Well, I finally did it. I didn’t think it would happen for a very long time, but I recently decided I’d lived alone for long enough, and was tired of coming home to an empty house. I didn’t know if I was ready for that big step just yet, not sure if I was ready for that kind of commitment, but there are just times when you have to take that big leap of faith, and hope it all works out.
I’ve had dogs all my life, and I’ve always been very thankful for that. My family was always fond of dogs and my father was a sort of “St. Francis” when it came to animals. He could approach any pet – even a stray – and it would sense something there and just walk right up to him. I always thought that was pretty cool. I am a lot like my father, though I don’t have that particular ability.
My father was always busy doing something and was rarely home. I don’t have many memories of him just sitting around and relaxing. Having a dog helped him with that. He always seemed very happy whenever he was spending time with the dog, and that works for me as well. I don’t relax easily, and rarely just sit and do nothing. But once in a while I will just sit down on the floor and love the dog up, and the world seems absolutely perfect in those moments.
Dogs help us with a lot of things; processing emotion being one of them. And perhaps it’s one of the most important abilities a dog has, to simply accept and comfort those that care for it. When I was a junior in high school and my mother unexpectedly died, it left a big hole in my life. My father and I were not close then, so being home without my mother there was difficult. Our family dog offered comfort and solace that my father, deep in his grief, could not.
In my 20s, when I was in the middle of building my career, I was abruptly told one day to gather my things and leave. I didn’t see it coming whatsoever and it was quite a shock. My family was young and I felt like I had let them down in huge way. My world seemed like it was crashing around me. Stunned, I went home and collapsed on the floor and sobbed uncontrollably with the dog in my arms for what felt like hours.
Many years later, finding myself separated after more than 20 years of marriage, friends and family were suddenly scarce. I spent an entire summer alone in a big, empty house, struggling to make sense of it all. I spent countless nights lying on the floor crying while hugging the dog, trying to figure out where things went wrong.
And now, a magnet on my fridge proclaims “When all else fails, hug the dog.” Funny how dogs can be such good therapy by just being there. They are such good listeners.
Dogs are also good at reminding you of things you might forget about. Being an enthusiastic and driven person, I have a tendency to obsess about a project and getting it done within a certain amount of time. This can drive other people mad, or at least push them to the point of frustration.
People have the tendency to nag at that time, but dogs never do. They simply walk into the room, push their nose under your elbow, and look at you sweetly while happily wagging their tail. Who can decline such a ridiculously friendly invitation? We are told to try and live in the “now” but dogs are always there. How wonderful they know to come and rescue us from ourselves.
And who has more fun than a dog? The way they enjoy life is something we should all try to emulate. Exploring with abandon, greeting strangers without prejudice, getting all excited about simple, silly things, enjoying a good belly rub. We should all be so happy with so little.
Dogs are pretty important. They have a sense of humor and know how to use it. When I get home at the end of the day, the amazing happy dance we do together is so much better than just coming home and saying “Honey, I’m home!” to a mirror in the hallway.
There is much wiggling, wagging and heavy leaning, as she knows that we are heading out for an adventure as soon as I can clip on her leash. I have to say, I can think of few things as wonderful as an unsolicited face lick or two from a very happy dog.
We don’t know each other that well just yet, but we are on our way. She is choosing favorite places to lay down in each room, while I sit nearby and take care of chores. I’m not in any one room for very long though, so sometimes she will just chill out and wait for me to park it. And each morning she lets me know when the mailman has offended us by trespassing on the porch to deposit the day’s mail.
It’s lovely. The house doesn’t seem so big and empty, and having someone to care for again is fulfilling and comforting. She’s a great roommate and doesn’t seem to mind me “hearsing and rehearsing” my lines for a show, or playing music after 11 pm, and loudly singing along.
And if I stay up until 2 a.m. reading Stephen King, there are no complaints. Sometimes I hear her softly snoring, even if the TV show I’m watching is a noisy one. I think it’s safe to say she’s pretty happy and relaxed here in her new home. I am very thankful that we found each other, and to have someone to say good night to from now on.
He didn’t do focus too much one thing, but Wade was everywhere. With only 15 points on 12 shots, he was efficient, defensively hounding, and smart with the ball. He was four blocks away from that most neato of feats, the 5×5. He played like a superstar going 80%, which is what we’ve come to expect from this whole team. Perhaps Wade is finding his niche as that free safety-type player (remember that hit on Collison last year in Indy?) where he just kind of controls things as he can. Maybe the athleticism is slipping, but right now he’s just doing everything in all ways, and it helped lead to some dominance in Oakland.
