Regrets

1. Should never have gone to college right out of high school. Wasn't prepared for real studying, since high school was too easy. Spent the first two years in college trying to develop good study habits, and the last two trying to make up for all the time I'd missed.

2. Should've done what I'd always dreamed of doing in the first place - running my own PC repair shop. All this aerospace engineering stuff is fine & dandy, but it's too hard to get to the point where you get to be the one making the decisions, and by then they won't let you play with the hardware anymore. It's more fun to be in the shop with the toys, even if the pay is lousy.

3. Should've tried harder to get a job with Microsoft back in '86 (yes, I did send in a resume, but got nothing more than a bit-bucket "We'll keep your application on-file" response). Right when they went public. Should've worked for Bill for five or ten years, then retired on the stock. Ha!

4. Should not have taken the job at Boeing, knowing they were going to ship me out to New York (although at the time it was supposed to be a 30-day short-term assignment). They told me from the beginning that off-site means you get forgotten, and it was true. Scrambling to find a job at the end of the assignment was a nightmare. And there wasn't any career-planning involved, it was just sheer "gotta find a job" panic.

5. Should not have become involved in teen ministry in New York. Wonderful kids, wonderful friends, fantastic experiences - but that just made it harder to leave. It was the first time I realized that my career was non-existent, and instead of embracing that reality, I fled from it in a vain attempt to find a career.

5a. Should not have purchased the minivan on my lunch break. For that matter, should not have purchased a car at all. The Chevette was still in perfectly good working order (mostly). Even though it was back in Washington. Should've figured out a way to get it back to New York. That would've prevented me from getting so involved in teen ministry, since I couldn't haul kids around in it. Or at least not as many.

6. Should not have driven down to Grandma's every weekend from Seattle. And gotten "involved" in the church down there. Hard to live in one place and worship in another, or be an effective helper to the relatives with all that travel going on. Should've made up my mind to either stay up in Seattle and get involved there, or move down to Longview.

7. Should not have gone out hiking every weekend, to the backcountry of Mt. St. Helens, walking the logging trails and chasing elk herds. Now it haunts my memory, and I know it'll never be the same. Especially since they logged out my favorite spot back in '91.

8. Should not have moved into a house with four other guys, even if they were guys from church. And taken sole responsibility for the rent (as I was the only one with a solid job). Wasn't paying enough attention to the rental agreement. How was I supposed to remember to mow the lawn??

9. Should not have assumed Jeff left the pancake griddle turned ON accidentally, and shut it off while he was in the shower. Jeff always turned on the pancake griddle first thing in the morning. Roommates don't like it when you touch their stuff, especially when you mess with one of their morning rituals. Almost as bad as making decaf coffee instead of the real stuff.

10. Should not have left Greg on his own in the apartment with Aaron the Maniac. Sorry, Greg, that was just rude of me, and I have no excuse except being a complete mental and emotional basket case at the time. It was like leaving you in a pit of vipers, and I'll never forgive myself.

11. Should not have attempted driving from Seattle to Whistler the afternoon/evening of our wedding day. That was completely nuts, which only proves my lack of planning ability. And my wife's forgiving spirit.

12. Should not have attempted to give constructive criticism at two in the morning when the baby wouldn't nurse and tempers were short and everyone was exhausted. In some states, that's adequate grounds for justifiable homicide.

13. Should not have taken three months to get another job after the layoff in '03. Should've gone to Volt that very afternoon and put in my plug for a job at Microsoft (again). Could've used the money. Instead, I found out how addictive it can be to stay at home with the kids. And I'm having withdrawal pains.

14. Should not have started blogging. Don't have time for it, no one reads it anyway. Total waste of time. Plus there aren't enough pictures.