Saturday, December 21, 2013

Reck Family Christmas Letter 2013

2013 was a major transition, as Melissa and James both accepted new jobs. After 12 years with Home Depot, James took a position with Krones Inc as a Labeler Technician. The job requires 100% travel and much time away from home, but the offer was too good to pass up. 

Melissa left the Columbia Police Department after 5 years of service to become the Training and Development Coordinator for the National Safety Council, South Carolina Chapter. Her responsibilities include the Alive at 25 program and driver education program. Their canine kids, Baya and Tucker, have been more mischievous than ever - telling their parents they need a new couch, windows, walls, carpet………. Who knew a couch and window frames tasted so good?!

In May, they celebrated their 3 year anniversary in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic for their friends’ destination wedding. They enjoyed having many friends and family visit them in South Carolina this year, and hope more are able to visit soon!


For the 32nd consecutive year, Scott has failed in his attempt to find Sasquatch. But that hasn’t dampened his spirits at all. In order to fund his endeavors he works full time at the Mark Travel Corporation and recently got a promotion to the Product Build Research Team. He would tell you what he does, but it might be easier to find Sasquatch than to find an explanation for how he spends 40 hours of the week. All that he knows is that he gets paid, and that money goes directly towards new field and research equipment in the ongoing search for one of nature’s most elusive beasts. 

This next year will be his 13th year working at Miller Park and he wouldn’t trade that job for anything, not even a map to the Sasquatch’s secret cave. The Milwaukee Brewers occupy most of his free time (even in the offseason) but when he’s not talking baseball he’s planning expeditions with his sidekick and assistant, Major Korben Dallas (his cat). Their lair of operations is around 85th and Capital, so it’s a quick shot over to The Mothership (Mom’s House) for some free eats when their food budget has to be allocated towards night vision goggles and infrared video equipment. 

Scott recently bought his first “new” car, a 2005 Chrysler Sebring Convertible. Sure, a convertible may not be practical in the state of Wisconsin or for tracking down Sasquatches, but he’s never been a practical guy. If you have any tip for finding Sasquatch (or for finding him a wife crazy enough to put up with these shenanigans), make sure to contact him. You can find him on the internet when he’s not patrolling the Pacific Northwest. Your assistance is appreciated!

While Jenny is not out hunting Sasquatch, she does like to hang out with Scotty and supports him in his ventures to do so. She also enjoys hanging out at the Mothership, and misses her family who reside in the South. With each passing year, she gets a little bit older, a little bit wiser…. She is still working downtown on Plankinton above Rock Bottom at a small firm. Although not her dream job, it pays the bills and she likes her work environment. She likes to keep in mind that you've got to appreciate what you can get. She also still lives on the east side of Milwaukee, so close to the happenings that go on in the summer/fall, especially since most of the festivals and such are close and free, and who doesn't like free? 

The beginning of this year was a tough one, as her cat Higgins — who was only two and a half — unexpectedly died. He had a blockage in his intestines, and had surgeries that they hoped would heal him. It was very sad, and she is a little lonelier. She was definitely so grateful and surprised of how much she got support from so many friends and family for her loss of her kitty — even non-cat lovers!! She is also glad for the continuous comfort and support from everyone for the loss of Timmy. This year she has made it her goal to have a positive outlook on life, to keep going forward, to grow, have fun, and see the beauty in the world! Keep on keepin’ on! She likes to think that the glass is ¾ full. Happy Holidays everyone!

2013 has really flown by for me, and has brought many changes to my life. (Someday there will be a Lifetime Movie about me…) I am now teaching K4 - 4th grade music at five (yes 5!) Lutheran schools. It has been a challenge, but I really do love my job. Where else can you work and get free hugs all the time? My relationship with Eddie is over, but I’m happy to say that my faith, family and friends (my trifecta of values) remain intact. I survived my Algebra class in spring (through tears and countless hours of tutoring from friends), and did get an “A”. I am 3 credits short of graduation, and it has to be a math class. As of this writing, I do not know what class it is going to be. Two of them are only offered during the day during spring semester, and Intermediate Algebra would surely give me a nervous breakdown! I am in the process of figuring it out, but will graduate sometime in 2014! What a journey this year has been!