2013年1月17日星期四
2011年9月26日星期一
Visalia's business Olympics brings workers together
Forget those 49ers. Visalia Ceramic Tile employees have a lot more to talk about around the water cooler today after winning the fourth annual Visalia Corporate Games.
The 10-day event, which wrapped up Friday, is designed to boost morale and help employees get to know each other outside the formal work atmosphere, said Michelle Fitzgerald, Visalia parks and recreation supervisor.
With competitions including tug of war and obstacle courses, as well as volleyball and Texas hold 'em, the city tries to provide something for everyone, whether or not they are an athlete.
"Adults don't get to do these types of things very often. It's our own little Olympics in Visalia," Fitzgerald said.
And it's just like the big games, right down to the gold and silver medals awarded for each activity.
The only requirements are to be a business in Visalia and to pay the $500 registration fee, which includes entry in all 20 competitions and pays for 10 days of friendly competition.
While the overall champion gets bragging rights and a trophy, everyone becomes a winner in a different sense, Fitzgerald said.
"You see and hear stories about people who feel
they've been brought closer together by this," Fitzgerald said. "Maybe they shot an email back and forth or spoke on the phone, but they never met face-to-face until this."
While some of the larger competitors, such the Visalia Unified School District and Kaweah Delta Health District, have 500 to 600 people on their teams, other companies may only have 15.
But they have the same number competing in each event to keep all things equal, Fitzgerald said.
Events are held in different locations throughout the city to help boost community spirit and local business, she said.
When the Rock Band 3 competition was held Thursday night at Howie & Son's Pizza Parlor, participants dressed in crazy wigs, wild garb and fake tattoos while more than 200 people crammed in to watch.
"People coming in for pizza would go, 'Whoa! What's going on here?'," Fitzgerald said with a laugh.
The fall event has been so successful that with 14 teams competing in 2011, it has more than doubled in size since it started in 2008.
Fitzgerald would like to see it reach 20 teams so the competition can divide into large and small business divisions, but said it is already so successful that some businesses are fielding teams for other things outside work, such as the recreation department's volleyball league.
In addition to the grand winner, the Inspirational Peer award — chosen from teams nominated by each company — was won by Pacific Southwest Container.
The most sportsmanship team award, chosen by a panel from parks and recreation, was won by Visalia Ceramic Tile.
The 10-day event, which wrapped up Friday, is designed to boost morale and help employees get to know each other outside the formal work atmosphere, said Michelle Fitzgerald, Visalia parks and recreation supervisor.
With competitions including tug of war and obstacle courses, as well as volleyball and Texas hold 'em, the city tries to provide something for everyone, whether or not they are an athlete.
"Adults don't get to do these types of things very often. It's our own little Olympics in Visalia," Fitzgerald said.
And it's just like the big games, right down to the gold and silver medals awarded for each activity.
The only requirements are to be a business in Visalia and to pay the $500 registration fee, which includes entry in all 20 competitions and pays for 10 days of friendly competition.
While the overall champion gets bragging rights and a trophy, everyone becomes a winner in a different sense, Fitzgerald said.
"You see and hear stories about people who feel
they've been brought closer together by this," Fitzgerald said. "Maybe they shot an email back and forth or spoke on the phone, but they never met face-to-face until this."
While some of the larger competitors, such the Visalia Unified School District and Kaweah Delta Health District, have 500 to 600 people on their teams, other companies may only have 15.
But they have the same number competing in each event to keep all things equal, Fitzgerald said.
Events are held in different locations throughout the city to help boost community spirit and local business, she said.
When the Rock Band 3 competition was held Thursday night at Howie & Son's Pizza Parlor, participants dressed in crazy wigs, wild garb and fake tattoos while more than 200 people crammed in to watch.
"People coming in for pizza would go, 'Whoa! What's going on here?'," Fitzgerald said with a laugh.
The fall event has been so successful that with 14 teams competing in 2011, it has more than doubled in size since it started in 2008.
Fitzgerald would like to see it reach 20 teams so the competition can divide into large and small business divisions, but said it is already so successful that some businesses are fielding teams for other things outside work, such as the recreation department's volleyball league.
In addition to the grand winner, the Inspirational Peer award — chosen from teams nominated by each company — was won by Pacific Southwest Container.
The most sportsmanship team award, chosen by a panel from parks and recreation, was won by Visalia Ceramic Tile.
