The blog started out as a way for me to chronicle my experience.  And total honesty, as a way for me to tell my story in a way that allowed me to point everyone to one place so I didn’t have to tell friends and family the same thing over and over again.  I started it within two hours of emptying my desk at the LAF.  It tells the story of a guy trying to find a job, the thoughts and emotions that come from losing your job, the trials and tribulations of being Mr. Mom for awhile and some other random things as well.

The irony in the name which is referenced throughout the blog but never explained is that 10.2 is also the mantra of the LAF, being the anniversary (Oct 2nd, 1996) of Lance’s diagnosis date…and the day of their annual LIVESTRONG Day, which I had spearheaded for the past 3 years.

So where am I now?  I’m gainfully employed at the Alzheimer’s Association in Washington DC and living in Fairfax with my family.  It’s definitely been an adjustment from Austin to DC, but I think we’re finally getting settled in.  A week after we arrived the massive DC snow storm hit…then hit again…then hit again.  Welcome to the northeast.  Switching from the MOPAC March to the METRO crawl has been an experience in and of itself.

All in all though…I’m doing great.  Right after everything happened in November, a good friend and former co-worker took me out for a beer at Chili’s.  (Ironically she paid for it with her unemployment card – awesome)   She told me that it would all work out.  That I’d be much happier than I ever was before and that losing my job was actually a good thing.  I thought she was nuts.

Turns out she was spot on.  Losing my job was one of the best things that ever happened to me.  I’ve never had more fun at a job than I’m having now.  I work with great people and for an amazing organization with fantastic leadership.  Things do happen for a reason.

As for the blog, I’m torn.  A group of friends asked me to start it up again last week – but like I told them,  the 10.2 blog worked well because it had a set beginning and end and a story to tell.  Coming up with content on an ongoing basis is tricky.  And now that I have a job again, I’m not that funny anymore.

But perhaps I’ll start something new soon.

- The weather from September-May. The weather down here is amazing about 8-9 months out of the year.  I can’t remember how many time’s I’d be sitting at the pool having a glass of wine while my friends back in CO were shoveling snow.  I have a feeling the weather in DC isn’t going to be as accommodating.

-  The Food. I never really knew bbq or tex-mex before I moved here.  Now they are staples of my diet.  It’s hard for me to imagine not being able to grab a breakfast taco every morning.  My two favorite places are Chuy’s and Salt Lick..I’m going to miss them dearly.

-  The people. I’ve made a lot of friends here, mostly connected to the LAF – but others as well.  Some of them I’ve gone on the road with, gone to their weddings, ran races with them, etc.  I’m sure I’ll keep in contact with some of them, but I’m definitely going to miss some of the people here.

- Football. I never really became an avid Longhorns fan or anything.  But I will miss the obsession this city has with football.  Any stories you’ve heard or TV shows you’ve seen aren’t an exaggeration.  This town is absolutely obsessed with the sport.  And since I am to – it’s a good fit.  (that being said – I’m still cheering for the Horns tomorrow night)

Now I have a job though, it’s time to knock some things off the list and have some fun. Here are my goals for the duration of my unemployment:

