More Tutoring!

So now, I am getting more and more tutoring requests. I am now up to three clients. This is so cool! It is great to have other things to do besides work and working out (since dating has stalled)! but I have a feeling that will change soon. My second client is so impressed, that we have established a standard weekly rotation every week for one hour. I remember how hard it was back then. I remember the frustration, and when I saw one of my pupils struggling, I did not do what others have done to me and make them feel stupid. I keep engaging and encouraging him/her to keep trying. I asked questions as they were going through the problems so they can establish their way of thinking. I let them know that it is okay to be wrong, and show them the correct way to solve problems. 

After tutoring, I phoned into the weekly prayer group session.... Well, for as long as I could. I was impressed with my phone tonight, I almost made it to the house before it died (not bad for 10% battery life left using the wireless radio to the MAX!). I like these sessions because I learn a lot and it strengthens my faith. I am very tired, I need rest!

Reflections of a week gone crazy

So yes, this was a crazy week!

Normally, I am good at maintaining a strict schedule (see post on My New Old Schedule), but something happened Monday that caused a violent chain reaction to my time-management ability... I ended up working late.

And when I work late, I go to sleep late

And when I go to sleep late, I wake up later in the morning

And when I wake up later in the morning I go to work later than I want to

So instead of getting in at work at 6 in the morning this week, after that late night incursion, I was getting in around 8:30-9:00 AM.

Somehow I found the time I need to hit the gym and meet my weight training goals for the week... Alleluia!

Tuesday was a very sad day for Corporate America. Many people lost jobs. I have colleagues here and abroad that were affected. Please keep everyone who lost their jobs this week in your prayers. They have definitely been in mine. This is also a reminder that I have a lot to be thankful for. I was not affected by the job cuts, but that does not mean I need to stay stagnant in my career growth, both inside/outside of work. As an Engineer, I have a lot of skills that I am using, and skills that I am not. It is important to keep all your skills up because you will not know the day or the hour you will be called to use abilities that you had to shelve for the greater good of a project that you are assigned to. America's job cuts is a wake up call to me to let me know that there is no such thing as job security, and you need to do things to set you apart from many others.

In my profession that could vary. But the path that I will most like take is the path that will lead me to a Professional Engineers license, a PMP Certification, and an MBA, because these are my immediate, and long term goals. I want to be a future executive, whether in the company which I am employed or in my own company (as soon as I think of something GREAT!).

Wednesday my brother, his wife, and I got together and went out for dinner. It was great seeing those two, and I know better days are ahead when they get their tails to Charlotte! I can not wait for them to move! Carolina Panthers, here we come!!!

At choir practice Thursday, the director gave the ministry some deep insight on why we sing, and how powerful the words we convey in our singing truly are. If you sing the right note at the right tune, at the right moment, it can reach deep into a persons soul, and they are filled with emotion. Some cry, some are overjoyed, and some are just frozen. When you sing, you are praying twice, or something like that... I think that is the appropriate phrase, but I always find a way to 'goof' it up.

Friday, a friend from the Buckeye days came to town. I took her to dinner and we went dancing. The sista had rhythm but she "got served" by me :-) HAHAHAHAHAHAH, Okay in all actuality, she was holding her own, but I showed her how to dance a little bit of salsa... and it was not like I had to break it down to her kindergarten style. She was a quick study. Point is, she had a lot of fun, and it was great being reunited with a fellow Buckeye!

So besides the normal tutoring, and shopping for groceries, I pretty much did not do anything on Saturday. Went to church... Talked to God... Will be back tomorrow, singing with the choir. My niece will be with me to start off the new week!

Good night everyone!

An Interesting Conversation...

Greetings! 

This is how a conversation went with a prospective client for my freelance tutoring initiative:

Prospect: Hello?

Me:  Hi! This is (Relocated Yankee). How are you?

Prospect: Fine. So we have decided to go with you.

Me: Excellent

-- This is where I asked some technical questions and got more details -- 2-3 minutes later...

Prospect: Excellent. I just have one more question for you.

