I'm Still here

Just wanted to let you know, I'm still here and a lot has transpired since my last post.  Music, jobs, family, facial hair, etc...stand bye for what is to come!

8 months ago?!?

Life is full of changes.  Since my last blog, there have been many, many changes in my life.  So 2 days after my last blog (09/07/2013) I got hired at a company that is an "Authorized AT&T Re-seller" that has over 45 stores spread across 7 states.  I work in the corporate office here in Boise.  It is very laid back, and I have enough screen space that it sometimes feels like Tank (from the MATRIX).  It is a full time gig so it's nice to have a steady income again.  I'm still licensed to sell insurance so if you need a quote, by all means, give me a call!

17 strings, lots of fun

Musically, I have actually been very, very busy.  It is true that I am no longer a part of "the ROXTAR Project", and I'm totally OK with that because I got something better and closer to 'home'.  So the worship team at my church has been going through some transitions, so being available, I have pretty much played something different from one Sunday to the next depending on what's needed.  In this I have started playing bass and realized, I like it! (Through trading and selling I managed to acquire this nice 5 String Ibanez (pictured left)
Of course as you know, I'm a drummer.  I drum.  Drumming is what I do, and it's what I still do.  So a friend of mine asked if I wanted to sit in with her to showcase her album at a small local venue.  Any chance to play, I jump at it.  We played last month, had a blast, and will be playing again this month!
The big deal is a band that I auditioned for.


So I answered a CraigsList ad for a Christian band that was looking for a drummer.  Most of the time these ads are high school kids with a great heart, but not what I'm looking for.  Anyways, I go audition, first sign is a good thing sing the vocal/guitar guy is a worship pastor at the church we practice at, and he has a beard that can go head-to-head with Duck Dynasty any day.  The second thing was the songs I auditioned with were contemporary worship songs that I played at church that morning, or hear on the radio all the time.  It is great to play with like minded Christians that still know how to rock!

I just realized I never posted this, so I'm sorry for the delay, it's only about 8 months late...more to come soon!

So who's paying attention?

If you didn't notice I'm blogging more, well I am.  I have to ask myself why?  Maybe because I have more to say?  Maybe, I'm just more vocal this time of the year?  I have no idea...but I hope those that read this find it entertaining, informational, educational, or just plain stupid.  Either way, thank you for being part of my audience.  Just between us, I have started writing several blogs over the past few weeks, but never seem to finish them, and they are all about change.  Lately I have been going through a lot of changes and haven't figured out how to express them.

So from to get this done while I still have time.  As you know I have been pursuing a career as a Farmers agent since December of last year, and some of you are my clients.  As I'm sure you can guess...it is not an easy job to be in, especially when it is %100 commissioned based.  I love Farmers and the protection they provide and service they provide.  Because of financial reasons, I will be starting a new job on Monday, but my plan is to continue as a Farmers Agent, just not full time anymore.  I will continue to service my clients and sign new policies as they come up.  If you are my client and have questions, please call me.  As far as I'm concerned, nothing is really changing and you are still my client.

Another change is that I am no longer part of The Roxtar Project...sadly that is a more in depth story than I have time for at the moment.  However music is a big part of my life so I'm already searching for a new group to be part of, and I have a "meet & greet" tomorrow to make sure we get along before we start making music.

That's all I got time for today.  I would appreciate you following my blog, or clicking on some of these ads...I need some new shoes.

So what now?

Each day we make choices.  That choice will inevitably lead to an action, or an inaction.  Those actions will lead to results, or consequences.  Unfortunately life moves to quickly for us to stop and analyze every decision we make.  Should I wear the black shoes, or the brown shoes?  Should I change lanes after this light?  What should I have for breakfast?  Did I turn the stove off?

The choices above can obviously have a wide array of results.  The choice of shoes is pretty harmless, as is your decision for breakfast.  Unless you choose between a simple English muffin or a full order of Eggs Benedict.  Aside from the calories, the flavors, textures, and overall satisfaction is in question.  Not that there is anything wrong with a simple English Muffin.  I personally prefer my Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon instead of ham, but that's just me.

