsafetycompliance.com

North Dakota

2008-03-06T16:53:00.000-08:00

Well, I went to North Dakota (Bismarck) for the Western Area Power Administration. (Department of Energy) and man was it cold!!! I was shivering. Jim Miest was a great host as was Mr. Brian Morris. Most of all, I enjoyed my presentations that day and there was really favorable response!

Thank you Troy!

Travel to Houston and Woodward, OK

2008-03-04T07:17:00.000-08:00

Well last week, I went to Texas City, TX and Woodward, OK. The visit to Marathon Petroleum in Texas was quite interesting. The visit was only for one day, but I got to meet 38 people for Safestart. The refinery was a vast array of pipes, tanks, stacks, fences, and ocean. The point of contact was extremely excited to have Safestart which makes my job so much easier.

I left for Woodward, OK to finsh an implementation for Safestart. The training was gonna be a rough one until I went to Walgreens to purchase Zytec. When I left Texas, I had an allergy attack. Mostly due to the dryness and windy conditions. As soon as I pulled into Woodward I felt so much better. The southern hospitality in Oklahoma was fabulous! Thank you!