DATE: May 5, 2008
TITLE: 'WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU DID TODAY?'
FOCUS: First day working out of the house
HIGHLIGHTS:
• Question: "Are you mad about the possibility of bad weather today?" Answer: "No. Why?" Question: "Because of your tee time."
• (After missing a phone call) "Were you getting your sweat pants out of the dryer?"
• "What time did you start drinking?"
DATE: May 18, 2008
We didn’t have crazy plans for the rest of the day. I was going to pick up my Little Brother Anthony and “just chill” around the house. (His phrasing, not mine.) TK was going to go to yoga.
TK: “What about Anthony?”
ME: (eyes wide, staring at the clock) “Crap...I mean YIKES!”
NOTE: One phone call to his mom, saved me 30 minutes – she agreed to drop him off at the house.
ME: (still driving like a contestant on “The Amazing Race”) At 2: 15,
2:07 p.m.
I stood at our bedroom door and mumbled to myself, “Why do we have so much crap?”
• I thought it was cool that they shot footage of me and Anthony working on his new model airplane, which was a birthday present. (photo below)
• I was so proud of Anthony for agreeing to be interviewed and doing such an amazing job.
• I was so appreciative of Sana and John for taking a group shot next to the CBS 11 satellite truck. (photo below)
It was perfect ending to a chaotic day.
• (After missing a phone call) "Were you getting your sweat pants out of the dryer?"
• "What time did you start drinking?"
DATE: May 18, 2008
FOCUS: Advice for working out of the house
HIGHLIGHTS:
• I have started my third week as CEO/President of e-Partners in Giving, which means I'm now an expert on working from home.
• Advice: Open the blinds
• Conversation with drive-thru guy at Sonic
• Conversation with drive-thru guy at Sonic
These are good reminders why working out of the house is NOT the perfect and/or ideal situation. It’s really good – don’t get me wrong – but I would NEVER use the adjective “perfect” to describe it.
There was actually a wonderfully great incident this weekend that made me utter part of the Dark Side oath: “I wish I had an office.”
PREFACE:
There was actually a wonderfully great incident this weekend that made me utter part of the Dark Side oath: “I wish I had an office.”
PREFACE:
My wife (TK) and I were driving home from my mom and dad’s on Sunday afternoon. We had a nice breakfast with my folks and my little sister, Allison….stopped by my grandmother’s to say a quick hello….headed back to Fort Worth around 12:30 p.m.
We didn’t have crazy plans for the rest of the day. I was going to pick up my Little Brother Anthony and “just chill” around the house. (His phrasing, not mine.) TK was going to go to yoga.
At 1:03 p.m. my cell phone buzzed and all hell broke loose. (Again…this turns into a fantastic story, but for 107 minutes…I prefer the verbiage “neurotically hellacious.”)
1:03 p.m.
(driving outside of Keene, Texas, approximately 30 minutes from home; phone buzzes…”Private Number”)
ME: “This is Drew.”
WOMAN’S VOICE: “Hi! This is Sana from CBS 11….” (All I really heard was "CBS 11")
ME: (kind of interrupting & praying that Keene, Texas, hadn’t missed the memo about cell phones and specifically cell phone towers) “Yes. How’s it going?”
CBS 11: “Are you in town?”
ME: (slightly pushing on the accelerator a little firmer) “Ummm…kind of. I’m driving back to Fort Worth right now.”
CBS 11: “We were wondering if we could visit with you today about leaving TCU and starting your own company….”
1:03 p.m.
(driving outside of Keene, Texas, approximately 30 minutes from home; phone buzzes…”Private Number”)
ME: “This is Drew.”
WOMAN’S VOICE: “Hi! This is Sana from CBS 11….” (All I really heard was "CBS 11")
ME: (kind of interrupting & praying that Keene, Texas, hadn’t missed the memo about cell phones and specifically cell phone towers) “Yes. How’s it going?”
CBS 11: “Are you in town?”
ME: (slightly pushing on the accelerator a little firmer) “Ummm…kind of. I’m driving back to Fort Worth right now.”
CBS 11: “We were wondering if we could visit with you today about leaving TCU and starting your own company….”
I won’t bore you with the whole back and forth, but Sana Syed was going to be at my office/house – along with a cameraman and a satellite truck – in less than two hours.
ME: “That’s perfect….see you then.”
1:06 p.m.
(right foot VERY heavy on the accelerator…speed limit signs irrelevant….my mind actually going faster than the car.)
ME: “That’s perfect….see you then.”
1:06 p.m.
(right foot VERY heavy on the accelerator…speed limit signs irrelevant….my mind actually going faster than the car.)
ME: “That was Channel 11.
They’re going to do a story on e-Partners today.”
TK: (pumping her fist in the air) “Yes!”
Then I explained to TK that by the time we made it home, we would have one hour to make the office/house “TV Ready.”
TK: “Yikes!”
1:07 p.m.
TK and I start to put together a game plan to attack the office/house. Here are some snippets over the next 26 minutes:
NOTE: Our house was not dirty or messy, but definitely not ready for CBS 11. Again…if there was only a definite line between home and office. Despite what I tell the IRS...there's really not!
ME: “You start with the kitchen and I’ll work on the office…
1:07 p.m.
TK and I start to put together a game plan to attack the office/house. Here are some snippets over the next 26 minutes:
NOTE: Our house was not dirty or messy, but definitely not ready for CBS 11. Again…if there was only a definite line between home and office. Despite what I tell the IRS...there's really not!