Changing Lanes can have a whole different set of consequences.  Especially if it involves the new BATMAN and Nick Fury.  Aside from comic book heroes, there are real consequences.  Sometimes you can get around that big slow truck and be merrily on your way.  Sometimes that truck won't see you and you can end up thinner, flatter, and in more pieces than one.  In short, you should always be aware of your surroundings when driving on the road.

Today I made a choice, which lead to an action.  I'm still not sure what the results are going to be so I am patiently waiting for some type of outcome.  I had a handful of Cheetos for breakfast, with a big glass of ice water.  I would have preferred the Eggs Benedict.  It's been several hours now and I am a little concerned.  Chester has yet to visit my home.  Guess it is time to move on to lunch.  Nothing like taking ones own life into their hands.   (No breakfast items were hurt in the writing of this blog)

Who do You Trust?

We live in a free economy, of course it doesn't always feel that way, but we do. We have the right to choose who we do business with, and where we spend out money. (Except for taxes, that is where it doesn't feel free) Everyday we make choices and those choices end in results. There are so many we may choose from on a daily basis, we don't even realize we are making them. Here are just a few to consider:

• Wake-up vs Snooze
• Oatmeal vs Cereal
• Milk vs OJ vs Coffee
• Coke vs Pepsi
• McDonald's vs Burger King
• Netflix vs Sleep

In the examples above are pretty trivial, with the exception of lack of sleep, there are no serious consequences, it is just another part of the day. When the choices get bigger, such as a new car, remodeling, financial investments, even Insurance providers, there is a bit more on the line. In these types of cases, we usually seek advise from professionals, but not just a random name from a phone book, or the first link that Google returns. It is usually from someone we trust, or a referral from someone we trust.

I have spent months building a network of people I trust. This list goes from auto/glass repair, to mortgage brokers, Real Estate Agents (residential/commercial), Hospitality, Catering, Satellite, technical support, and on and on. The reason I've done this, and will continue doing this is so when my client needs assistance, regardless of the need, I will be able to provide that support to them, or find someone who can.

My Agency goes beyond great Insurance Coverage, I want to provide COMPLETE coverage. With that, what can I do to earn your trust?

Brian Marquez
Farmers Insurance
2947 E Magic View Dr Ste 1
Meridian, ID 83642-3562
208-871-9701 (Office)
208-884-8208 (Fax)
bmarquez@farmersagent.com

and so goes the story...

Changes, they keep coming and we keep taking them...in stride.  As I write this there are several things running through my head so I'll try to keep this short.

FAMILY: My kids are in VBS at our church this week.  The material is from a band called "GoFish".  The love the music and as I write are dancing and grooving to these guys.  I love the energy but I keep waiting for them to bonk their heads on something.  That's when the fun really starts.

WORK: Hooks are in the water, getting some nibbles, but not enough bites to pay the bills...I need more hooks!  Of course I got one BIG hook right now, but no guarantees.  Talking with other reserve agents, we are all pretty much in the same boat.  We love the company, we love the job, we love working with different people....but the pay sucks.  Of course it takes a few years to get this kind of business up and running so we have no excuses...just results!  right?

WORK2: Hurray for a 2nd job to fill in the cracks!  Nuff said about that.

BAND:  I need it, and I need more of it!

CAR: Yesterday my car decided not to start, did you hear that?  Of course not, it wouldn't start.  Anyways, a big thanks to Niel for coming over this morning and helping me get it up and running again.  We were prepared to replace the starter (which is no simple task).  Turns out that it was the battery, which is much easier to replace, and we replaced it.  The HONDA lives!!!

I'd love to stay and chat, but I got rehearsal...see BAND above.

Peace Out Yo!

-brian

Traveling

I will be the first to admit that we have some beautiful country in the NorthWest, but I can only take so much at one time.  I have been staring at views like this for the past 5 hours.I am ready for a change.  While I wait for a change, anyone see the sad face in the clouds?

So where have I been?