2011年9月15日星期四
Make a tile statement
The two most popular varieties in the market when it comes to tiles are ceramic and vitrified tiles. Vitrified tiles are the shiny big ones tiles you might have seen in houses and shops. This is made by mixing silica and clay to form a non porous tile with a glassy texture. Ceramic tiles are those made from clay tiles and topped with a ceramic glaze.
The basic difference is that vitrified tiles are actually one kind of ceramic tile. But these are made after the vitrification process and go through a high level of refining, generating a glassy effect, while ceramic tiles are made of natural biodegradable and recyclable materials.
But then there has always been this long-standing debate on vitrified tiles vs ceramic tiles. Ceramic tiles have been the popular choice for counter tops, walls, floors and even in home roofing. Vitrified tiles, on the other hand, have a layer of coloured glass.
The composition of vitrified tiles is homogenous in nature. To achieve a glossy look, vitrified tiles are manually polished. Ceramic tiles have a glaze applied over them.
However, most glazes are not that durable or scratch resistant and over time, it yellows, it cracks and it chips. Aisha Siddiqui from Delhi has recently done up her house with a range of tiles. “I’ve used a lot of ceramic in the bathroom and the balcony for the warm and elegant texture it renders to the room. My living room is all vitrified tiles as we wanted to give it a spacious look,” she says. Big-sized vitrified tiles are smooth and easy to clean apart from adding to the spacious look of the room. Vitrified tiles have a demand in countries like India, UK and USA.
When you compare the varieties, you realise that ceramic tiles are actually more cost-effective. However, both ceramic and vitrified tiles are available in a range of prices, colours, patterns and sizes. Talk of durability and vitrified tiles are sure winners. Vitrified tiles are much stronger than natural granite, which is one of the most durable products for modern homes. Vitrified tiles win over ceramic tiles on factors such as strength, ability to resist scratches and acids, alkalis, and chemicals without being damaged.
Full tiling with vitrified tiles cost a bit more than vitrified flooring and therefore ceramics are preferred by many as an economical choice. But for those who prefer a chic and glamorous look, vitrified tiles are definitely going to rule the flooring market in the near future.
The basic difference is that vitrified tiles are actually one kind of ceramic tile. But these are made after the vitrification process and go through a high level of refining, generating a glassy effect, while ceramic tiles are made of natural biodegradable and recyclable materials.
But then there has always been this long-standing debate on vitrified tiles vs ceramic tiles. Ceramic tiles have been the popular choice for counter tops, walls, floors and even in home roofing. Vitrified tiles, on the other hand, have a layer of coloured glass.
The composition of vitrified tiles is homogenous in nature. To achieve a glossy look, vitrified tiles are manually polished. Ceramic tiles have a glaze applied over them.
However, most glazes are not that durable or scratch resistant and over time, it yellows, it cracks and it chips. Aisha Siddiqui from Delhi has recently done up her house with a range of tiles. “I’ve used a lot of ceramic in the bathroom and the balcony for the warm and elegant texture it renders to the room. My living room is all vitrified tiles as we wanted to give it a spacious look,” she says. Big-sized vitrified tiles are smooth and easy to clean apart from adding to the spacious look of the room. Vitrified tiles have a demand in countries like India, UK and USA.
When you compare the varieties, you realise that ceramic tiles are actually more cost-effective. However, both ceramic and vitrified tiles are available in a range of prices, colours, patterns and sizes. Talk of durability and vitrified tiles are sure winners. Vitrified tiles are much stronger than natural granite, which is one of the most durable products for modern homes. Vitrified tiles win over ceramic tiles on factors such as strength, ability to resist scratches and acids, alkalis, and chemicals without being damaged.
Full tiling with vitrified tiles cost a bit more than vitrified flooring and therefore ceramics are preferred by many as an economical choice. But for those who prefer a chic and glamorous look, vitrified tiles are definitely going to rule the flooring market in the near future.
2011年5月22日星期日
Quicksilver Resources counting on a big year
Quicksilver Resources CEO Glenn Darden expects 2011 to be "a breakout year" as the company advances into the development phase of its Horn River Basin project in Canada, moves into oil exploration and continues amping up natural gas production from North Texas' Barnett Shale.
"It looks like it's going to be a fabulous year," Darden said at last week's annual shareholders meeting of the Fort Worth-based natural gas producer, which has a healthy $500 million capital budget for 2011. "We're moving more toward oil, but we're still a gas company, and we'll always be a gas company," Darden told shareholders at the downtown Fort Worth Club.