ME: “You start with the kitchen and I’ll work on the office…
TK: “Let’s just throw everything in the back bedroom (our bedroom) and close the door…”
ME: “Do we have any extra laundry baskets? I’ll just shove all my clutter in those.”
TK: “Let’s move that table out of the office…”
ME: (interrupting) “Move furniture? Are you kidding…No, you’re right…let’s throw that in the bedroom, too.”
TK: “Let’s move that table out of the office…”
ME: (interrupting) “Move furniture? Are you kidding…No, you’re right…let’s throw that in the bedroom, too.”
TK: “What about Anthony?”
ME: (eyes wide, staring at the clock) “Crap...I mean YIKES!”
NOTE: One phone call to his mom, saved me 30 minutes – she agreed to drop him off at the house.
ME: (still driving like a contestant on “The Amazing Race”) At 2: 15,
I HAVE to stop what I'm doing and get cleaned up and shave…”
TK: “What are you going to wear?”
That topic over-shadowed “Mission: Get the House Ready” for the rest of the drive.
TK: “What are you going to wear?”
That topic over-shadowed “Mission: Get the House Ready” for the rest of the drive.
1:33 p.m.
Pull into the driveway
Pull into the driveway
1:34 p.m.
Start throwing anything not nailed down into the bedroom; Tanya started hiding the toaster and other irrelevant appliances that I assume made our counters look cluttered. (When asked about it later, “I didn’t want CBS 11 to know that we eat toast.”)
2:06 p.m.
Office/house starting to take shape (unless you opened our bedroom door…it looked like a PODS storage unit.)
Start throwing anything not nailed down into the bedroom; Tanya started hiding the toaster and other irrelevant appliances that I assume made our counters look cluttered. (When asked about it later, “I didn’t want CBS 11 to know that we eat toast.”)
2:06 p.m.
Office/house starting to take shape (unless you opened our bedroom door…it looked like a PODS storage unit.)
2:07 p.m.
I stood at our bedroom door and mumbled to myself, “Why do we have so much crap?”
2:08 p.m.
I was mopping the office floor, while Tanya was hiding the blender.
I was mopping the office floor, while Tanya was hiding the blender.
2:10 p.m.
Anthony shows up…I apologize about the chaos and hand him some Windex and a rag.
Anthony shows up…I apologize about the chaos and hand him some Windex and a rag.
2:15 p.m.
I start to shave and take a junior high shower (damp wash cloth under the armpits and a couple squirts of cologne).
2:17 p.m.
I start to shave and take a junior high shower (damp wash cloth under the armpits and a couple squirts of cologne).
2:17 p.m.
TK: (sticking her head into the bathroom) “What are you going to wear?”
ME: (wearing a shaving cream Fu Manchu) “Wear? What am I going to say?”
2:33 p.m.
Decide to go casual with my attire – jeans and purple button down (Go Frogs!)
2:40 p.m.
Spray some Febreze and light some candles.
2:42 p.m.
Take a deep breath…sit down and ask Anthony about school.
2:43 p.m.
Doorbell rings
ME: (wearing a shaving cream Fu Manchu) “Wear? What am I going to say?”
2:33 p.m.
Decide to go casual with my attire – jeans and purple button down (Go Frogs!)
2:40 p.m.
Spray some Febreze and light some candles.
2:42 p.m.
Take a deep breath…sit down and ask Anthony about school.
2:43 p.m.
Doorbell rings
YIKES!
The rest of the story is pretty awesome:
The rest of the story is pretty awesome:
• I feel so blessed and grateful that I got to share my story.
• I love the fact that I got to spread the word about giving back.
• I love the fact that I got to spread the word about giving back.
• I thought it was cool that they shot footage of me and Anthony working on his new model airplane, which was a birthday present. (photo below)
• I was so proud of Anthony for agreeing to be interviewed and doing such an amazing job.
• I was so appreciative of Sana and John for taking a group shot next to the CBS 11 satellite truck. (photo below)
It was perfect ending to a chaotic day.
At 5:30 p.m. – 4 hours and 7 minutes from the initial phone call – Anthony and I sat in my immaculate living room and watched the newscast on my freshly dusted TV.
ANTHONY: “Did you know they were coming over today?”
ANTHONY: “Did you know they were coming over today?”
ME: “Nope.”
We were both glad they did, though.
We were both glad they did, though.
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6 comments:
Awesome. Very cool. I don't even have anything smart ass to say.
You might consider having a garage sale.
Go YOU!
Shauna Glen doesn't have a smart ass comment – MARK IT DOWN! Either way, thanks for leaving a comment. As a fellow blogger, you know how precious those are.
Cooter...Completely agree about the whole..Home/Office...it should have a hyphenation like a successful married woman wants to keep her name as it means more to her than yours..
Wake up and Open all the Blinds like you are opening your business...
Change OUT of your boxers and t-shirt
Shower and brush your teeth every day...never know who might show up at the Hoffice...
Congrats on the media coverage...what made her think of the story...ever find out...either way...OUTSTANDING NEWS!!
You really should get someone to come in and clean
I'm really glad you didn't make your signature face on television...I was worried!
Your enthusiasm really came through the TV--awesome!
Jeff...I love the term "Hoffice"...I WILL use!
Ms. Katie...thanks for the compliment and the dig in the same comment post. (A lot of people wouldn't be able to pull that off.)
Pretty cool big bro! I am proud of you! Allie says so too.
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