The Victor is Mightier than the Sword

away message

2007-02-12T16:23:00.000-08:00

Not that anyone actually comes to this site, but just in case...
Due to company policy and security reasons, I'm not allowed to maintain a personal website while away.
Just so everyone knows, I'm leaving for the middle east this Saturday, February 17th.
I'll be pretty accessible by e-mail so that's probably the best way to reach me.
I'm really going to miss everyone... especially someone I really shouldn't be missing...
They're working our asses 12 hours a day and we're up at ungodly hours but everytime I close my damn eyes I think of this person...
A good friend of mine told me to just keep busy and sooner or later I'll forget... this is as busy as I've ever been and whenever I have a chance to rest my mind starts to think about her...
We're up to our ears in training, maybe I'll be able to forget when we're completely submerged in work.
I know it's hard to get over someone and I know it takes time, but I'm doing everything I possibly can to forget about this chick and it's not working!
Chicago is supposedly getting slammed by a blizzard right now and you know what I think of? If this chick is driving safely and her car is working properly... can you freaking believe it?
Anyway... this experience has been awesome so far and I don't regret it at all. In fact, I'm really looking forward to this opportunity. It is HUGE and the people I'm training with are really great. We're like a United Nations envoy everywhere we go! And everyone is incredibly smart! I'm psyched.
If anyone has any good tips on getting over a chick I'd really appreciate it... it doesn't help that Valentine's Day is this week and she's with a complete loser in life and I'm gonna be stuck in a classroom with 10 other people busting my ass...
Just so everyone knows, I'll be eligible for R&R in mid-June. Probably not in time for any of the weddings and definitely not in time for the mentoring luncheon. You know what that means?
It means I need YOUR ideas on where I to go on vacation! Anywhere's fair game... Like I said before I'm thinking Seychelles! Please include places to stay and things to see...
See you all in four months when I can write next!
Please write!
vic.ramos@gmail.com

What's to come?

2007-02-03T06:59:00.000-08:00

I hate to write so much that this post gets bumped off my main page. I hope the person for whom it is meant reads it and accepts it as heartfelt, honest, sincere and most importantly, written with love.

So today is it. MOST of my bags are packed.
I'm still incredibly apathetic about this whole experience I'm about to undertake.
I guess it's mainly because I didn't have a chance to see everyone I wanted to see.
It's starting to hit me that I won't be around for the BGCC Mentoring Luncheon this year, gradation, several weddings (possibly Abby's, Lindsay's (which I was planning on crashing), and Kelly's), Cubs Opening Day, etc., etc..
I'm not sad... I'm not happy... I'm just here...
I know I'll be fine and that my brother will never let me get into any trouble or be placed in overly dangerous situations in the Middle East. But let's face it, I'm going to be working in the FIELD in Kuwait and Iraq (and possibly Afghanistan).
The funny thing is, I have NO idea what is meant by "field." Now you're probably thinking, "what kind of idiot signs up for a job in a hostile area without knowing the precise environment he or she will be working in?"
I guess my answer is: I don't really care. Maybe I'm hoping it's "field" like in the sense of "Wrigley Field or Soldiers Field."
I'm going over there for the experience. When else will I be able to travel the world? It definitely sucks that I'll be travelling alone, but isn't it better than not travelling at all? I'm open to suggestions and you're welcome to come along! If I can't make it home in time for Abby's wedding or the Mentoring Luncheon, I'm considering the Seychelles or the Spanish Riviera.
One last thing....
Just so we're clear on this...
Let it be known that I, Victor E. Ramos, am well aware of the job I am undertaking and the environment in which it is to be conducted.
I most likely will not have a chance to write after this until I'm issues my work laptop AND get onto the network, so take care of yourself and enjoy the Super Bowl! Put me down for 10 - $10 squares... I'm good for it.

Who is Murphy and how do we repeal his Law?

