Where in the world have I been?

To say that I'm doing a "Dave Chappelle" would be overstating things quite a bit. No, I didn't go out of the country. No, I'm not upset at anyone regarding my creative rights (I blog this site on my own.) However, I did take a much needed break from blogging to take of several personal items of business.

One of the big items was moving me and my family from Atlanta, GA to Richmond, VA - which I would encourage people to avoid doing during the winter holiday season as much as possible; unfortunately for us, it could not be avoided. But thanks for my lovely wife arranging everything while I started my new job as an IT consultant, we were able to make through beautifully.

The best part about this move is that I'll finally have more time for things that are important in my life. This is because:

1. No more Atlanta traffic. Richmond has no idea what a "real" traffic jam is.
2. I'm only have a 10 minute commute (no interstate highways)
3. I no longer have to work 60-70 hours a week without getting overtime pay; which means I'm usually home my 6pm.
4. Life is slower and much more relaxed here than it is in the ATL.

And what are the things that are important in my life? A lot of things are important to me, but here are the ones that come to me (in this order):

1. My relationship with God - cause I believe that if I don't get this right, I won't get anything right, either. And getting it right means to follow Christ example - serving people, caring for people, and uplifting people) including myself.
2. Continuing to make my marriage better everyday. My wife and I make a great team. She is my best friend, and I love her more than anyone in the world - and I tell her everyday. I also try to show her that everyday as well.
3. My wife and I have a high schooler, a middle schooler, and two in elementary school that need all the time and nurturing they can get from their father. They are all great kids with great potential, and I'm excited that they get more of my time now to ensure (as much as we can) that they reach that potential.
4. Though I've had a good IT career thus far as a programmer, I have goals to make it a great career. For one, I enjoy teaching and I'm excited to start teaching computer classes for Learning Tree next year. I have 4 certifications left to become a Microsoft Certified Solution Developer, and I also don't have a bachelor's degree yet - both of which I'd like to obtain sooner or later.
5. Blogging on BetterDocuments.com has been the perfect remedy for putting down my thoughts on topics that are important to me. I still have passionate about creating documents that are effective in every way, so I look forward to being even more expressive about that in the years to come.

This will be my last post for 2006, but if all continues to go well for me (which I'm glad to say it has so far), you'll see a lot more of me in 2007. Until then, please have a happy and safe New Year (oh! and I hope your other winter holidays were good, too!)