The past year has been a definite roller coaster with lots of ups and downs, good times and bad.  Different experiences, more challenges, new additions.  I know I said this before, but more blogs will be coming from me...so stay tuned!

Woops!!!!

The following video covers a very sensitive subject that is near and dear to my heart.  Especially lately with the unusually 'lasting' winter.  Most people know that living in the Treasure Valley is a great thing during the winter months.  It will snow and everything will be pretty, but the end of the day, or even a few days later it will all melt away.  This year, the snow has been around for weeks!  The roads are covered and it's not going away.  With that in mind, we actually had freezing rain the other day, thus the following video has been provided for your enjoyment.  Please note that the people most likely suffered injuries for your entertainment.

Monday morning I went out to my car to let it warm up, on the way I pulled a graceful move, like what you just watched.  It is not funny, I did not laugh, and it hurts.  Three days later, it doesn't hurt more, it doesn't hurt less...it's like death and taxes...always there.  I didn't break anything, but my 'personality' definitely took a bruise.

W Claire St

On the bright side, it was a balmy 38 degrees today, that means the snow is on it's way out, for now anyways.  All things aside, winter time is beautiful here!

downtown Boise

For your consideration...

So my business is off and running, and I'm in the process of giving quotes, writing policies, and meeting new people.  There are literally hundreds of ways to run a business like this.  The rule of thumb is to have at least 5 different marketing strategies going at the same time.  I'm not there yet, but I'm working my way up to it.

My latest en devour is a seasonal drawing for Valentine's Day.  Let me quote your insurance and you are automatically entered into the drawing, regardless if you let me write your policy or not.  And as a little extra incentive, I do know that some of you are already with Farmers, so if you refer someone to me who lets me quote their insurance, I'll enter them, and you into the drawing.

I'll be drawing for the winner on Feb 10., so don't wait till the last minute

Yellow Snow

Good Morning!!! Are we there yet?

So when I last left off, I was enjoying some quiet time in our hotel while Isaac was swimming at the indoor pool.  The rest of the night was very peaceful and relaxing...of course I had a dread the next day and something I really wasn't looking forward to...

...we all travel, some take planes, some take trains, and other by car.  Please don't get me wrong, I love a good road trip, I was raised on them, either with my family in our old Chevy Pickup, or one countless church trips to Mexico and beyond.  There is a down side to road trips, and that comes in the form of weather...more specifically snow and ice.  When you travel by car, that means you wither need 4 wheel drive, chains or cables.  In my case, it was cables....on a new car I've never put cables on before.  I've actually only done cables once before, and that was on my Honda, the tires were much smaller so it was a bit easier to navigate.  As you can see below, after 3 attempts, the cables were finally installed and we set off over the mountain pass.  When traveling you tend to realize the advantages of being a guy...as both Isaac and I took part in the long honored tradition of removing chains from our tires, and creating the colorful yellow snow that is so popular. (Not Lemon)

Best $20 I ever spent to have a professional install these for me!!!

"You'll Shoot Your Eyes Out!" is a phrase I've heard several times, and will probably be hearing for a while.  My Father-in-Law always kept a bb/pellet gun by the back door.  I'm not sure why, perhaps to shoot targets out the back door when he got bored?  It turns out that in recent months, he got a new bb/pellet gun from the local Freddies, but he wasn't very happy with it.  He said if I liked it, I could keep it.  Who am I to say no to awesome weaponry?  It's a long way from my 30-06, and definitively no Glock, but Isaac loves it.  I think it's a great way to teach him gun safety and proper etiquette for handling a gun.  After all, we do live in Idaho!  Turns out that he is a really good shot (after his Uncle Sam taught him how to line up the shot)

The drive home was much easier then the trip there.  For some reason, this is always the case.  Despite the thermometer being much lower than the trip there, the roads were much clearer and chains were not required.  What's funny is that when we stopped in Burns and I took this photo, I thought 19 was cold.  I'm looking at my weather forecast right now and it was it's sunny and 1 degree today...now that's cold!

