Allrightey, another month, another blog.
Let's see: Mom's retiring, party was fine, I actually recognized a handful of faces. Our gift made her cry, which is good. Prayer concerns for my grandmother who is slated for open heart surgery. There is some debate as to whether to do this before or after Christmas. James is back, looking better than ever. He carries himself with a bit more pride now, a welcome change. He seems to have some purpose about him. Volleyball tournament finishes up tomorrow night and we have a tough row to hoe. We are in the loser's bracket against the church that put us there, but if they play like they did last week, we should do okay. Contingent upon our victory, we would have to play the other FBC team who won the regular season. We split against them (we handed them their only loss); they are the team to beat. Not only do we have to beat them once, but twice as it is double elimination. So there is a potential of 3 matches tomorrow--should be fun.

Ellice is rounding out the school semester both college and work. She is stressed as usual, but I am doing my best to relieve it. I'm handling the remainder of the Christmas shopping to ease her burden.

I have begun a revamping of my book, with some fresh faces and deeper storyline, Ellice has heard the bare bones of the story and thinks it is a great improvement. The best way to describe it as a more mature effort on my part. I don't consider the draft I completed a failure but more a step in the process. Some things worked, some things didn't and in the end I had fun with it. It's good to know I can write a story from start to finish, even if it isn't completely fleshed out.

Academic team finished with 2 wins, and a poor showing in our big tournament. But the kids had fun and garnered some experience which may help them in the future. 2 of the kids however placed in the written subject tests, which is a definite positive.

I got an A in my 803 class, so still doing well in my Grad classes. I'm also officially in the MAT program and qualify for financial aid, which will really help us out. Registered for a full load, 12 hrs and I'll be subbing on the days I'm not it class.

Anything else? Oh we bought a new car. I'm looking for one of those giant ribbons you see in the commercials if anyone has one lying around. For more on that, see Ellice's blog.

Merry Christmas

Boy, this has been one hectic month! Yes, I have not blogged lately, but here I am now. My Academic team has one victory but they are improving. Doctor says I'm fairly healthy, I'm less stressed than I was before. Oh, I subbed for the BD teacher, and that was interesting. Melissa has come and gone; a very pleasant visit. Homecoming for Ellice, good times for her. I did my job, smile and be supportive; take pictures--it went well. Maui invitational did not go as well as we had hoped-- the Wildcats posted 2 losses, albeit against ranked teams. It looks like they might struggle again this year. Let's hope its just youth and they will improve throughout the season. The football team gets to go to the Liberty Bowl; that should be fun. And Thanksgiving was cool.

Not much else but busy, busy, busy. I'll try to keep everyone informed.

Update:
Great weekend at Ridgecrest, NC. The retreat focused on 'business' and marriage. But I can't talk very long about it as I'm writing this while driving. Problems with insurance, getting a lot of sub jobs at Clark Middle (which is nice) and we lost our first match for our academic team, 20-16. It was against Model Lab, which is probably the best team in the league, and my kids have never even had the buzzers before, so I'm proud of them. We lost our volleyball match tonight, our first loss. We'll regroup I'm sure.

Subbing tomorrow, practice and dinner with E's parents; should be fun. Our second academic team match is Thursday at McNabb, so wish us good luck, or more appropriately good questions.

Wait this isn't brad this is his wife..I guess I will go get him and let him blog.

Pardon that interruption. Hijacking one's blog is a crime of the most heinous nature, don't you think?

Anyway, what has happened since my last blog? Well, my first anniversary; let's start there. After my Louisville KAAC conference, which was the first night we've had apart since we wed, Sunday, October 1 was looking promising. Ellice got very sick and stayed home the Friday before while I was gone. So on some level I felt guilty for 'abandoning' my wife in her hour of need. She assured me of course that there was no problem and she understood but still... As a backdrop for our anniversary, you can see I was meaning to impress. We went to the Putt-putt we went to on our honeymoon, a little three course place that had a biblical theme--we really like that one--watched the DVD of 'Prelude to a Kiss' which is the play we watched on our honeymoon, and followed all that with dinner at Miyako's (you guessed it, the same restaurant). You could say I'm uncreative, or just stuck in a rut, but I prefer to chalk up to the romantic category. I mean couples are trying to recapture their honeymoon all the time, right? We enjoyed the day greatly and Ellice was refreshed for school.

