I’m back!!! Wow has a lot happened. The snow is gone, I hope, the sun is out and I still have a job. I’ve been out of town on business and then thrown back into a company-wide reorg when I returned. Needless to stay, stressful and incredibly busy. Once again, I have a job!! A nice new,low stress role at that, instead of 4 states, I have 26. It is a good thing and I’m excited about the new challenge.

What’s with the “Ego Trip”? Have you ever googled yourself? I didn’t exactly google myself today, but I wanted to have a cool picture of our beach here on Lake Michigan to share as part of the post today, so I did a google image search. The first image I surf to takes me to SaruDama, another blog, kept by someone in my neighborhood, actually across the street. The link from google takes me to a post from last June where I find the above picture. The guy with the flower crotch, I’m sad to say is me.

The post simply uses me, “Dough Boy”, as the comic relief from the sexual drama that unfolded on the beach that day, read the post. My “Ego Trip” was a bad one.

Since SaruDama posts his address, as well as his name, I could have easily walked over, pounded on his door and demanded him take that post down. Sure, that’s what every southern bred, 6’, now 210 lbs. ex-bouncer does… demands a negative post be taken down. No worries SaruDama, my age, wife and son have turned me into a rather calm person. I also, as you can see, have reposted the picture, so rage is not what I felt when I saw this. It was embarrassment at first, then the quick realization that no one knows that’s me. Then came those ever so nice motivational thoughts, “Hey, fat-ass, you think now you’ll get your ‘Dough Boy’ self down to the gym!?” My inner narrator sometimes sounds like a cross between Bruce Campbell and Vinnie Jones.

I’m thinking about selling this little story to my gym, the EAC. Would make one hell of a commercial. I know I’ll be going everyday this week.

The family landed in Orlando a few minutes ago. It was hard to see them leave without me. It was harder knowing I won’t see them again for a couple of weeks. Even harder knowing that they will be bathing in the 80 degree weather while I fly to 6 degree weather.

Now that the truth’s out, I’m heading to Alaska tomorrow. An absolutely beautiful state, but rather cold in February. I’ll be at a conference most of the week and in meetings the rest. A little time for sight-seeing I hope, but not much. It’s an important trip and I hope things go well, so keep me in your thoughts and prayers.

I am getting to head down to Florida for a few days. It should be a nice break from my hellish three week schedule. I know all my Illinois friends are jealous.

That’s about all I’ve got today. There will not be another post until the middle of March, when I finally see home again. Until then, you’ll see me on Facebook and IM.

While my lovely wife and son leave this week for sunny Florida I journey to Alaska.











Anchorage to be exact for about 5 days. I was there last year and it wasn’t so bad. It was actually amazing. It was May and 60 degrees out, but February can’t be that bad, can it? I hear that it’s actually warmer there than it has been here in Chicago. It won’t be like flying to Florida, but any warmer than the bone chilling 15 below wind chill here is great.















I leave Anchorage on the red-eye back to Chicago, hop in a rental at O’Hare and book it out to St. Charles, IL for IL-TCE a major education conference in the state. I do a few workshops there then head to Plainfield, IL to speak at the state’s ASCD conference to finish out the week.










Whoa! I’m getting tired just blogging about it. So, I have a break over the weekend, then hop on a flight out to Spokane, Washington. Spend about 4 days there then I’m back for another weekend break. Next Stop!
I know I broke from the theme, but VEGAS BABY!! That’s right I fly into Vegas for a guys weekend. A much needed break from the crazy work schedule. A few days in Vegas will do me some good and I get to see and hang out with friends I rarely get to see.
If you don’t see a blog from me or get a response from a email the above is why. Oh, and I may squeeze a trip to Florida in the above somewhere. So if you want to see me at some point in the next 3 weeks, visit an airport.

That’s right they have snow alarms, sirens I should say. This southern boy never new such things were needed. It’s true the sirens blast and you know to move you car or it’ll be buried by the snow plow. I really mean buried!.

The above picture is from today and it means I love my job. I must to have walked a total of 6 blocks, waited for the L, and then walked through this, I LOVE MY JOB!!. Well, I may just not have known any better.

Just incase you didn’t know how cold it’s been the below shot is of the lake, Lake Michigan in Evanston. FROZEN!!!

Jesus, I keep forgetting to keep this blog up. So, my son, John Michael just turned 3, I just turned 30. Maybe now I'll start feeling like a grown-up. Nope, guess not. So where the hell did 2006 go?…

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