Speaking of cold, my band auditioned two new people this past week, out in my shop of course.  I have a small oil heater that definitely will not heat up my shop.  Rehearsal was a bit chilly, but we got through.  Sadly neither audition worked out, but that is part of life, we can't always get what we want.

RoadTrippin'

On the road again...

It's early...as i write this, I'm sitting in a hotel room listening to my family breathing while they sleep.  Another Christmas has come and gone, and we are headed feet first into 2013.  Yesterday we began our trek across the Northwest with a destination of Roseberg, OR to see the In-Laws.  And like clockwork, that is when mother nature decides to through a bunch of snow and ice in the way.  Not wanting to take any chances, we watched the weather, and road conditions like any normal people would do.  Our van is packed with blankets, chains, shovel, food and drinks as I like to be prepared for anything.  As we got going the roads were pretty good.  Snow was falling, but only small flurries, so we were making good time.

Good things never seem to last too long as the picture to the right, mutated to the picture below.  Don't get me wrong.  Becky was driving while I took these pictures.  We were going at a nice slow pace.  Despite the weather warning, snow on the ground, we passed several vehicles that had slid off the road.  Ironically, there were all trucks.  One of which was a full size P/U, probably with 4-wheel drive and a driver who was too over confident.  No matter what you do, you can't beat physics.  When you slide, you slide.  I didn't stop to take pictures, but I did wonder if they had sufficient coverage in their insurance policies.  Yeah, I have to do a plug as I'm now an agent for FARMERS.  Let me give you a free quote!

"Roads?  Where we're going, we don't need roads"
- Dr E. Brown

As we chugged along, I finally took over driving and we pulled into Bend, OR around 6pm.  Not wanting to drive over the mountain pass at night (again), we opted to stay the night at a hotel.  Having been on this same trip multiple times, we are becoming quite familiar with Bend and some of the lodging/dining options available.

Once we had cell service, Becky jumped on her phone and began looking for deals.  This year we ended up at the Shilo Inn.  I'm actually very impressed with the features available considering the low price we paid.  Centrally located, indoor pool (Isaac got to go swimming last night), restaurant (that will provide a free breakfast in a few hours), and free wi-fi that is letting me post this blog.

As for the dining option, this time I went to FaceBook to ask the locals as I do know some people that live here (ironically, non of them responded.)  Most of the recommendations were for local breweries, however neither of us are beer drinkers.  The first suggest was for a placed called "Taste of Thailand".  Thai food sounded good so we ventured out to find this place, the only problem is that instead of Thai food, we found a Dry Cleaners.  And as Gollum said, 'they don't taste very good, do they precious'  (in reference to orcs, but you get the idea).  With visions of Pad Thai on our brains, and armed with not one, but two smart phones, we quickly found ourselves walking into a little place called Angel Thai.  The food was awesome!  I ordered the Mongolian Beef (I know, not traditional Thai) with a spice factor of 3, from a scale of 1-5.  It came with a mound of white rice.  I needed 5 cups of water, and some more soup, and some of Becky's Pad Thai to put our the flames.  My lips still burned for a good hour afterwards, but it was well worth it.

I made the picture bigger so you can see the flavor...and all the little red pepper flakes

Have a fun and safe New Year!!!!  Till then.....

And so it begins...I bought a Farm!

You know, I couldn't tell you WHAT my last blog was...without looking, I couldn't even tell you WHEN my last blog was.  But I do recall stating that I would be writing more, so here goes . . . .something.

Many changes have occurred over the last 6 months.  My life went from a predictable 8-5 job, making enough $ to cover life's expenses.  I was suddenly released from the predictable, and entered the "less than exiting" stage.  I spent nearly two months looking for a new job.  I had lots of interviews and lots of disappointments.  My family had to re-evaluate how things were done.  Thank God for the Dave Ramsey class we took that helped us become debt free and build an emergency fund for just such an occasion.  As the money slowly disappeared, I started to look for jobs that weren't exactly in my field.