1. Play Golf – When I lived in the wintery state of Colorado I played golf about once/month.  I’m terrible at it – my expertise is in the beer drinking and golf cart driving.  I’ve lived in Austin where you can play year-round and I haven’t done it once.  I’m going to play golf.  My goal is to break 100 on the Par 3 course.
2. Go to the Shiner Brewery. Always wanted to do it, but they’re closed on the weekends.  My daughter and I are going to make the pilgrimage next week.
3. Beat Zelda on the Wii. Now I’m not talking the new fancy Twilight Princess one, I know I’ll never beat that.  I want to beat the original one from the 80’s.  I think with some great time and effort and cheating by using google I can do it.
4. Ride 10 Miles on a bike. Yes, I spent the last 3 years working for the #1 cyclist of all time.  Nope, I haven’t ever gone more than 6 miles on a bike.  I think I just spent too much time around it and had to rebel.  I’m pretty sure I’m physically capable now, so I’m going to give it a go next week at the Veloway in South Austin.  Where my good friend Chris Brewer took me two years ago to try to teach me how to ride.  Which resulted in almost passing out from exhaustion after 3 miles and he got a nasty case of poison ivy…here’s hoping for a better result this time.
5. Lose 5 pounds. What can I say…the holidays weren’t good to my waistline and now I need to do some un-doing.  The Biggest Loser:  Unemployment Edition was derailed by many things such as Mac N Cheese with hot dogs for lunch and the fact that I just can’t bring myself to go to any other workout classes except for Body Pump – and even that one’s a stretch.
6. Cook Julia Child’s Beef Bourgeon. Who am I kidding – that ain’t gonna happen.  (yes, I realize that was poor English Mom:)  Maybe I’ll just try cooking something new.
7. Finish the final Season of the West Wing. It’s my favorite show, always has been.  About 3 months ago I started ordering it on Netflix to re-watch all seven seasons.  Coincidentally I am 1 DVD away from being finished with it.  I plan on watching it on my last day of being unemployed.
8. Take a nap/day. Why?  Because I can, that’s why.
9. Eat lunch with my son at his school. Parents are like rockstars in Kindergarten classes.  The kids swarm and ask you everything you can possibly imagine.  They lead their parents around introducing them like they’re Bono.  Next week I’m going to go eat lunch in the cafeteria with my son.  And I’m even going to bring McDonald’s.  (Sorry to my friends at the AHA)
10. All that other stuff. Reality is starting to set in.  3 weeks from this Saturday, my entire family and all of our belongings head up to DC.  In the meantime I’m also spending a total of 8 days up there working.  We also have to…pack, rent a truck, pack the truck, find a house, take our kids out of school, re-enroll them in school up there, try to get our apartment sub-leased and move half the way across the country.  Lot’s to do in the next 3 weeks.

It’s a cause close to my heart.  After watching my grandmother battle with the disease in the final years of her life, I remember vividly what it does to a person and to a family.  Whenever I talk to my mom or my aunt about it, I can tell by the look in their eyes that they’re terrified they may have to face it one day.

With this new job also comes a move for my family.  On January 22^nd we will pack up and make the leisurely 24 hour drive to Washington DC.  We’ll most likely be living in the Northern Virginia area.

I am absolutely thrilled about the new job and the new city; I can’t wait to get started.  Lots to do in the near future to pack up, find a place and move half the way across the country.  So I’ll probably retire the blog when I retire from the 10.2 in two weeks.

to go native

(idiomatic) To adopt the lifestyle or outlook of local inhabitants.

Last week I had just finished putting dinner in the oven and was folding laundry while watching HGTV and it occurred to me…I’ve gone native.  I know my kids schedules backwards and forwards, I can clean, cook, help with homework and balance our budget all at the same time.  I even bought a big, black SUV.

I’m no longer the outcast; I’ve joined the ranks of the stay at home parents.  They talk to me like I’ve been a part of the group for years.  We volunteer at the elementary school together, work out at the gym together, shop at the same grocery store, we even see the same puppet shows together.  It’s like a little community.  Now I freely admit that my skills pale in comparison to many of the parents that I’ve met, but at least I feel like I gave it a pretty good effort.

I’ll never forget taking my daughter to a puppet show last week and watching in awe as supermoms easily controlled groups of up to six kids.  They had these magic purses that seemed to have an endless supply of snacks, beverages and wet wipes.  It was incredible.

I’ve come to deeply respect and appreciate the modern stay at home parent – it’s a tough, completely thankless gig.  Now that I’ve started to figure it out though, I think it’s time for me to retire.  Which is why I’m thrilled that I received an amazing Christmas gift this year, a job offer.