Did a lot of running around with the in-laws, mostly keeping Ellice's mother company while she stayed with us and helping James with some last minute errands before he goes to Basic. Good bonding time.

Started church volleyball again Tuesday; I was relieved when my body held up. I must be getting better.

Thursday I volunteered to assist with the middle school's field trip, and that pretty much took up that day. We were exhausted after that one.

Friday night we went to see Jekyll and Hyde at the Rose Barn Theatre in Richmond. Rather good for community theatre--Jekyll/Hyde was amazing. The rest of the cast was passable for the most part. Ellice wishes she could have tried out; she would have won out for the part of Lucy handily in my opinion.

There are also a couple of other stories from this week, but Ellice can fill you in on those. Ask her about Punjab and Brad's Chicken Surprise.

Did my first subbing gig on Friday. It was just a half-day, with a planning period at Ellice's school. It was actually fun. I know this isn't the same as teaching full-time, but at least I know I can be comfortable with this age group of kids for a few hours. To make things easier, I was subbing for the collaboration teacher in 6th grade, so there was a 'primary' instructor in each classroom. The teachers were all very supportive and I helped. I think the teacher I worked for was just glad to get a sub for 1/2 a day. It was good way to get a taste of what I'm going to be doing.

Also Friday, we saw Terry Brooks at Joseph Beth's in Lexington. For those of you who are fantasy challenged, he has written many novels in the genre, including the Shannara books and the Landover series. I asked him a question (after his teaser about his latest book) about how long it took to get his first book written and published. His answers were heartening as it was easy for him to get published but took 7 years to get it written. Cool! I have a five-year window left so the pressure is lessened. Also of note: when he signed Ellice's copy of Wishsong of Shannara, he was fascinated by her name and asked how it was pronounced, setting it aside. He said, "You never know where it might turn up!" She was thrilled, and I was for her.

Saturday we went to Ren festival and had a great time. Exhausting but fun. Ellice had to wrangle with the guy she works for a bit to get paid, but she got it and we got to blow it that day (which was the plan). She got a cool leather pouch, a new belt to replace the one she lost to me, and a baldric. She also bought me a cool sword that is somwhat similar (if a little shorter--on the order of 3 1/2-4 feet without the runes) than Aragorn's sword from the film. Very cool; It complements my outfit well. I actually had several people come up to me thinking I worked there, which is a huge compliment to Ellice's hard work.

Boy, being unemployed sure is a lot of work. To sum up, I've spent most of my hiatus coughing and focusing on breathing. You all heard about my last health challenge by now, and you'll be pleased to hear that my last trip to the doc seems to have ironed that bit out for the most part. My lungs seem fine (treated at least) and the problem was an episode of 'cough syncope', which is merely coughing till you pass out. The cause is most likely my throat is so raw from the prolonged illness in August that everything sets me off. The way to treat it is stop the cough long enough for the throat to heal. Some extra strength cough syrup seems to be doing the trick.

The paperwork for subbing is being pushed, so we're still waiting on that.

I am the new 6th and 7th grade coach for Ellice's school, and that is proving challenging as it's all on my shoulders for setting up the practices and working things out. It seems that few really know what is going on with the thing, and no one else really wants to get involved. Fortunately, I will be getting assistance from one teacher, but so far its been difficult coordinating with her.

