Mom, Happy Birthday!

Beverly Centellas
Today my mom gets one year older (don't worry mom I won't say how many years total that is now). I think I have been a good son and usually remember to call. I mean last year on the 18th I frantically called the house to wish my mom a happy birthday... and then realized that in my worry over having almost forgotten my moms birthday... I called ten days early.

I am not a card guy, so my mom won't get a fancy card from me. I am kinda broke so I can't get her that cruise I would love to send her on. I am not a good writer like Miguel and can't write any inspiring words from her middle son. So I can just tell me mom thanks.

Growing up I guess I was a little bit of a mama's boy. I was a paperboy, and my mom was always willing to help me on weekend mornings (5 AM) with my route. What was better was after freezing in the cold outside, my mom and I would sit and have coffee (I started my coffee addiction at an early age) and just talk. Those were some good times. I still do that to this day when I am home. I try to get up and sit with my mom and have some coffee.

Today I got a package from my mom. Enclosed was a book on being a good father and a letter from her. The letter about my abuelita was very touching and I might of had to wipe a tear from my eye. However the encouragement of me as a father is what was more touching. My mom has always been there for me, no matter what dumb stunt I pull, mostly dumb things I won't list here... but she always taught me a lesson when I messed up.

When I was home this year for the Holidays a couple times I had to punish Novali. Hearing my little girl ball her eyes out and tell me she hates me and wants her mom was the hardest thing in the world. It was then I realized how hard it was to be a parent. Not cause your kids hit you up for money, flunk a class in school, or complain that you can't buy them the new Nikes they want. I realized what it means to do something which hurts you, because you know it is what's best for your child. It is being selfless.

I could not have asked for a more selfless mother. She has opened doors for me, taught me right from wrong (even though I still make mistakes), sacrificed many things to help me grow and become a good man, and now more importantly a good father (I hope).

Mom, HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Thank you for everything you have done for me. I hope my gift to you can be that I make you proud. You hard work as a mother has not gone unnoticed.

Can You Hear Me Now. Part 2.
Over the summer I posted about my issues with Verizon and how much I dislike them (I might have used the word hate... and been a little harsh). Well I still felt that way until I called on Monday. They finally gave me good service, and I guess I just needed to put my foot down. I called in to pay my bill and I was basically going to tell them that I was canceling my service and going to transfer my number to another company (maybe that woke them up). Well the guy who got on the phone was super helpful, and he fixed all the problems I have been having. Including... getting me a new phone. He gave me the Motorola V265 for FREE! I checked prices at most cell places and with a two year contract it runs for like 159. So I got a pretty good deal, and he gave me a great new rate plan and helped with some of my past overages. So I am happy Verizon again... well for now. The real fun now is entering all these numbers in my new phone, AH.

So it is 6 AM... and I can not sleep. I think I am a little over anxious about sorority recruitment, and have a lot on my mind with other work and personal things. I need a vacation.

On the recruitment front we had a good night, we currently have signed up over 140 women for recruitment (my goal was 120) and should be a getting a good number of them back on Friday. Our kick off event tonight (1/26) went awesome. The fashion show was a big hit and I was told was more fun then ever. Good Job Chimi! So we are off to a good start.

So what else am I work on right now... lets recap some of my big projects and how things are going.

Formal 2005 - as the chair for my fraternity's district Formal Awards banquet we hit 40 people signed up today. That was great news. The checking account is finally squared away and in a couple weeks will start the regular meetings with the hotel to get into the nitty gritty details. We have a design for the logo which is going to be sweet, and our By Laws I have been working on are close to being approved.

Albion Fraternities - well recruitment is in full swing for them as well. Which means more paperwork, board transfers, and of course the men complaining about other groups cheating. Drama... come on guys... Not to mention I have a fraternity selling dumb shirts for Breast Cancer Awareness...

Who's Who - I am supposed to be planning Albion's Who's Who nomination program. With what time? Between recruitment appeals, fraternity judicial stuff, recruitment, sorority consultant meetings, and housing stuff I don't have time. Our Associate Director of Housing left and since he dealt with most of the fraternity stuff I am now having to help more in that area as well... this added work is not welcome at this time of the year... I got to figure something out.

WRGA - I missed our conference call today because I was swamped with meetings about recruitment. I am in the process of doing a new website for the association and working on the design of the program booklet. My timeline got shortened a little, but things are still looking good. We submitted our AV bid and hopefully I will get all the equipment I need.

OutSight Design - been busy with new clients. A promotional website for a book, Measured Success, will be launching soon. I also signed my MMBA Client to another year contract and will be doing some added work for their site. I am currently working with two other groups to possibly land some more work for OutSight for 2005. On the consulting front, University of Michigan contacted me last week and wants to hire me to come and do some workshops there this semester. Also on February 5th, and February 19th-20th I will be presenting at conferences at GVSU and Chicago.

Well I better get back to putting numbers in my phone, hopefully it will help me fall asleep. Good night... r.. I guess morning now.

Winter Wonderland
Not sure who ordered all this snow, but I am glad I made it to Chicago and just barely beat the snow. I still hit the early part of the storm so it took me over 4 hours to get there. Anyhow, I made it safely and Novali was excited to see me. Check out the pics of my car in the snow.

Curbside drifts were as high as my windows!

As I opened my doors they cleared snow out like a plow.

Because of the weather we really could not go and do anything. So we just stayed in, ate Fruit Loops, ordered Pizza, and watched a lot of movies. Of course that means, Monsters Inc. and lots of Shrek. I did finally get to see Napoleon Dynamite, which was hilarious. Novali alos put on a show as she sang, at the top of her lungs, the intro song of Shrek 2. If you have never seen a three year old sing "Accidentally in Love" at the top of her lungs... I highly recommend it. I wanted to get a video of her singing, but she refused. It was too cute.

I had fun playing her letter game with her that she loves so much, as well as her memory game. My parents sent some gifts for her, and she loved the Snowman pen and doggie paper, she started to draw on it right away. She also recognized everyone in the pictures they sent as well. She was very excited. Her memory is getting very good. She knows a lot of her letters now as well, looks like that letter game is really working.

Making the letter T, for Tamara.

Her Strawberry Shortcake game.

Wrestling with Papi... man she is getting heavy.

Most of the weekend was spent bundled up watching movies.

Speaking of snow, yes I do hate having to uncover my car. I do like snow many other times though, my dad emailed me some pictures from when we were in Saginaw. I love this picture of Novali and I in Gladwin and would love a print version (hint, hint...).

Now I am back in Michigan, just got in and I had to park my car in the street cause my driveway is complete covered in snow. I got to run out and shovel now... Blah.

My faithful readers know that this week is going to be very tense for me. With fraternity judicials in limbo, wrapping up the diversity program, helping with housing issues in the wake of staffing changes, working on the Whose Who stuff, planning a real transitioning program for my councils, and not to mention that little thing called Panhellenic Formal Recruitment. Ah...

Hopefully though after this week things will slow down, but I bet you heard that from me before...