Quicksilver will soon start to show "how valuable Horn River is," as it completes more natural gas wells in cold, remote northeast British Columbia and benefits from new pipeline links allowing it to transport more gas to market more cheaply, Darden said. The company is also testing for oil there.
With 130,000 net acres leased at Horn River, Quicksilver has drilled eight natural gas wells there and completed four, which cumulatively are producing 30 million cubic feet a day. It expects to complete the other four wells this coming winter, when drilling equipment can be transported on ice roads. In warm weather equipment bogs down in the swamplike terrain called muskeg.
Horn River potential
Quicksilver estimates that each Horn River well will have an exceptional "estimated ultimate recovery," or lifetime output, ranging from 8.8 billion to 19.4 billion cubic feet of gas. Those numbers far exceed the 1 billion to 5 billion cubic feet estimated for most Barnett Shale gas wells, although operating costs are considerably lower in the Barnett.
Quicksilver's latest annual report said Horn River "appears to be the largest gas find in the company's history and has the potential to quadruple our current total company reserves." The company estimates that it could recover 10 trillion cubic feet of natural gas from Horn River, or nearly double what it expects from the Barnett.
As of Dec. 31, Quicksilver's proved reserves were equivalent to 2.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, with 2.6 trillion from the Barnett. The reserves are 99 percent natural gas and natural gas liquids such as propane and butane.
Getting more 'oily'
Crude oil accounts for a tiny 1 percent of Quicksilver's reserves, but that could rise. U.S. energy producers are increasingly focusing on oil and natural gas liquids, which command higher prices than natural gas. Quicksilver is pushing this year to become more "oily."
The company expects to complete a horizontal well in the Exshaw formation at Horn River this summer, with oil the target instead of natural gas. Quicksilver has "gotten great oil shows" there, Darden said, from both the Exshaw and from natural gas in the Muskwa and Klua formations below it.
Darden said Quicksilver's biggest thrust into oil this year will be in the emerging Niobrara play in the Green River Basin, where the company has 200,000 net acres leased in northwest Colorado. The company expects to drill up to six exploratory wells there this year.
"We're in oily country, and we're very excited about it," Darden said. "The Niobrara has about 1,500 feet of thickness, so it's a very big target."
Quicksilver is also launching some oil prospecting in the Bakken formation in northern Montana, where it has 175,000 net acres.
The company is also "targeting multiple formations" in the Delaware Basin in West Texas that could yield oil, said Rick Buterbaugh, Quicksilver's vice president for investor relations and corporate planning. These targets include the Bone Springs formation that is attracting increasing attention.
The company has 54,000 net acres leased in Culberson, Reeves, Jeff Davis and Presidio counties and expects to acquire more.
Quicksilver can move quickly in West Texas by re-entering "noncommercial natural gas wells" the company drilled in the West Texas portion of the Barnett Shale, Buterbaugh said. The clay content in the Barnett zone made the results from fracking "less than desired," Buterbaugh said.
With the new oil plays, Quicksilver has "some very high-potential prospects that can really change the look of this company," Darden said.
The company has had lackluster earnings the past two years, primarily because of weak gas prices and related write-downs. The company's stock (ticker: KWK) closed Friday at $14.44, up 14 cents. The stock is down about 2 percent this year.
Quicksilver, however, generally has been a low-cost operator and profited from the sale of its majority interest in Quicksilver Gas Services, which helped trim its debt to a manageable $1.7 billion, with major debt maturing in late 2015. It had 65 cents of debt per 1,000 cubic feet of reserves as of Dec. 31, down 44 percent from $1.17 two years earlier.
Barnett still mainstay
The company's bread-and-butter revenue source this year should continue to be the Barnett Shale, where Quicksilver hopes to boost production by 20 percent. Some of the company's biggest gas wells, with estimated lifetime production of 4 billion to 5.5 billion cubic feet, are in the Alliance and Lake Arlington areas, but smaller wells in the southern Barnett provide more natural gas liquids.
Although natural gas prices have barely topped $4 per 1,000 cubic feet, Darden said Quicksilver will benefit by hedging most of its 2011 gas production at just under $6.
In the company's annual report, Darden said Quicksilver doesn't believe today's abnormal price disparity between oil and natural gas will continue. And at the shareholders meeting he said company officials believe its stock is undervalued.
"We believe this presents a tremendous opportunity to invest in natural gas at the bottom of the cycle," he concludes in the annual report.
"It looks like it's going to be a fabulous year," Darden said at last week's annual shareholders meeting of the Fort Worth-based natural gas producer, which has a healthy $500 million capital budget for 2011. "We're moving more toward oil, but we're still a gas company, and we'll always be a gas company," Darden told shareholders at the downtown Fort Worth Club.