So on January 11th I will officially leave the ranks of the 10.2%.  I’ll tell you all about the job tomorrow – I’m really excited about it.

Two years ago my son was finally old enough to kind of understand Xmas and get into the traditions and be excited about them.  So me, being me – I told him that Santa prefers cookies and beer instead of cookies and milk.  Harmless little joke on a 3 year old that made my Xmas eve a little bit better.  I’m told some of my other friends even said that he prefers Crown Royal. (brilliant I might add)

Now he’s 5 though and keenly remembers that Xmas Eve equals cookies and beer for Santa + some carrots for the reindeer.  He’s also apparently engaging in a debate with one of his little classmates about whether or not Santa Claus likes beer.  My son likes to debate the issues of his time…that’s shocking.

While I’m sure that all of his little friends moms greatly appreciate me promoting the idea of a beer guzzling Santa Claus;  I can’t help but smile at the thought that perhaps other dad’s will find that tall can of Miller Lite when they begin to stock the tree in the middle of the night.

Now I should probably feel bad…but I don’t.  I say let the voters decide:  Are Beer and Cookies bad for Santa?

You see, the way I’ve described Santa Claus to my kids he might as well be a CIA mastermind Ninja with deity-like qualities. He sees everything, he hears everything, he knows everything you’re doing and everything you’re thinking about doing. Whether your door is open, your lights are turned off, you’re hiding under your bed – everything!

Clean your room, be nice to your sister, put that away, stop doing that – all of these commands are now followed by, “Santa’s watching you!” Or if we really need to get drastic – “That’s it, I’m emailing Santa.”

Now I fully realize there are probably better ways to keep control of my kids, but for the time being – this one is fun and easy.

My wife turned me onto a little elf thingy that I think is a marvelous idea: Elf On a Shelf. Of course, I wouldn’t spend $30 on an elf unless it was a real one, but the theory is solid.

I have maybe one more week of Santa threats before I have to get more creative….I wonder what the Easter Bunny could do….

Jonathan White Fiasco –

About a year ago, we (LAF Staff) heard a story about a teenage pediatric cancer patient named Jonathan White that was in a pretty tough battle for his life.  Jonathan had formed a pretty close relationship with some of our volunteers and the LAF followed suit.  The cancer community as a whole is very supportive and tends to circle the wagons when we they think someone needs it.

He started a pretty sizable online following with Ashton Kutcher, Lance, Alyssa Milano and other stars following and supporting his story.  I personally sent the kid a few gifts and emails/letters offering support.  Apparently other famous stars sent him guitars, computers, anything you can imagine.

Turns out the whole thing was a hoax. Jonathan White was really a 30-year-old woman from Idaho.  Tens of thousands of people had followed this person along in this journey and the whole thing was a sham.  Nobody figured it out until a friend was getting ready to hop on a plane to visit him/her.  Knowing that she was going to be caught, she admitted in an email that it was a sham and shut down all of her online accounts.

I’ll never forget the way I felt when I heard.  I still remember the ache in the pit of my stomach and confusion on my brain.  You go from not believing that it’s really true to being pretty pissed in about 5 minutes.  That’s followed by a solid amount of embarrassment that you fell for this whole charade.  As mad and hurt as we all were, nobody wanted what happened next.

Knowing that she was going to be caught, this woman disappeared for a few days before taking her own life.  Such a tragedy – all the way around.

Other really crappy days in my career are these:

1. The day we lost Smoke-free Colorado the first time – 2006 I think.
2. Blue’s Brothers concert in Cedar Falls, IA in 07.
3. The day we realized Smoke-free Texas wasn’t going to happen in 09
4. The day we launched LS Action – thousands of hits, getting great traction and the site crashed.
5. Losing the excise tax fight on smokeless tobacco in WY 04-07.

My son has no sense of discretion or appropriateness whatsoever. He loves to share his opinion on any situation we’re facing. In that regard, I can see myself in him.  But man sometimes I think he’s bound and defermined to get his old man in deep trouble.

