A Slower Pace

Yesterday, my wife went about scheduling the new utilities to be turned on at our new Kentucky home and turned off at our California home. The contrast in the service, friendliness and ease of use was interesting. So much so, that she told me about it because it would make a good blog entry.

First she called the Kentucky utilities. For example, when she called the electric company, a nice lady named Sharon answered the phone. My wife asked if she could speak to the person who could help her schedule for the electricity to be turned on. Sharon replied "Well that would be me honey". It then only took a few minutes and at the end of the call, Sharon reminded my wife that if there were any issues to call her back and ask to speak to her because she would take care of everything. No credit check, no social sec number, no promise of our first born.

Next was the trash. This one was interesting because they do things a little differently. Out in California, we have been accustomed to having the city approved bins provided for us, having to separate the trash and paying big bucks for all of that. When my wife called the trash company, the lady asked if we wanted end of driveway or doorstop service. While our driveway is several hundred feet long and doorstop service would be nice and convenient, I have no problem bringing our trash to the street. My wife then asked when they would be bringing the cans by. The puzzled lady finally figured out what my wife was talking about and replied "You just get whatever ones you want at the hardware store". The lady also stated that we would just love "Bob" the trash guy. He is very helpful and friendly and everyone just loves him. Finally, to arrange payment my wife asked how much and if they needed a deposit. The lady responded that it was $15/mo service and that everything was on the honor system. "When we send you a bill, we expect you to pay it".

Those were typical examples of the Kentucky utility phone calls. Nothing apparently extraordinary until you follow it with the California calls. She probably wouldn’t have noticed a difference if she hadn’t made all the calls grouped together and the Kentucky/California calls back to back. Below are the California calls she experienced next.

Ring, ring…..(in an automated voice) for English, press one. For Spanish, press two.
If you want to disconnect service ,press one. To order new service, press two. For bill payment, press three. For account information, press four. For customer service, press five. To schedule a service call, press six. For all other inquiries, press zero. Finally, once you get through the proper touchtone maze, you will hear, "All of our customer service agents are busy but your call is important to us. Please hold for the next available agent". Quite a difference from speaking with Sharon who answered the phone on the second ring and was able to take care of all issues thrown to her. I guess Sharon is the ultimate phone answering, customer service system.

Thanks Sharon!

Happy Holidays, everyone!!!!!

It’s December and we are in the final stretch of work. school, packing, moving and closing on our house in Kentucky. I think I have all the T’s crossed and I’s dotted. It feels like we’re in a car going 100 mph. The goal at the end of the road is in focus and getting closer but everything around us is just wizzing by. These last couple of weeks and days are going to fly by and the holidays are magnifying the effect. I am glad we get there before Christmas so we can turn on the slow motion and begin our slower pace.

Hmmmm…..that last sentence seems kinda ironic. We’re so busy careening towards the move and the holiday season and hopefully our slower pace of life.

I’ll let you know soon how that turns out.

…..Dan at aslowerpace

I just finished reading a very interesting journal blog from a friend of a friend who is stationed in Baghdad. It gives a very good perspective of what is going on over there. It also made me appreciate the sacrifices people are going through there and really gives you a perspective of what is really important in life.

We are all truly blessed, especially if you are reading this…..because it means you are somewhat healthy (I imagine you wouldn’t be reading this in the hospital in the ER), have an education (in the fact that you can read), have amenities (internet access, electricity, etc) and spare time.

You can get to the weblog at http://www.livejournal.com/users/christian_iraq/

It can also be found in the links section on the right margin of this blog page. —->>

No matter what your situation, take a moment and appreciate your freedom, safety and opportunities. And while you are at it, say a prayer for Christian as well as all of our troops.

…..Dan at aslowerpace

OK…..it’s 1:30am and the new kitten we got three weeks ago has managed to wake 4 out of 5 people sleeping in our house. Of course, all of ’em got right back to sleep but me. I am stone awake with little thoughts running through my head of all the details for the next three weeks. We are less than two weeks away from leaving California — about a week away from the packers and movers and I have to:

• complete all the details for the packers and movers
• figure out which tools to leave behind so I can tend to last minute repairs on the house
• get some important docs notarized
• enter money info into Quicken…..for the last 3 weeks. Ugh!
• arrange for all the utilities in Kentucky to get turned on
• fit in last visits for family and friends…..at least until they come visit us in Kentucky or we return on vacation
• get the new guy who is replacing my headcount at work up to speed — let the brain dump begin!
• do one last family day at the Santa Barbara Zoo and beach with lunch
• finalize a few outstanding issues at work before my transition
• go to the Auto Club to plot out details of the best route to Kentucky with possible weather impacts and detours
• figure out what we will need on the road trip out to Kentucky and segregate it from all the other stuff being packed
• arrange for a UHaul trailer so we can take all those miscellaneous things the movers can’t or won’t take
• make sure important dates like the school chorus performance and early family Christmas date are in my PalmPilot and don’t get overridden or doublebooked
• take the kids to the Reagan Library to see the gravesite
• allot for stuff I know I’ve already forgotten just trying to compile this list
• keep the house clean in case a realtor wants to show it

Fortunately, all this will be swapped out with another list in three weeks once we get there and begin to settle down. But I think that list will at least let me sleep.