My positive highlights of the year include visiting James, Melissa and “granddogs” in Columbia; spending time with Scott and Jenny (they put up my tree and the outside lights—what a blessing! Scott shovels snow for me and Jenny will help with cleaning—I am so lucky!); singing with Unplugged/Reindeer Pause (thanks to Pat, Maureen, Shayne, Tom and Brian!); spending time at Afterglow with my brothers and families, and my good friends there; Saturday night suppers with my dad; singing with the “Messengers of Joy” at St. Catherine Parish; receiving a letter from Tim’s liver recipient and a postcard from his heart recipient; and a very special highlight: Celebrating the life of our Timmy, at the second annual “Rage for Tim” concert. A very special thank you goes out to everyone who attended, performed, brought snacks, helped to set up/clean up, and donated over $700 to WhyHunger. It makes me so happy to hear stories about my boy, and to hear his music performed by other people. To see the video from this event, or hear Tim’s music, go to www.timreck.com. Scott also has copies of the new CD, “Color in This World”, if you did not get one at the concert. You may contact Scott (info on website) or me for your copy.


As I finish writing this, I am reflecting on the joy I saw on the faces of the children at Christmas Concert #2 this evening—December 12 (three more to go next week!) Their joy in singing about the Lord is contagious, and made me feel so grateful that I get to be a part of it! May all of you feel that same joy during this blessed Christmas season! Thank you for your gift of friendship!

With Love from the Reck Family - 
Kris, James, Melissa, Scott, Jenny, Gracie, Baya, Tucker and Major Korben Dalls

Wednesday, December 04, 2013

Movember - I Mustache You A Question

The month of November (Movember) has come to a close, so I mustache myself a question - what did I accomplish? In my eyes it was a complete and total failure. If the goal was to grow a mustache then I failed miserably with this pathetic attempt at upper lip facial hair. You can barely see it unless you come within kissing distance (and trust me, nobody does) and it barely shows up on film unless you get up close and personal (which no one wants to do). I had to do 5 or 6 different "selfies" before one worked out. The other ones ran for the hills which is what you probably did when you realized I didn't have my shirt on. Don't make me go topless. You wouldn't like me... when I'm topless. My other goal was to better my health through diet and exercise. I still drink alcohol like it is the cure for loneliness and I put more sweets into my body than Googy Gress does on an average Sunday. And exercise? I avoid that like I avoid contact with the opposite sex. Why do I fear working out? Why am I afraid of bettering myself so that I can live longer, create new memories and finally make a positive impact on this World? Why have I become so complacent with being that fat ugly bastard when there is a beautiful person inside of me waiting to come out and show himself to the World? Why is he inside of me? Did I eat him? Probably. I'll eat anything. Except for mushrooms and chocolate cake. There are some things I will say no to believe it or not. I'm in the same place that I was on November 1st. Nothing has changed. 

I vowed to change my mental health as well, and as you can read both between and on the lines, it's still pretty bad. I don't believe in myself and constantly beat myself with a stick until I bleed. I've sunken so far to the depths of the sea that not even James Cameron could raise me up like the Titanic. I wish I could just be happy like all of you normies. There's something in my head that prevents me from having... what's that called again... confidence? I'll shoot myself down nonstop but I'm never there to pick myself back up. It's like a double-edged sword. Cut on the first swing and then stabbed on the way back. I'm left bleeding out on the ground in a puddle of my own misery. It's all my fault too. I was wielding the sword. It was a self inflected wound. I need to learn how to stop cutting myself. Only then can I start to heal. Another goal was to raise some money for men's health issues like prostate and testicular cancer research. I donated $50 of my own money which is good I guess, since that is $50 more than they would have had if I wasn't involved. But I didn't campaign or try and raise money for this noble cause. I didn't even post anything on Facebook or Twitter to engage my followers to join me in my efforts. I didn't even try to raise money. I'm sure that my family, my close friends or even a stranger or two would have tossed me a couple of bucks. Even if someone other than me gave as little as $1 I could have done some good with that. But instead I did nothing. You really can't do anything worse than doing nothing at all.

I wish I could say that this was the most disappointed with myself that I've ever been. Slow down pal. There are so many to chose from that this doesn't even make the Top 10. I was destined to fail. In some ways it's just another chapter in a failure of a life. I was given so much but I decided to throw it all away in several senseless acts. I've had countless chances to redeem myself yet I have chosen just to sink myself further and further below the surface. I wish I could say I was sick of being a complete butthead and a total loser. But I'm not even close. In many ways I'm still a success and I will not stop until I've completely destroyed my life. I'm getting close. I can see it now. You probably could paint the picture with all of the colors I've given you, but you still don't have the whole palette. I'm more pathetic than you can ever imagine. I don't even know why I still try. Luckily there are a few reasons preventing me from quitting and giving up on life, but who knows how long that will last. The tunnel is getting darker as I move along, the glass is less than half full and I'm also running out of analogies here. Fuck it. I'm sick of talking about it. You all have so many better things to do with you lives than to give a shit about mine. I don't care so why should you? I'm so done with this. I'm sorry for wasting your time. Enjoy your life. I hope you figured it out because I'm stuck.

 - pookon -

www.pookon.com
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