I am pleased to announce that I am no longer employed at EDS.
I was nervous about the day, fearing confrontation or acrimony. But amazingly, everyone was supportive about my decision. They were all sad to see me go, and a little surprised at the apparent abruptness as they mostly expected me to finish out the month. The boss was understanding about my health concerns and my career plans, and was happy for me that I am moving on. She was disappointed about my leaving EDS and asked if it was her fault, which surprised me (a lot of people have been leaving lately.)

Instead of leaving abruptly, as I thought I might after my announcement, everyone was so supportive, I stayed the whole day to make sure they could get by on my tasks. Throughout the day, even GM customers who had given me grief in the past where disappointed that I was leaving and said I had done a good job. I told everyone that I was moving into the education field, and not many were surprised.

I went around throughout the day talking to everyone individually; they shared their hopes and dreams of the future. I got other agents up to speed on my project (as best I could in one day) and they said they wouldn't be able to replace me.

I was pretty together about the whole thing, until I finally said goodbye, and the place gave me a standing ovation that built up throughout the place as I walked out. I lost it. It was like that scene at the end of Titanic after Rose passes away. After the last months of feeling underappreciated and overworked, it was like they were all saying, "Well done."

It was the best form of closure I could have imagined.
On to the next stage of life...

Another week is upon us and I'm actually ahead of the blogging game. My health is steadily improving, so I'd like to thank everyone for their prayers and support. The fact that there is a definite end date to work has made it much easier there. Still a lot of stuff going on but I just don't seem to care as much.

Classes have begun again, and I only have one night class on Mondays. Shouldn't be too bad, I'm just having a bit of trouble nailing down the expectations of this professor. She seems to be uncertain of what she wants us to do in regards to assignments, and when asked what the tests were like, she couldn't give an answer. All and all, it shouldn't be that bad though.

Ellice has terribly hectic 3 days every week this semester, what with a 6pm class on Monday nights, a teacher's meeting on Tuesdays followed by a real late 7pm class that lets out at 9:45, and then WW meetings on Wednesday nights. On top of all that, September and October are rapidly filling with activities: Ren fest, Anniversary, weekend retreat with the church, parents, brothers, Homecoming, nine lords-a-leaping, etc. I'm going to make it my mission to see to it that my wife takes time for back and foot rubs, and general pampering every now and then--perhaps even the occasional poem of appreciation or minor gift.

I finally went back to work on Wednesday. It was a struggle, but I made it through. Today was marginally better; so as you can see, I'm making a gradual transition back to health. Still getting used to the Doogie Howserness of writing a blog about my thoughts.

I actually did help out a bit while I was infirmed; dishes, vaccuum, picked-up, trash, clean counters, and even cooked a couple of times. Ellice seemed rather appreciative of my efforts.

Ellice's parents were disappointed this past weekend, as we were unable to visit, but they gave me assurances that they understood that I needed the rest. They came down yesterday afternoon, saw Ellice's school and went with us to Red Lobster. Great food as always. We capped off the evening with a rousing game of spades. In case you are wondering, the Gulletts won.


News of the Day:
Turns out Jon Benet Ramsey's parents didn't kill her. Hmmm. Guess we all made a rush to judgment on that one. Let me publicly apologize to her deceased mother for accusing her unjustly. Do you believe that Jon Benet was killed about 10 years ago? She would have been 16 years old now. Time flies.

Further thoughts?
We are rapidly running out of Friends episodes and Cheers;
Israel acquiesced too early to the UN;

Finally, a tidbit of wisdom:
There is absolutely nothing we can say that will affect the cost of gasoline in any way, so I should just shut up and shell out for whatever price they throw up on the sign with a sigh.

The rumors of my demise have been grossly exaggerated. I mean come on, a combine accident? yuck

To dispel these misconceptions, it has been suggested that I post more frequently to show that I am in fact, alive. Maybe even answer an e-mail or two.