Me: Go ahead.

Prospect: Are you comfortable with tutoring (name of ethnic group) people?

Me: I am (name of ethnic group).

-- Prospect Laughs, embarrassed, I am laughing along with her --

So yea, I was going to write about what I learned in church today, but this was too hilarious! People. I am an equal-opportunity worker, dater, lover, service-provider. I do not discriminate. Especially in the dating category (had to throw that one in there). So if you do your thing, I will do mine. If we are to live in a world where we are not judged by the color of our skin but by the content of our character, that ideal must trickle all the way down to the heart and soul of a person. In that regard, that ideal starts with me. I will hold onto that for as long as I can, and will teach the next generation of (Relocated) Yankees the same thing!

One step closer to Kum-Bay-Yah!

DTH and Tutoring

So from yesterday, I went to the Carolina Theatre and saw the "Dance Theatre of Harlem," (DTH) perform. Dance, of course is one of the more beautiful forms of the arts, but since I am a former instrumentalist (one day I will return), I would have to rank music above dance (hehehe). I would even rank music above vocal (and I am in the gospel choir at church). Anyways, the group performed a variety of classic, modern, and neoclassical styles, and there was even an interactive piece where audience members could interact with the dancers. There was a musical (no dance) performance before the intermission by the pianist (I can not find my program, so I can not tell you his name), that was so beautiful and unique that one could not help but to be mesmerized. You know how some musical compositions definitely belong in an orchestra, and how some could be used in a musical? This artist made up his own composition, and I can easily see it go either way. I would not be surprised if his piece was used in a musical at some point in the future, and if it is, he will get an award!

More information about DTH can be found HERE. 

So my freelance tutoring adventures continues. My client is getting her knowledge together. So far she is acing all of my quizzes and lectures and is understanding my material. I am beginning to show her more advanced ways to solving the same common problems. Since I have started tutoring, she has shown more confidence in her math ability. 

I know how to bring out the best in people ;-) partially because the drive to succeed is buried deep down inside of us. All I do is bring it to the surface. With a lot of positive reinforcement, motivation, and patience, there is no limit to what you can do!

Bedtime! Before I go to bed, I am going to find my old notepad and start taking notes at church. There are a lot of wisdom in our Sunday 'messages' and I want to be sure that I can share it with you guys!

Good night! 

Change!!!

CHANGE IS COMING!!!

SNOW IS COMING TO THE REGION!!! LOLOLOL

THE ARIZONA CARDINALS ARE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL!!! LOLOLOLOL

Okay, so today I heard the most wonderful news! Snow is coming to the region! SNOW!!! Can you believe it!?! I get to experience Southern Chaos first hand! Since I am a "Northerner" I am used to the snow, as well as driving in it. Now I have been told that in this particular part of the states, that if there is as much as 1mm of snow.... GAME OVER! This I gotta see!

If it is a snow day, I will just work from home. If I can not get on the roads, it will be a little rough trying to keep my tutoring commitment. So I guess I will just have to play it by ear! I was invited to an MLK party tonight, but due to the impending weather, and the fact that the party is 30+ miles away from where I live, I think it will be best if I stay home for the night.

Besides, tomorrow is going to be a GREAT DAY in U.S. History! Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States! This is significant because of the fact that he will be the first African American President in the history of our Union! I wish I was there to witness history first hand, but the more responsible thing for me to do is to stay where I am, and watch it from abroad. I have a lot of things going on in my life. Particularly, saving for a new home. And as much as I would love to be at the Washington Mall right now, it would be financially irresponsible for me to divert funds from my savings which will ensure my piece of the American Dream, to scrounge around for hotel rooms, taxi and metro services, and a whole bunch of "unknown unknowns (thank you Donald Rumsfeld)," especially since it was financial carelessness that got America into the situation it is in now. I think Barack Obama will understand that and respect this brotha for looking at the whole picture carefully, and making a sound and correct judgment. It was a very tough call. 