2007-02-02T13:08:00.000-08:00

So, I don't think I've ever fallen victim to Murphy's Law as severely as today.
I left the house to run a bunch of errands, one of which was to get my powerbook fixed. I left it on last night so it could download a whole bunch of TV episodes. I want to put them all on my new iPod.
Well, when I woke up this morning, I couldn't wake my computer up. So after trying a couple times I immediately went to the Oak Brook Apple Store's website to schedule the first available appointment to have it looked at. I got there around 10:10am, and after being told that my hard drive has failed fatally, driving back to my parents' house to get my iPod and back-up hard drive, and leaving the computer to have it's hard drive replaced, I'm not sitting here trying to load everything we could save onto the iPod so I can at least use the damn thing when I leave.
I don't like Murphy.. he or she effen suck! Not like the vodka... like the swear word.
There are a couple of good things that have happened... my powerbook is still under warranty so I don't have to pay anything for the new hard drive, and I pretty much have everything backed up so I haven't lost too much data.
ALSO... I received my travel itinerary from KBR! I turned off the text messaging, e-mail and internet access on my blackberry last night so I haven't had e-mail access all day. I'm sorry if you send me a text message and I don't reply.
I'm planning on bringing my phone with me to use overseas but the data/texting rates are huge so I had to turn those features off to prevent getting charged for random texts/e-mails.
But I digress... I leave for Houston tomorrow, February 3rd at 2:45pm! I'm staying at the Wyndham Hotel if you're in the area, give me a shout!
I'm probably going to have to watch the Super Bowl alone in my room but I'd rather do that than spend Valentine's Day or my birthday alone!
I'm having tons of computer problems (windows sucks!) so I'm not sure if I'll be able to write anymore before I leave, but if I get a chance to I will.

T-minus ~24 hours and still a few things left to do... (Holy crap this is a long post!)

2007-02-02T05:30:00.000-08:00

When I returned to Chicago last Wednesday I had a list in hand of all the things I needed to do before I leave tomorrow. It isn't uncommon for things to pop up but I swear it seems like every time I cross off one thing on the list I have to add THREE more new things!
So, needless to say, I haven't slept very much for the past week... not good considering I'm going to a place where I'll be working 12 hour days, 7 days a week for 4 months straight.
As with any task list, you're supposed to prioritize. I've pretty much completed the high priority stuff. I completed all the pre-employment stuff as soon as I landed in Chicago.
So I only have a few high priority things left... mostly grim stuff having to do with life insurance and lawyers... but there's one thing that I absoltely cannot leave without doing.
I need to apologize to a loved one... and I mean truly apologize; but I can't because what I did made this person so upset that s/he told me to never contact him/her ever again so I'm hoping this somehow reaches him/her.
It makes me sick what I did... that I could be so hurtful and cower behind the guise of good intent.
I said a lot of good things but I went too far (as I usually do) and they were all for naught.
I'm trying to obey this person's wishes by not contacting him/her, but I'm not really certain what faces me during this next phase of life. I can't go on without acknowledging how wrong I was and how sorry I feel. Contrary to previous statements, I sincerely regret using some of the words I chose and I was definitely in the wrong.
For those of you who've known me for quite some time, you'll know I'm no stranger to relationships. I'm fortunate enough to have loved and been loved several times in life but last Sunday I realized how BAD I am at loving.
I don't mean to get all religious and by no means am I a perfect little chuch boy, but I do attend mass as frequently as possible. Last Sunday while in San Diego, I went to church at USD with Bobby. I hadn't been to mass at USD in quite some time. In fact, while I was at USD, there were probably more than a few times I went for all the wrong reasons (the same wrong reasons you go to the gym).
This occasion, as in all the previous times I've attended mass in the past 4 months, I was really focused. It was as if I was waiting for the priest to say something so moving and provocative it would change my life.
How surpised do you think I was when all it took was hearing a reading I've probably heard a dozen times growing up... it was the second reading... a reading from the letter of Paul to the Corinthians... (1 Corinthians Chapter 13 to be exact).
The 4th verse is the famous "Love is patient, love is kind," passage... you've heard it right?
Well, I've heard it too, but never so clearly or loudly.
In my first post I mentioned the advice given to me by a very smart friend. Her advice was "It's always important to always put the other person's feelings first," and to "ask yourself, Am I acting in Love?"
At the time I knew I wasn't "acting in Love" but I never realized how badly I failed.
All the things the scripture says Love is I wasn't and all the things it says love isn't I was... I feel horrible.
I had the love of my life and I lost her because I didn't know how to love her properly.
My good friend Paul and I always joke around about how I'm going to have a Porsche some day (it may be happening sooner than you think ;) ) and he always jabs back with, "you wouldn't be able to pull that thing out of the driveway without stalling it." The point is, you've got this great car and yet you don't know how to drive it...
Well, I had the best relationship, the only relationship that I wanted in life and I blew it because I didn't know how to handle it and I'm sorry.
I'm sorry for being hurtful, I'm sorry for not being able to say this to her in person and most importantly I'm sorry for not being able to love this person the way she deserved to be loved.
I love this person very, very much and truly wish her nothing but the best in all her future endeavors...
I'm hoping that the next time I'm behind the wheel I know how to really drive.