I thought sales would be fun, so I ended up in an interview with Farmer's Insurance and was very tempted by the possibilities of working in an industry that doesn't sell Insurance, but helps people become whole again after the worst situations.  That was the bright side of the coin, the less shiny side said that I needed to get my own license, pay for courses, testing, and other fees.  While we couldn't decide what to do, I found myself up in Fruitland, ID selling used cars.  I found satisfaction in seeing good people drive off in a good reliable car.  I enjoyed meeting new people and helping them meet their needs.  Seeing the "under belly" of the auto business really left a bad taste in my mouth, and I knew it wasn't something I could do for a long time.  So I started thinking about an exit plan.  The problem I had was that when you are working almost 13 hours a day 5-6 days a week, there isn't much room to do anything else.  Because of a blessing, I was able to go back to Farmer's and say that I was interested after all, and proceeded with the interview process, and began studying for my Licensing exams.

BING!

I'm happy to say that I am now licensed in the state of Idaho, to market, negotiate, and sell auto, home, and commercial insurance on behalf of Farmer's Insurance.  I am not license to say "BING" as part of a sales pitch, and if I ever do, please slap me.  One of the top 3 Insurance Provider's in the Nation, with a District Manager who is one of the top 3 DM's in the company, not just Idaho, but the whole company!  I am honored and humble to be working with this team of people.  It's a far cry from the shark tank I worked at in Fruitland.

So today I had my first day of training and I now have an excellent handle on Auto Policies and how under-insured most people are, and I'm also super excited to get out there and start working with people.  This is the beginning of a new career, and hopefully a new life for me and my family as the opportunity that is ahead of us is wide open.

Have you missed me???

It's been a while since my last post.  Needless to say, life over the past couple months have been...interesting.  I hope to start writing more in the near future, but for now, here is a quick tidbit of what's been going on...in no particular order

• My employer of 13+ year decided to let me go, it's an interesting sensation being unemployed after so long
• Still a foster parent
• Sold cars for a while
• Isaac is gonna be a movie star
• got to meet an actress that we've watched on TV for at least 5 years
• Working on a new career
• Got a haircut

Stay tuned peeps...

          -Brian

Word Association?

My last blog go me thinking a lot about the mind and how it works, I know each person would respond differently to what I am about to propose.  I'm going to 'google' a phrase, and go to the first results, and see where that leads me.  Before I begin I would like to point out the scientific research community is NOT in support of this and I am responsible for any outcome that may ensue here on out.

Random Phrase: 'Random Thoughts'
1st Google Result: www.randomthoughts.ws
Page Entry: "Jealous of what."

On Your Marks

 GO!!!!

When I hear the work 'Jealous' the first this that comes to mind is the song 'Hey Jealousy' by the Gin Blossoms.  In that song there is a line, 'we could drive around this town, and let the cops chase us around'.   Given I have never been chased by cops, I have spent time just driving around.  One memory is back in my high-school days when we would hang out at 'Neon Lyons' and then go TP someone.  A few of us would throw toilet paper all over Joan's house, while Mark would be in his little white truck with the bed open, and engine on....it was inevitable that someone would come out, we would bolt to the truck and take off before we could be identified.  And these were my church friends...classic. (/br> This one time I was out with another friend from school, let's call him Mason.  A friend of ours was moving away and we through we would give them a send off with TP.  It was S.O.P. (Standard Operating Procedure) for this kind of activity, except for two small details.  

1. This was is Clayton, CA.  Small town with bored cops.
2. Our friends dad was a prominent figure in that city, and not a fan of exterior decorating.

We were teenagers, what did we care, right?  Right?

Just as we were about to fling the tp into the trees a cop pulls up.  You know TPing someone's home is an art.  It not some Frat prank where you just toss paper wherever.  Great care should be used, with an artistic flare.  I learned how to properly TP a house from my parents.  How many people out there can say that?

I love my parents.

Rabbit (errr duck) Trails

Have you ever been sitting at a table with a group of people and find yourselves talking about some random topic like the "size of duck footprints in the snow".  During that conversation, have you ever stopped to think what got you there?  It's the middle of May and a group of grown adults is in a deep conversation about the shoe size of a mallard who obviously lost his way and forgot to fly south for the winter.  Maybe it went something like this....