Damn cat!

…..Dan at aslowerpace

When people first hear that we are moving to Kentucky, usually the first response is “Why?”. That is a normal response. Most people would be expecting us to move within the community or at least stay within the state. Or maybe remotely expect one of the more popular exile states Californians frequently flee to like Nevada, Oregon or Arizona. For us, Kentucky can be summed up with two words: values and finances.

The values and finances that Kentucky offers our family are key drivers to where we want to raise our family and where we want our family to be many years down the road.

The values piece of Kentucky was important to us. We wanted a more conservative and family values oriented area to raise our kids. A place where kindness, respect, manners, and friendliness are common in people who are grounded in basics and have a belief in God; something higher than themselves. You will always have your troublemakers but all in all, they seemed fewer out there. In addition, people in Kentucky are quicker to put them into their place because they haven’t been infected with political correctness — our society’s cancer…..but I digress. I am not judging the people of California. There are many good people here. I am one of them and we are lucky enough to know others at church, at work, at school and in the neighborhood. However, even good people get led astray and in this busy pace it is very easy to become distracted by the fast pace, keeping up, wanting more, and just getting by…..but not living. We believe that living in a more values centric area will enable us to raise our kids with a greater sense of responsibility to their Creator, their family, their friends, and their community. And God knows we, as parents, need all the help we can get.

In addition to the values piece of the puzzle, there was also the finances piece. One, to move to an area of the country where there is a lower cost of living. Two, to take advantage of the absurd increase of real estate prices here in southern California. Combine these together and you get a powerful tool towards self reliance, independence, stability and earlier retirement. This also allows for more opportunities and choices for the family. If something does not mesh with what is best for our family, we will be in a position to change it. We still might need to be flexible and make compromises but we will not be slaves to payments, dead end jobs, or unfulfilling grinds and ruts. Those things suck the life from us and hinder us from enjoying a child’s laugh, a rainbow or a flower blossom.

Add to the values and finances pieces the fact that I am keeping my current job and salary and you have a great combination. I am almost hesitant writing about it — feeling like I have found a great secret formula that can be stolen. However, my formula won’t necessarily be one for everyone else. What can be for everyone else is the encouragement that there is more out there for everyone no matter what their situation is. That is partly what this blog is for — to encourage others of like mind.

Go out there and find your formula!

…..Dan at aslowerpace

While I have painted Kentucky as a great place for us to move and raise our family, it has its share of detriments, cons, negatives or whatever you want to call them. This exercise will lay out those things we will miss here in California and describe what we are not looking forward to in Kentucky.

It will be interesting to review this list in 6 months to see if what we expect to miss from California and not like in Kentucky ends up being reality. This list will also be different for every person.

What we will miss from California:

• the consistent nice weather
• the topography – mountains, beach, etc.
• the beach – I know I already said it but it gets two since the kids love it
• In N Out burgers
• having everything within about a 10 minute drive
• the leisurely, slow pace of life
• scratch that last one — I was seeing if you were paying attention. Hah!
• friends and family so close

What we don’t expect to like in Kentucky:

• more bugs than California
• humidity
• tornados
• not having everything at our fingertips
• restaurants with a "smoking" section

Again, it will be interesting to see what is actual reality once we settle in there. I just do exercises like this to keep a healthy perspective. No place is perfect and California has been good to us and gotten our family this far. I just believe that our family needs more and California has changed to a point where other locations will be more beneficial for the family for the long term (20 to 30 years out).

…..Dan at aslowerpace

As I sit here with a terribly full belly, I can appreciate all the blessings that have been showered upon my family. We all have the basics being Americans — life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But I can be thankful for so much more – faith, family, health, employment and home — and even more.

I hope we can all take a moment and reflect on all that we have to be thankful for. If you need help, watch the evening news. There are millions of people throughout the world whose only difference from you is a luck of the draw being born in an impoverished or war-torn country.

And while you are counting your blessings, let those close to you know you are thankful for them too.

…..Dan at aslowerpace

In preparation for the Thanksgiving decorations, the big meal and our guests, my wife did a creative project to add some personality to the table. She used different fall colored construction paper and cut out shapes of leaves. She then had each family member write what they are thankful for on each leaf and laminated them. Below are a few of the samples.

My blessings
– I am thankful for my faith.
– I am thankful for my wife and kids.
– I am thankful for opportunities.
– I am thankful for the ability to love, nurture, enjoy and provide for my family.

My wife
– I am thankful for my happy and healthy family.
– I am thankful for all of God’s blessings.
– I am thankful for holidays to celebrate.

The kids
– I am thankful for my familiy and my dogs.
– I am thankful for playing ball with Daddy.
– I am thankful for friends to play with.
– I am thankful for books to read.
– I am thankful for my room.