So today, my last day in Chicago before I leave for Houston, Kuwait and ultimately Iraq, I've got a bunch of silly errands to run. First, I left my laptop on all night to download a bunch (39 to be exact) of TV show episodes (to watch on my new black, 80GB iPod) and when I woke up this morning I couldn't wake my computer up from standby. So, I've got to bring the thing to the Apple store to get fixed. I hope I didn't lose all the files I actually downloaded yesterday! I'm not bringing a laptop since they're issuing me one (and since I won't be able to get on the network with a personal laptop anyway) so I want to get all my pertinent files onto my new iPod...
I also have to pick up some toiletries like deoderant and q-tips... my brother said that I can buy everything there except q-tips and I'm pretty much out of deoderant.
What else... paper work and ensuring that I have all the required documents for when I arrive in Houston (i.e. passport, ss card, copies of ss card, names, birthdays and ss #s of my beneficiaries just in case, etc.).
I've got to mail some stuff to my attorneys as well as take care of some stuff for my brother. I need to pick-up some pants I'm having altered, I need to put the rest of my crap in storage and in case I haven't mentioned yet, I still need to pack.
How the hell does someone pack for something like this?
Bleh...
I should probably stop bitching about it and just get at it...
I'll try and write before I leave for Houston because once I'm there I don't know when I'll have access next.
Also, I know I'll have e-mail access but in case anyone gets ambitious and wants to send me a Lou Malnati's Large, Deep Dish, Deluxe pizza (uncut!), I'll be sure to post my snail mail address.

No more bets...

2007-01-30T17:17:00.000-08:00

And the winner is...
Kellog, Brown and Root, better known as KBR, a subsidiary of Halliburton!
The initial plan was to accept the offer and begin the process on March 3rd while at the same time continue interviewing.
To make a long story short, I almost died last night (ask me about it... the experience is a whole freakin' post in itself). I woke up invigorated and decided that I needed to just get on with it... so I called my KBR recruiter and told her that, not only did I accept the position, but that I didn't want to wait for March 3rd.
So, I'm leaving California tomorrow, Wednesday, January 31st to head back to Chicago. I'll be in Chicago until Saturday, February, 3rd when I leave for training and in-processing in Houston. From Houston I'll leave directly for Kuwait via Europe and Dubai.
I am totally excited.
The position I accepted is as a field buyer. I will be working out of Kuwait but there is travel to Iraq and possibly Afghanistan.
There's no way around it... the area is hostile and dangerous but I promise to be safe.
We can always communicate via e-mail and through comments on this site!

I'm getting too old for this...

2007-01-28T13:28:00.000-08:00

In case anyone is ever in San Diego and you're heading to the Eggery for breakfast, don't go BEFORE 11am. The scenery changes dramatically around 11am and it changes for the better... so much better...
Another place for phenomenol scenery is the Mission, in Mission Beach. San Jose and Mission Blvd to be exact. The scenery is exquisite and they've got great french toast to boot!
So Paul and I spent most of Saturday trying to figure out whether we're going to dismantle the front of his Harley.

After tooling around with the idea for a while I decided to get some paperwork done.
If I haven't mentioned,

I received the offer I've been waiting for on Friday.
I am still contemplating all of my offers/options.
I'll be in LA tomorrow and Tuesday talking to some more people about work. I'm going to try and see a bunch of people while I'm up there too.
We'll see.
So last night we went big... Tim, Paul and I drove down to JM's place downtown. After a couple of drinks we walked to the gaslamp.