Nonetheless, I can not help but think of how my dad is taking all of this. My father was exposed to racism during his early years as well as his tenure in the service. He was one of those men that thought that he would never, ever, ever see a Black man become President in his lifetime. And like many others from the Silent Generation (b. 1933), he cried, and rejoiced, when Nov. 4 rolled around, and he saw the great announcement on CNN... "BARACK OBAMA ELECTED PRESIDENT."

And now he will witness Obama being sworn in! 

I too, voted for Barack Obama. There was no doubt in my mind. America needed a new direction. A change from the past. On that election night, America's better angels DID speak out. No one can dispute that. And as I watch the inauguration I will have another reason to add to my list of why I am proud to live in this country, despite the good, the bad, and the ugly that comes with the notion of being an American. 

Time to witness history!

Sunday Thoughts: We Are Called!

The Road Is Rough,
And The Going Gets Tough,
And The Hills are hard to climb,
I started out, a long time ago,
There's no doubt in my mind;
I have decided, to make Jesus, my choice.

- Lyrics from "I Have Decided To Make Jesus My Choice"

So today at church, we learned that we are called by the Lord to do his will. When the Lord called out to Samuel, he thought that Eli was calling him. And after several 'callings' Eli realized that it was actually the Lord that was doing the calling. So he tells Samuel to say "Speak for your servant is listening" the next time the Lord spoke to him. And when he did, he grew.

As a Christian man, I realize that the Lord calls out to me all the time. Sometimes I hear and sometimes I do not. Sometimes when I hear, I choose to ignore. Sometimes, when I hear, I do the Lord's will. I am not a perfect man, and the only one I am aware of lived 2000 years before I was even thought of.

So I try hard to listen to the Lord, and usually he speaks to me at the oddest occasions, at the weirdest times, in the most unusual ways. Most of the time, it is not in the most obvious of places that I hear his message. Sometimes I hear it at church, sometimes I do not. Even when Elijah was told to go to the mountain and wait for the Lord, he heard the Lord's voice, in the whispering sounds, and not in the obvious: the wind, the earthquake, and the fire.

So I feel like I am called to share my gifts with others, and I have started doing that. I have a knack for photography, and my choir-mates have seen first hand some of my ability. I know a lot of math, and I have a lot of time, so I tutor and help kids. I know what it was like going through 7-12 grade struggling through math. But I have overcome those obstacles--I studied in a major that is extremely math-intensive. It is an edge I do not want to relinquish. The best way to maintain is to continually exercise. therefore, when I get new tutoring clients, I am keeping my skills fresh.

Socially (dating-wise), I have PLENTY of gifts and talents ;-) but I must be careful when it comes to sharing those gifts. 

The most precious and basic gift I give to every woman who walks into my life, is my time.

The most precious and basic gift a righteous woman can give me, is her time. 

Trust me, it is a GREAT gift and I will treasure it!

And speaking of time. I am getting better at sharing my gift of time with members of my own family. For instance, not only did I spend time with my nieces yesterday, but I offered (and they accepted) to come with me to church today. I feel that they really enjoyed what they observed: a sense of community, family, worship, prayer, singing. One of my nieces just loved it when the choir director used the "piano" sounds on the keyboard for one of the songs. I would love for them to join me every Sunday, but I will not force them. Having family around is a true blessing. Spending quality time with your relatives is time well spent.

I feel that I am called by the Lord to share my gift of time with others. So far I have given time to church, students, (deserving) women, and family that are local as well as abroad. I have a lot of time to share with others and still have more than enough for myself.

 I will always look for new ways to use it constructively.

Bedtime now. Good night!

More Tutoring and Family Time

So today was my second tutoring session. And it was smooth, just like the first session. I really am getting my teaching groove back. My client has decided to sign up for more tutor slots this upcoming week, so I am really excited about that. Once this session was over, I spent time with my nieces. We have a going out tradition that we recently started (since I found out they existed and going to school in the area). We go out, bash on some really nice dessert, and we talk about everything that is happening in our worlds. They are real intelligent and smart young ladies.

