Use of Time

Today, my wife and I drove 82 miles one way for a job fair hosted by a tax preparation company. After rising early, preparing, putting on our best business suits, and arriving in plenty of time, we found the experience a total waste of time. Cindy and I are professionals with four masters degrees between us. Should we get hired, we would earn about $15 per hour for work that will last for four months, offer no other benefits, and we would be expected to pay for "tax preparation" classes.

On the other hand, yesterday we were given a two hour tour and personal introductions at a local university by a Dallas native I met via LinkedIn. I expected a 20 minute chat, but instead she gave us her full attention for two hours. I was totally impressed.

When you enter into networking, you never know who you will meet or how you will be greeted. While today's experience was a total waste of time, yesterday's was certainly well worth the time. We are grateful to a true Dallas native. Thank you, Texas.

Berkeley & Dallas Folk

One of the most pleasant memories I will remember about Berkeleyites was that they were they are some of the most educated AND GENEROUS people in the world. Having been fortunate to have lived and worked there for three years, I know that I am a fortunate one.

Now that I am living in DFW Metroplex, I have quickly come to know that the people here are the friendliest. I received news of a career setback from the church and an organization through the last two weeks. I contacted a number of people I met through LinkedIn, and have established connections with individuals I have yet to meet. Dallas folk live up to their reputations. Thank you, Dallas.

GROWING ACCUSTOMED TO NEW SURROUNDINGS

Living at my in-laws, our cat, Winnie, spends most of the day underneath a bed. Her sibling, Buddie, has grown accustomed to his new surroundings. Daily we pull Winnie from underneath the bed in the spare bedroom. She eats and then scurries to her hiding place again.

We grow accustom to our new surroundings in Texas. Cindy and I venture out to nearby churches, restaurants, stores, etc. In the mornings we walk an hour on the byroads surrounding my in-laws home. On Monday, we ventured to Ardmore, OK, venturing through Chickasaw Territory, passing the Winstar Casino.

Today, disappointment hit. The agency that asked me to fly to Virginia to interview for a fundraising position informed me that its funds are so low that it cannot afford to bring onto its payroll another employee. So, like Winnie, I stayed home surfing the web for possible employment.

Overall, disappointment notwithstanding, it was a good day for me. I get to spend more time with Cindy.

David McCullough

Read David McCullough's The Greater Journey or any of his other works and you come away appreciating what others did to make our nation great. My favorite is 1776. Considering what our Founding Fathers accomplished in that one year alone is unimaginable. They declared our independence from the world's greatest empire and defeated the greatest army and navy. As we reflect upon the service of our nation's first responders, let us thank God for our nation's First Responders, and for David McCullough who re-tells the stories of our nation's greatest generations.

An Appropriate 9-11 Message

My wife and I attended a new church today where the pastor's message dealt with mercy. Appropriate for the day because the readings were about Joseph and his brothers (Genesis 50:15-21) and the servant who owed the king an enormous amount (Matthew 18:21-35). He opened with visions of 9-11-01, and quickly moved to the acts of mercy people showed one another on that day and the days and weeks following. He then spoke of the mercy people showed one another in the more recent hurricanes and fires our nation experienced. His sobering message is that our magnanimous God grants us unmerited mercy. May we show mercy to those who hurt us.

61st Anniversary

Today marks what would be the 61st wedding anniversary of my parents, John Walter and Genevieve (Bednarski) Cwynar. They were married at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Ambridge, Pennsylvania by Father Zygmunt Szarnicki. 50 years later, Father Szarnicki joined us for their Golden Wedding Anniversary. I am grateful to God for providing me with the parents He did.

Travellng with Cats

Our biggest concern in moving to Texas was how the cats would react. Cindy sought the advice of professionals who suggested dosing them with Benedryl, scenting their cages, and taking them for rides to prepare them for this trip. We did a trial run from Livermore to Sunnyvale, and I thought that the trip was going to be a disaster as the cats cried round-trip.

On the day of the move, we put the cats in the truck cab with their harnesses and leashes, and after about an hour of crying and exploring, they found their hiding spots and went to sleep.

The hotels where we stayed were pet-friendly. We transported them in the cages from the truck into the room, set up the litter boxes in the bathroom, freed them in the bathroom, and went to dinner. This way they couldn't escape when we returned.

Other than exploring the hotel room which provided us with feline entertainment, Buddie and Winnie were perfect travel pets.

Our Golden Retriever, Lindsey, was her usual perfect self.

On the Road

Cindy and I drove 1,200 miles in 2 days, and now rest in Santa Rosa, NM. We loaded up the Silverado and LeSabre Monday and have been pulling the latter on a carrier. All has been going well so far. Even the cars, Buddie and Winnie, and our Golder Retriever, Lindsey, have been great. By tomorrow night we should be in Whitesboro, TX.

The best thing about this trip has been being together. Our honeymoon continues.

Seeing the changing landscape from northern CA to AZ and now eastern NM is satisfying.

Packing

Today we packed our car and truck after loading the former on a U-Haul car carrier. It's amazing how much you can cram into a 2006 Buick LeSabre. My back is so sore from loading the vehicles. We have no food or utensils to cook it on. Thank God that we went to dinner on Saturday with our friends, the Lights, had dinner at our daughter and son-in-law's, the Gregg's, and dinner with them again this evening.

It is our last night for everything in CA and our house. Cindy will miss the weather and her friends, but not the house and CA politics. We will return, however, because we own a condo in Pismo Beach. For now, we start tomorrow for Texas.

New Chapter in Life

This marks the first time when I have not been working or studying since the age of 5, not including summer vacation. My last day as Director of Development at Berkeley Food and Housing Project was Friday, September 2nd. I had worked there for 3 years raising money and awareness so that we could provide solutions to homelessness and hunger in the East Bay.

How does one transition from decades of study and employment to an uncertain future? When Cindy and I married Cindy on August 7, 2010, I never imagined we'd be moving to Texas in 13 months without jobs. But several months ago when Cindy came home and asked what I thought about her quitting her job and us moving to Texas, I was actually supportive of her idea. She had worked at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories for more than 32 years, retiring in August as a budget manager. We're moving to Whitesboro, Texas to be  closer to her parents, Tom and Peggy Harmon.

I support Cindy in her decision. I was the primary caretaker of my mother for 10 months before she died in 2006.  I moved back to Pennsylvania from Eureka, CA to do this.

These past few weeks Cindy and I have been packing our belongings and donating items we choose to leave behind. Labor Day is our last day in California. Tuesday we drive off to begin a new chapter in our lives.