Quicksilver will soon start to show "how valuable Horn River is," as it completes more natural gas wells in cold, remote northeast British Columbia and benefits from new pipeline links allowing it to transport more gas to market more cheaply, Darden said. The company is also testing for oil there.
With 130,000 net acres leased at Horn River, Quicksilver has drilled eight natural gas wells there and completed four, which cumulatively are producing 30 million cubic feet a day. It expects to complete the other four wells this coming winter, when drilling equipment can be transported on ice roads. In warm weather equipment bogs down in the swamplike terrain called muskeg.
Horn River potential
Quicksilver estimates that each Horn River well will have an exceptional "estimated ultimate recovery," or lifetime output, ranging from 8.8 billion to 19.4 billion cubic feet of gas. Those numbers far exceed the 1 billion to 5 billion cubic feet estimated for most Barnett Shale gas wells, although operating costs are considerably lower in the Barnett.
Quicksilver's latest annual report said Horn River "appears to be the largest gas find in the company's history and has the potential to quadruple our current total company reserves." The company estimates that it could recover 10 trillion cubic feet of natural gas from Horn River, or nearly double what it expects from the Barnett.
As of Dec. 31, Quicksilver's proved reserves were equivalent to 2.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, with 2.6 trillion from the Barnett. The reserves are 99 percent natural gas and natural gas liquids such as propane and butane.
Getting more 'oily'
Crude oil accounts for a tiny 1 percent of Quicksilver's reserves, but that could rise. U.S. energy producers are increasingly focusing on oil and natural gas liquids, which command higher prices than natural gas. Quicksilver is pushing this year to become more "oily."
The company expects to complete a horizontal well in the Exshaw formation at Horn River this summer, with oil the target instead of natural gas. Quicksilver has "gotten great oil shows" there, Darden said, from both the Exshaw and from natural gas in the Muskwa and Klua formations below it.
Darden said Quicksilver's biggest thrust into oil this year will be in the emerging Niobrara play in the Green River Basin, where the company has 200,000 net acres leased in northwest Colorado. The company expects to drill up to six exploratory wells there this year.
"We're in oily country, and we're very excited about it," Darden said. "The Niobrara has about 1,500 feet of thickness, so it's a very big target."
Quicksilver is also launching some oil prospecting in the Bakken formation in northern Montana, where it has 175,000 net acres.
The company is also "targeting multiple formations" in the Delaware Basin in West Texas that could yield oil, said Rick Buterbaugh, Quicksilver's vice president for investor relations and corporate planning. These targets include the Bone Springs formation that is attracting increasing attention.
The company has 54,000 net acres leased in Culberson, Reeves, Jeff Davis and Presidio counties and expects to acquire more.
Quicksilver can move quickly in West Texas by re-entering "noncommercial natural gas wells" the company drilled in the West Texas portion of the Barnett Shale, Buterbaugh said. The clay content in the Barnett zone made the results from fracking "less than desired," Buterbaugh said.
With the new oil plays, Quicksilver has "some very high-potential prospects that can really change the look of this company," Darden said.
The company has had lackluster earnings the past two years, primarily because of weak gas prices and related write-downs. The company's stock (ticker: KWK) closed Friday at $14.44, up 14 cents. The stock is down about 2 percent this year.
Quicksilver, however, generally has been a low-cost operator and profited from the sale of its majority interest in Quicksilver Gas Services, which helped trim its debt to a manageable $1.7 billion, with major debt maturing in late 2015. It had 65 cents of debt per 1,000 cubic feet of reserves as of Dec. 31, down 44 percent from $1.17 two years earlier.
Barnett still mainstay
The company's bread-and-butter revenue source this year should continue to be the Barnett Shale, where Quicksilver hopes to boost production by 20 percent. Some of the company's biggest gas wells, with estimated lifetime production of 4 billion to 5.5 billion cubic feet, are in the Alliance and Lake Arlington areas, but smaller wells in the southern Barnett provide more natural gas liquids.
Although natural gas prices have barely topped $4 per 1,000 cubic feet, Darden said Quicksilver will benefit by hedging most of its 2011 gas production at just under $6.
In the company's annual report, Darden said Quicksilver doesn't believe today's abnormal price disparity between oil and natural gas will continue. And at the shareholders meeting he said company officials believe its stock is undervalued.
"We believe this presents a tremendous opportunity to invest in natural gas at the bottom of the cycle," he concludes in the annual report.
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