Diamonds in the rough. With my help they will become true gems :-)

As always, I gotta keep my salsa up, so yessm! I am going dancing. Peace!

Tutor Tutor Tutor!!!

So my first tutoring session went PERFECT! Due to this Yankee's confidentiality agreement, I can not reveal certain details, but she definitely know what the Pythagorean Theorem is! And I even showed her how to write notes a certain way to help her learn and study better. Damn I'm good! Even her momma said I was worth the $20/Hour. So after I got that $20, guess what I did.... Thats right.... I SPENT IT ON GAS! 

So much for my extra income! But I got more clients! So the freelance tutoring continues! After tutoring, ate dinner, and now I am home. 

Still zeroing in on my town home, visiting the broker (again) this weekend, more details to come!

Another Monday

I took an unusual way home today and I am so glad that I did, because I drove through a neighborhood, that I would not mind living in. It is in a developing community, and there are town homes available. It is still in the Containment Area, but the commute to work will be a lot shorter than how I am commuting now. Just when you think you got your subdivisions set in stone... 

I got another inquiry about my resurrected freelance tutoring service. Come to find out that the person inquiring works for my employer too! What a small world! We hit it right off the bat and now I have TWO clients! YAAAAY! One of them I'm tutoring tomorrow! I am excited and can not wait! Now if only I can find those directions........

Yea, it is late, I need to sleep. Good night!

Its the end of the week!

Well, it is the end of the week, and as I am making myself dinner, I will write a quick note... This week went by surprisingly fast. I guess when you are always on the move and staying busy, whether at work or outside work, time does not seem to slow down. I am very comfortable with this pace and will try to keep it up for as long as I can. Yesterday, I confirmed my first 1 hour tutoring appointment with a middle school student... I got my FIRST tutoring client! So I am very excited to tutor/teach math to a student. Now all I need, is more clients! I'll keep posting my services until people take advantage of it!

Tonight I'm just gonna relax, do some reading, eat, and sleep!

Tonight's dinner menu:

Salmon with dill sauce

Wild Rice

Mixed veggies

Yum Yum! I'm out... Peace!

OSU-Texas post thoughts, New clients for math service

Well, its late over here, so I will try to write this as fast as possible. First, let me start of by saying how disappointed I was in Ohio State's loss to Texas. But even in defeat, I have seen tremendous progress in Ohio State's 50-day-layover problem... Let me explain.

In 2007, Ohio State lost to Florida 14-41, thats a difference of 27 points .
In 2008, Ohio State lost to LSU 24-38, a difference of 14 points.
This year, Ohio State lost to Texas 21-24, a difference of 3 points.

Follow my logic? So hopefully next year, my beloved Buckeyes will win the BCS National Championship at the Rose Bowl by.... 4?

So the coaching staff is making the right strides, but still has a way to go to solve this problem, and we still gotta get over that SECurse (Ohio State is 7-11 vs the SEC and ALL 11 came in the bowl season) in the bowl season. I hope Terrelle Pryor is the man to get us to that promised land we saw in 2003! LoL!

Oh yea, I got harassed by all my O-State-Haters! Its okay, because had we won all our BCS games, including these past 3 losses, we would be hated on and called arrogant, now we are being hated on and called lousy, unworthy, you name it... Its a double edged sword either way you look at it. Again, it's all okay, because one day, the Buckeye Nation will return to its glory.

The streets shall flow with the blood of the nonbelievers!

I have a potential client in my newly resurrected math tutoring service! I'm excited and can't wait to seal this deal! I love math, and its a skill I do not want to lose any time soon. Now people know I can do this type of teaching! Besides, I'm always trying to share my gifts with others, and now that I have an opportunity to, I am going to make the most of it... AND even make a lil money on the side ($20/hr). Gotta love capitalism!

Still putting together my real estate purchasing strategy, and it's gonna be a damned good one! This brotha is truly getting things in order, and maintaining a healthy social life on the side, but there will be plenty of time for me to write about those adventures!

It's late, gotta get up at 5, Im out, peace!