Here’s some recent examples.

• Piercings – Now we’ve never had a piercing discussion with him before.   I don’t even know where his biases come from.   But he sure didn’t have a problem bellowing this out at La Madeleine a few weeks ago:   ”Daddy, that BOY has earings, those are for girls, he shouldn’t have earings – yuck!”.   Now he of course didn’t whisper this to me, he yelled it.  Dude was sitting like five feet from us and luckily he smiled about it.
• Tattoos-  Neither my wife or I have any tatoos so I haven’t been able to place where he learned his thoughts on the subject.   But this weekend he sure didn’t have a problem bellowing this one out at Chuy’s:   ”Mommy, she has tatoos all over her arms, why would she do that – that’s disgusting!”.  It was our waitress and she was at the table next to us.   Thanks kid.  Luckily she didn’t hear us, because I’m pretty sure she could have kicked my butt.
• Smoking - Now this one at least I can point to the origins of.  I’ve spent my career creating smoke-free environments, increasing the excise tax on them, etc.  So my son has learned to associate these little things with death and cancer.  The only one that gets a pass is my brother who he adores more than GI Joe.  Naturally of course this ellicits a response from him every time we pass someone who is partaking in this particular indulgence.  This is what it sounded like at the airport the other day:   ”Daddy, that mans smoking!  He’s going to get cancer and die.”  I actually kinda hope the dude heard him.  On this one though I have a hard time not being a little proud.

Now I love my son to death.  But he’s going to get me killed one day.

I’ve been doing a solid amount of interviews now for awhile now. So by now I’ve answered every question you can possibly think of…at least three times. How I got here, what my strengths are, what my worst failure is, what type of animal I’d be, I’ve answered them all.

There’s one question that I think is indicative of people who really know how to interview and find out about an individual. This one is my favorite: “Tell me about the best day your career.” It allows the candidate to tell them literally everything about the best and worst of the highest point in their career. I’m told many people hem and haw over the answer. For me, it was simple. I knew right off the bat. It was May 13, 2008.

A lot of people know how LIVESTRONG Day was started. It began as a simple lobby day event in DC. However in 2006 so many people signed up that they were struggling for a way to keep the others engaged who couldn’t be accepted into the event. Thus the idea for a Local LIVESTRONG Day was born. Anybody, anywhere could participate in the event. Over 100 people across the country stood up in 2006.

By 2008 things had changed. We’d just come off the heels of an amazing LS Day in DC and had boosted that effect by having more than 200 events across the country.

But it was 2008. Nobody cared what happend in Congress in 2008, the action was in the communities. So we made the hard choice to scrap the DC portion of LS Day and concentrate on where it really belonged.

We threw out what at the time seemed like a mammoth goal, 500 events across the country. Two questions still lingered. How do you utilize Lance and what can we do to energize the staff on that day.

I was in DC at an airport bar when the idea first came to me. Two months before that we had done a statewide bus tour in support of Prop 15. What if we took a page out of that playbook and flew Lance to a few events around the country that day? And what if we copied that idea and deployed staff across the country in the same fashion?

I thought it was a brilliant idea that nobody would ever buy into. Talking through it with a friend beforehand, it sounded nuts Luckily for me, our CEO quickly challenged us to pull it off.

At the end of the day, we had more than 640 events across the world, executed a 4 city plane tour with massive events at each stop with Lance and sent out staff across the country. Thousands of media hits, dollars raised and hands shook. It was an amazing day.

And here’s the kicker: We did it and came in 50% under budget. And while it occupied about 5 staffers for awhile, it was pretty resource light given what we tried to pull off.

It’s my proudest day not just for the results but also because it was the opportunity to tackle a problem, build a strategy around it and see it through to completion. That day, we nailed it. Definitely a team effort, but I’ve never seen a team fire on all cylinders like that before. It was awesome.