While eating dinner you noticed the vibrations in the glass of water everytime someone 'bumped' the table.  This was obviously an impact tremor.  "Woooosh", you can see and hear Dr. Ian Malcolm talk about impact tremors and his 'Chaos Theory' that we all learned about back in 1993.  Of course now that you are all on the topic of Jurassic Park, footprints would seem like a logical direction, however that would be too simplistic.  "Woooosh"  You focus on the word Chaos, which produces images of Captain Chaos, the alter ego of Victor Prinzim from the movie Cannonball Run.  Played by the lovable Dom DeLuise, Captain Chaos was a classic super hero from a split personality.  This movie had an extensive cast from Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore, Dean Martin, Terry Bradshaw, Jackie Chan, Jamie Farr, etc, etc. "Woooosh" 

You know Weird Al has a song that mentions Jamie Farr.  "And soon I was abducted by some aliens from space Who kinda looked like Jamie Farr" (1:37 you'll hear and see the reference)

I've always been a fan of Mr. Yankovik.  The guy has been doing music for over 30 years, and no sign of stopping.  He's covered the best, and also done a lot of originals.  On his more recent albums he makes a point of putting one song that is at least 10 minutes long...that is a great feat of musical aptitude...even if it's about nothing, except going to the drive-thru, where his wife wanted a chicken sandwich instead of a cheeseburger, that's just crazy talk.

"Woooosh"

The other day I say a chicken crossing the road, no seriously, it was over on Pine and Locust Grove...oh wait, that may have been a duck.

"Woooosh"

Dude, that last snow storm a few months ago, I saw duck foot prints on my drive way....

There may have been a few variations in there, but this all happens in a split second, and that is how my mind works.  Now there could be variations in there, say, I could have opted from Jamie Farr and leaned toward Jackie Chan, which could have left me wanting some Dim Sum.

We never know where the mind leads us, so just sit back and enjoy the ride.  But please remember to leave breadcrumbs so you can find your way back.

-Brian

(no ducks were injured in the making of this blog)

Jack's Roommate, moved out...

An update on "Jack's Roommate"....Jack's Roommate had become deceased.  Due to personality conflicts and the fact that awesomeness was too much to bear, the band formerly known as Jack's Roommate has been dispatched.  During the grieving process (which lasted about 30 seconds), all former active members of the band formerly known as Jack's Roommate felt a surge of even greater awesomeness and took the name of "The Roxtar Project".

Why would anyone make such a drastic change?  Why does anyone do anything?  In this case we had our reasons...for one, no member of the band has a roommate by the name of Jack.  We feel strongly about being truthful and honest, no sense in  false advertising.  Roc Treese has had 'ROXTAR' on his license plate for years and they always said that would make a cool band name.  After extensive market research and random testing accross several Western States it was determined that the name ROXTAR on it's own resembled to closely a webdesign company, and an Alternative hair band of the same name in Wisconsin. 

Then, without any warning, Roc said, how about "The Roxtar Project?"...and a band was born. 

We got off to a really good start as a three piece doing mostly classic rock stuff like Cream, CCR, Kravitz, ZZTop.  We wanted a 4th member to play keys, and possibly vocals....instead we got a choir teacher from Nampa, who ROCKS!  Here's the final line up of 'The Roxtar Project'


Lisa Marie - She comes to us with 30+ years exp.  She actually made a full time living fronting a cover band.  Rumor has it, she's very popular in Germany.  Her 'skills' include vocals, guitar, bass, keys, and drums.  in R.T.P. she is our primary bassist and sings lead on most of our songs.

ROC - Our founder and guitarist.  He keeps us in check, mostly tempo wise.  He brings amazing guitar talent, vocals, and the license place that our band was named after.  I don't think he's very popular in Germany, but rumor has it he still takes baths with his little rubber ducky.  We still love him!


Cynthia - Not a lot to say about Cynthia at this point as I really haven't gotten to know her yet.  I know she loves music, teaches a choir at an Arts school, and plays lots of instruments, including keys, guitar, bass, flute, and a lute.  For us, she plays keys primarily, rhythm guitar, bass, and vocals. Seriously, how many people do you know that play a lute?  Or know what a lute is for that matter...