Current events: work sucks. I would have titled this paragraph 'news' but there is nothing new about that.
Ellice and I have found a new pasttime (yes even newer than our version of skipbo)--Spades on pogo!!
Great fun--and we don't look at each other's screens 'even a little.'
The site is http://www.pogo.com
My favorite games there are chess, spades, word whomp and tumblebees.

Ellice took her test Saturday and while it is always great to be around her, things are nevertheless friendlier these days in stately Gullett Manor...

The chess tournament was fun, even though I didn't do exceptionally well. I played four games, winning only one. There was a lot of stiff competition but it was a good experience. The wife was wonderful; a real trooper who stuck by my side through a very long day and she picked me up when I felt down about losing. All told, I played a little tight, at the beginning, but loosened up throughout the day. I learned a lot about tournament play, which bodes well for future competitions. Ellice and I also spent a good amount of time walking and talking between matches, which was really cool.

It seems that I captured one thing at the tournament even if it wasn't a ribbon; a cold. And not a cold like Ellice means 'a cold', but an honest to goodness coughing, stuffy head cold. Fortunately it didn't really kick in until after the waterpark (probably contributed). The waterpark was a thrill and a bargain.

Work's a drag, but there is an end in site thanks to my wonderful, understanding wife, who is allowing me to change careers- from Tech support agent to substitute teacher, probably the most noble of professions. I had to include that as everyone who would possibly read this blog has been one; don't let it ever be said that I don't know my audience.

We're heading for another busy weekend packed with fun. Tonight is of course date night where Ellice and I plan on going to a local Thai restaurant. I'm a little skeptical of dining adventures, but Ellice assures me that there are things I will enjoy on the menu, so I'm looking forward to it. Then the movie; we thought briefly about seeing the M. Night Shamamamamamalan movie, but decided instead that we will go watch My Super Ex-Girlfriend. After the movie, we'll probably go to bed early; take from that what you will.

Saturday, I have the big chess tournament, part of the Bluegrass summer games. I most likely won't do very well, but it should be enjoyable nonetheless. I'll do my best to keep wife entertained as she is being super supportive by going to this all-day geekfest with me. She will get her choice on where to eat that day. Afterward, if we feel up to it after this grueling mental marathon, we may go to a group dinner in Lexington. No notice on where the people are meeting. If you know me at all, you know that not knowing where we are going is a bit disconcerting.

Then Sunday, church and the Star Wars game which will keep me out till late (more geekdom, I know).
Monday we are going to 'The Beach', a waterpark across the road from King's Island (not Boomerang Bay, a competitor). That will be an allday affair, and the majority of the Chick clan is going. Should be a good weekend, and with the day off, I'm looking forward to the abbreviated work week that follows.

Well, it turns out I was sick, sick as a dog on the day of the wedding. My glassy-eyed stare in the pictures is evidence enough that I had little idea what was going on. All I really remember out the day was sunflowers, millions and millions of sunflowers, and a nap in a dorm room while the reception carried on elsewhere in the building.

Vacation was fantastic, once I got over the illness. Two days at King's Island was just the right medicine for me.

My return to work was stressful, and continues to be with all the changes. My wife has been great during all this, listening to my grumbling and using various stress reduction techniques like footrubs, massages and what have you.

Ellice got a job at Clark Middle and I am so excited. This means that when our insurance kicks in, I have the option to start subbing and quit this job. Woohoo!! Maybe I can finish that Great American Novel I've been working on for the last two years.

Well, this is my first entry. Reflections. Seemed like a fitting title. I thought about going with 'Beginnings.' Appropriate as it is the first day of a long-desired and long deserved vacation. Since this is more of a diary I thought the nature of its content was more to the point. I suppose the most prominent thing on my mind is that my wife Ellice fell ill today and had to come home from her baby-sitting gig early. I've got about 45 minutes left here at work then I go home to my girl and try to take care of her. Hopefully, I can nurse her back to health quickly so that she can enjoy our vacation and her brother Joel's wedding.

I'll also have to ask her how to put pictures in here.