July Stuff

As some of you know, I started working at Marshalls about 2 weeks ago. For those that are not familiar, Marshalls is a discount retailer of clothing, home decor, as well as other assorted items. I have only worked there on 3 separate occasions, but I can already tell the job is not for me. I like to think I have a good "feel" for things and this one does not feel right to me. The job requirements do not accentuate my strengths, at least this is the initial impression that I have come to. I have worked 2 busy days up at the register, which is pretty stressful if you have never been up there before and then they throw you to the wolves. There are just so many little things that I have to remember to do, it can be overwhelming at times, but it is a job. I can't really complain at work, so this is the forum in which I will do it in. I won't complain too much because I have a job and that is what is important in today's times. It is a temporary stopgap to bigger and better things for me in the future. It is a good experience for me, as it provides an opportunity to enhance some of social and practical skills. It also is something I hope I do not have to do for too long. I hope to have a better sense of my future in the next few months.

Right around the time I started working for Marshalls, I had the opportunity to house sit for this family that goes to my church. They went on vacation for a week and I was responsible for feeding their animals, which included horses, goats, dogs, and cats. The horses and goats had to be fed twice a day and the horses had to be led to separate locations to be fed. It was a unique experience. I had never dealt with horses before and in fact I had only ridden a horse once in my life. So I was in some foreign territory. The woman in charge instructed me on how to conduct all the feedings a few times before they left on their trip. The animals were all well behaved, except for a few times when one of the horses was acting a little stubborn, but there was no harm done. It paid well, and I got to enjoy some alone time with a 40 inch flat screen in a house to myself.

The month of July is pretty dull for sports. You have baseball, the Open Championship, and the Tour de France (if you are into this event, which I am). I followed the Tour over its 3 weeks and became fascinated, like I do every year, over the tactics, strategy and story lines that occur throughout the tour. I love the team strategies, when to chase, when not to chase. Which team members are responsible for which tasks. The sprint finishes are dramatic, the mountain stages are epic and separate the men from the boys. I love the continual attacking on the mountain stages to see who is up to snuff. In the end the best rider is evident and this year, like it was 2 years ago, is the Spainish rider from Astana Alberto Contador. This young rider is a mountain goat and climbs faster than even 7x Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong did in his heyday. He is an incredible talent who should have many more yellow jerseys in his future. Armstrong was a big story in this years Tour as he finished on the podium in 3rd place. Quite remarkable for a guy who has been away from the sport for 3.5 years and is at the ripe old age of 37. Over ten years older than his main competitors in this years race. There was a lot of controversy between Armstrong and Contador as they were battling over team leadership and tactics throughout the Tour. They were able to put away noticeable differences in philosophies to take 2 out of the top 3 spots. The bad blood between these two is still there, and they will go their separate ways and be on 2 different teams in next years race. It makes the sport exciting and gives me one more reason to watch, like I needed another one. So that concludes this blog. I hope you enjoyed it.

Hugs and handpounds everyone.

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