Brian - I'm the rookie in the group, and the youngest of the bunch.  I'm enthusiastic to say the least.  Once I got the band name, I've created accounts in Facebook, Myspace, ReverbNation, and you can follow us on twitter @ProjectRoxtar.  I guess I'm gonna be a Social Networking / Marketing guy.  Besides that I play the drums and sing.  I'll probably play the guitar and bass too, but that's not for today.  I know, I'm singing, weird.

So for fair warning to you, this project is my new hobby and I'm sure I'll be writing more.  If you want information on booking us for a party, that's what we do best, send an email to theroxtarproject@gmail.com


-b

Standby - Part 3

Tell me they don't look like family...

...it seemed like no time had past since they last say each other, except they have all grown a little.  I was really a treat to watch these two play together.  Running back and forth all day long.  Good thing my brother has a big house.

We got treated to Pizza at Melo's in Pleasant Hill.  I have to say it was nice having the good stuff again.  Good Pizza is a luxury and not high on my priority list.  But when Nana & Papa are paying, I'm sorry to say, I think I ate too much.  Seriously, the pizza is on this lift things and it's right at eye level...to my left I had the Pepperoni, mushroom, black olive....and to my right was the Veggie, with artichokes, garlic, spinach, tomatoes...too good.  Bonus: My Nana & Nanu were there too, and Nana got to ride home in the corvette.

Lunch at El Faro is a given and almost a requirement....no trip to California is complete without it.

Those of you at Hope Center that I had a chance to run into, but not a lot of time with, it was good to see you...just a quick shout out to Jess, Scott, Dean, Tammi, Tom, Carol, Dave, Bill, Jeanne, Danger, Sharon, Karen, Hannah, Marco, and many others.  Thanks for being part of that extended family that always welcomes me when I'm there.

The trip home was much less uneventful then the journey there.  To be honest, I started this blog a month ago and because I didn't keep up on it, I lost steam...sorry about that.  On the bright side, only 7 months and 13 days left.

Stand Back! It is time for a quick vaca (Part 2 of Standby)

So now that the "Standby flights" are done, and I'm back from that quick vacation, I can tell you all how it went...

Mmmm, a bagel from Boise...

My first experience of flying standby was a little nerve wracking, especially when the terminal was as full as the one I was in. Before I went to the airport, I had to pick up my travel buddy, Isaac.  He had no idea we were taking a trip to see his cousins.  When we finally told him, he was kind of in shock, no real reaction.  When we showed him the packed bags in my car, the squealing began.  Needless to say, he was very excited.  So off to the airport, hoping to get on a 5:30 flight to Seattle.

It turned out that another flight had been cancelled due to weather, so they were re-routing people that had connecting flights.  As a "Standby" flyer, all I could do was stand by and wait.  Turns out we didn't make that flight, then panic ensued.  I stood in line for 15 minutes before getting some help.  Turns out they were in the process of boarding another flight that was also going to Seattle, but it was connecting through Lewiston.  She asked me what my "final" destination was...I first thought eternal life with my Father up in Heaven, but then I knew that wasn't so soon, so I said Oakland.  She then told me that if I made this flight (which I did), they could get me on a connector that night to Oakland.  Please keep in mind I'm running on 3 hours of sleep and a 5 hour energy from 8 hours ago.  I just wanted to get to Seattle, go to the hotel, and get at least 6 hours of sleep.  We got on the 6:20 connecting flight and we're off.

Almost there...

After we left Lewiston, I kept thinking about the connecting flight to Oakland, so I asked Isaac what he would rather do.  Of course he wanted to see Nana and Papa as soon as possible, so I knew once we hit the ground in Seattle, it was going to get complicated.  I quickly put together a mental 'to-do' list.

