Chilling in the Philippines-- 2013 in review

December 31, 2013

Its 10:30 AM here.  Poor Suzy has to work at 8 pm ish and there are LOUD sound checks going on already. This dude is drumming and its like he is on the balcony with us.  Jessica Sanchez from American Idol is here to perform and a bunch of great local acts. I am pretty excited.

So I had been thinking of this for awhile and Facebook helped by posting a year in review.  So much to go over so I will just touch on the highlights.

First, at this point last year, I was so happy to get rid of 2012. That was a tough year.  Other than a great year for me announcing roller Derby, it sucked. I  had surgery in September after months of missed diagnoses and pain. 4 months of pain following hadn't helped either.

Then Paxton Bennett invited me to cheer him on at the Miami Marathon in January.  Things started picking up.  The January race was great and just the distraction I needed to stop feeling sorry for myself.  We were pretty active. Got to see Key West, eat some great food... and had 10th row seats to see the Miami Heat. Awesome. Saw a Dude hit a half court shot for 75K and get mobbed by LBJ.  The trip to Miami was a great time. 80 degrees Fahrenheit when it is 0 in Iowa is even better.  Little did I know that would become my life. . .

February... Suzy and I joined our friends the Rogers and went to the Bacon Festival. Wow! LOVE BACON... Even after eating pounds of it in every possible form. Suzy and I also celebrated our 5 year anniversary of our first date.  Great times. and Time Flies.

Somewhere around March... there was a whisper in Suzy's ear to start considering a relocation to the Philippines... I remember getting home from work, and she said, "I have a question to ask..."  Wow...

In March we also got to meet our favorite Iowa Energy player, Paul Harris.  That was great. We really miss not being able to see the Iowa Energy games.

Fast forward to May... Mother's Day.  We had decided to make the move to the Philippines and it was time to tell the parents.  Only God knows if we will have children and this was like that moment. Both sides were quite understanding...

I announced my final roller derby bouts until my return in Mason City. What a great time. I announced with a rookie, Scary Jerry,   Pros in Joe Malone and stunt rocker and maybe the youngest derby announcer in the nation in Candy Cage. I am blessed. I miss my roller derby family very much.

June... I always love June-- its my birth month. But I had the best Birthday ever as Adam Kempenaar got me a ticket to see the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. Wow! Triple Overtime! Game was over after Midnight in Chicago.  I still was work by 10 the next day! What an excellent whirlwind once in a lifetime opportunity. Best birthday ever!  We also were able to announce to the world that we were moving!

July... I participated in my last 5K in the states.  Paxton destroyed the competition and won the right to throw out the first pitch at the Iowa Cubs game.  He was so cool to allow me to take that honor.  How awesome. I know 20 people get to this anymore, but its something I always wanted to do, like getting a key to a city, and it was great.  Just wish i would not have one hopped the pitch. 

The next month seemed like a race to get everything in and see everyone one last time.  In hindsight... I wish I could have eaten more pizza and Jethro's BBQ.  I miss that the most.  I also miss my Wells Fargo friends and people I used to work with at the Attorney General offices.

We moved August 25.  The rest of our travails are blogged about so I am not going to detail it...

But what I will say is that I really miss home. I love all of my friends and family back there dearly.  I really enjoy living here and I have made a lot of friends here and met some super cool people.  It is culturally so different and I will thank Suzy until the day I die for letting me join her on this adventure.  When this eventually ends I will probably be really sad for leaving...  So if I learned anything, it is keep your chin up, keep doing the right thing and let life take you on its journey. 

Next on the agenda... popping some cold ones with friends and celebrating the new year. We live at ground zero for the celebration... I cannot wait.

So.  Thanks to all of you for being a part of my 2013... and here's to a great 2014 for us all!

Take care of yourselves...

Chuck

40 til 40 May 2nd, 2012 "Intro"

May 02, 2012

"Intro"

Everyone deals with stress differently. What is stress to one is another's joy. I am sure turning 40 is the same. June 12 I turn 40. Now I know nothing bad happens as soon as I turn 40 or anything like that, but is a halfway point in a couple ways. From graduating high school, a step into adulthood, its halfway to collecting social security. With the way lifespans are these days its also halfway until statistically I meet my maker.

I have been lucky to see many classmates go through 40 unscathed, even bask in its glory. Me, well we will see when the day gets here. For now, I plan to deal with this stress by sharing some events, people, life experiences and other musings that have shaped my first 40. Some will be very personal, some will be funny, some sad, but all will be a reflection of my life. I have been blessed to be on earth.

My family is pretty private, so there may not be a lot of mention of them, but I can assure all they are fine and doing great. I love my family very much and owe them a lot. If one chooses to read my blog daily, thank you. this means a lot to me as does everyone I have come in contact with during my life.

So on Day One, this will be more of a table setting or an introduction, an appetizer before the big meal. A little about me. I graduated from Newton High School. Class of 90. I currently work in the Presidential offices of the home mortgage department of a major American Bank. I also do stand up comedy and announce roller derby for Iowa's first derby team, the Mid-Iowa Rollers. I am quite proud of all my accomplishments on the microphone, whether its telling jokes or calling booty blocks.  More about all of that stuff later.  I am married to a wonderful wife, Suzy, and we have 2 furry kids, Lacey and Vinny, who are both running circles around me as I type. I enjoy sports of all kinds and am a passionate Iowa Hawkeye fan. I co host a podcast with Steve Myers, "Cy-Hawk Thoughts" giving the U of I point of view. When it comes to pay to play, most people know I am on the side of the Cubs, Packers, Bulls and Blackhawks.

so, thats it. . . Day one, done. Just setting the table. time to throw all of my 40 years in a bingo tumbler and see what come out daily.

Chuck