• contact parents and confirm they can pick up from OAKLAND airport at 11:00
• contact AlaskaAir to make sure we could get on the 8:30 flight to Oakland
• contact hotel in Seattle to confirm that reservation can be cancelled
• contact hotel assuming reservation can be cancelled
• contact Becky to cancel reservation since I could not locate number to Expedia
• contact Becky to contact parents to confirm pickup since they did not answer their phone
• try and find some food before getting on the plane (FAILED)

Aside from the food, all the above tasks were completed within 10 minutes...we got on the plane and relaxed a little.  Turned out we could order some food on the plane, once we took off...we landed in Oakland around 10:40, picked up at the terminal by both my parents, and it was time to relax...sort of.

(Public Service Announcement: If you travel with your child, and he has a tendency to kick in his sleep...make sure he sleeps in some other location not occupied by you.)

The next morning we went to "Nana C's" to see my Aunts, my Nana, and Nanu.  The one thing you can always count on when you go to "Nana C's" is being fed.  It's almost like she's not happy till you're eating some of her delicious food.  In this case, she had some in the oven when we got there.  I don't want to offend, so I had to say yes...to my cousins who may be reading this, you know exactly what I mean, but how could you say no?

I found it very entertaining when my aunts said, no thank you, they didn't want any...at least till the plate hit the table, then it was the in home kitchen version of a feeding frenzy once the Għaġin il-Forn hit the table.  It was good to see the family though.


Finally made it to my brother's house and Isaac couldn't of been more excited to see his cousin Addison.  We ended up having lunch at a bakery called Boudin's in a local shopping plaza.  The food was good and the weather was nice so we ate outside, and it was 'LOUD'.  We managed, we always do.  It wasn't till later that day that Isaac's other two cousins, Olivia and Josh finally made it home...they the fun really started.

Since it's late, I'll finish this up in "Standby, Part 3".  Till then... goodnight, and only 8 months and 18 days till the HOBBIT.

-Brian

Standby

For many people a feeling of nostalgia overcomes them when they hear the words, "Standing by".  For myself, when ever I hear these words, I immediately place "Red 5" in front of it.  And sometimes, "Lock S-foils in attack position" afterwards.  If you have no idea what I'm talking about, please stop reading this post.  If you know what the Battle of Yavin is, you may punch your geek card, and continue.

Of course, this blog has nothing to do with Star Wars, I'm just a sucker for rabbit trails and will tend to sway of course during my thought process.  This blog will be dedicated to the many travelers in the sky who choose to not commit to any specific schedule.  Those that live on the edge and can depart and arrive at any time.  Those individuals that see the lines in the road, not as bright yellow, but faded shades of grey.  People that see a STOP sign as a suggestion, and not a rule.  People that throw caution to the wind as they stand in line at CINNABON.  Someone who has heard a weather report and believed it. (you know who you are).  Very soon, for the first time in my life, I am flying standby...

Flexability is the key.  It all started off that we would leave on a Thursday and come back on a Sunday.  Because nothing is guaranteed, except I need to be at work on Sunday we chose to book flights home on Sunday evening, leaving the trip there, to chance.  All flights Thursday were booked, only one flight on Wed available...for several days it was 'good to go' with 9-12 seats available.  That number dropped sharply so we seeked alternatives, as I don't like travel to be uncertain.  After a couple hours of research and comparisons, contemplating a car rental and driving one way (which is still an option), the following solution was created.

BOI - SEA - several flights leaving Tuesday night, some have more seats available than others, so it is highly likely we'll get one one...

because it's a late flight, accomidations have been made for a night stay (close to the airport)

SEA - OAK - first flight leaves at 6:15AM, we'll be there by 5AM to assure that we can get on the plane, if not, there are several other flights that day, but the next one isn't till after 3PM, so that means an afternoon in Seattle (not a bad thing)

Still, I prefer knowing that I have secured seats on a plan, but for the price, you really can't beat it...assuming your 'flexible'.  If this trip does pan out as planned, I owe a big thank you to a friend who made it all possible.  I'll post a follow-up blog on how the trip really went.

Till then, may the next 8 months and 25 days be peaceful and relaxing, till the HOBBIT comes to a theater near you.