We headed to dinner and were looking to do sushi... we stopped at RA, which was packed, and the wait for a table was over an hour. Needless to say, we cruised to another sushi place.
After dinner we went to this place called Altitude. It's a rooftop bar on the Marriott. Really cool space but the scene was lame so we looked for trouble elsewhere.
We walked by this new place called Bondi... that space is cool but in an off-the-wall kind of way. They have these birdcage things that lower from the ceiling that you can sit in... They also have this wall dividers that spin to create individual booths.

After Bondi we walked down the main drag past line after line... It was amazing, every place had a line to get in!
So we cruise to the Yard House because JM has got a buddy that works there. We end up closing the place down, but not before meeting some new people!

As always, when you're out partying all night and in San Diego, you've got to end the night with the obligatory visit to Santana's!

I'd love to hear your thoughts on where I may end up so please leave a comment!
Hopefully I'll have more good news when I get back from LA.
peace.

Making a Difference!

2007-01-26T18:20:00.000-08:00

Look at how much of a difference people can make when they come together!

Check this out!

Thank you all to those that helped!

This one's for you!

2007-01-25T08:30:00.000-08:00

I've come to a crossroad in this journey of mine.
I've learned that sometimes love isn't enough and that sometimes love hurts. A very, very smart person recently gave me this advice, "It's always most important to put the other person's feelings first," and "ask yourself, am I acting in love?" As of late I haven't done this.
With a loved one's best interests and feelings in mind, I'm beginning a new chapter in life by leaving my beloved city of Chicago.
After a wonderful dinner with some friends last night, I have decided to create a blog. Like most blogs, its purpose is to keep friends and family up to date with what's going on in my life.
I don't anticipate writing every day, but I do plan on posting any major events that occur in my life. In addition to being a journal of events in my life I MAY use this as an outlet for thoughts, but we'll see.
I'm not so arrogant that I think there are masses of people interested in hearing about my adventures, trials or tribulations; but I care about my friends and family and sometimes finding the time to catch up is difficult. Sometimes I think it's worse to abbreviate the process, as I did during dinner last night.
I've shared special experiences with every person in attendance last night (except for Grace, whom it was my first time meeting) and want everyone to know that I remember and cherish those experiences.
Obviously, for some of you, there are decades of experiences we share. Here are just a few... Let's start alphabetically:

Abby G.-

We howled at the moon for your birthday together and were the only pros at sink the biz! There have never been boring moments when we've hung out together.

Abby V.-

There are many many stories here. Abby's favorite is probably when we (Leo and I) made her ride in the back seat with the windows down in the dead of winter. Mine are the late night phone conversations about any one of the chicks I was having drama with.

Bardo-

Man, we go back to freaking kindergarten! You gave me one of the most special opportunities in my life when you asked me to stand in your wedding and I'm lucky to have as good of a life long friend as you.

Kafka (his first name starts with a "B")-

Dude! Sega/Super Nintendo everyday after school.... the power pad... your sisters getting uber pissed at me because I'd call so early on Saturday morning! Chilling in your backyard during the summer... You guys made coming home from college to Oak Lawn so much more fun...

Cindy-

I still remember when Michelle tried to hook us up in 8th grade and meeting at Oak Brook mall!
Recently, Thai food at my old apartment was lots of fun... actually watching you make the cheesecakes and eating the brownies was what I liked!

Dhara (pronounced: da-ha-ra; just kidding)-

My SLU buddy... the chick that thinks it's weird that I know her neighborhood AND the area she went to college in. My friend that is going to be on a team of physicians with the task of saving my fat ass sometime later in my life... I'm a snob and only want the best, and that's what she's going to be... one of the best physicians around.

Erik B.-

Probably the person on this list with the fewest experiences together, but what lacks in quantity is made up for in quality! Always a fun time with this guy... Hearing some of the stories of his college days from his friend the other night reminded me of me! We tore up the town on my last weekend and he's a good guy. He too would be a part of the army of physicians I'm going to retain if he weren't so set on being an OB/GYN. But damn is he going to be a great OB/GYN.

Eric Y.; a.k.a. "E-tim"-

This guy... all these years and we're, seriously, probably family! This guy is down for anything and is a rock, always there. I have never been so hungry, eaten so much, and been so full with any other person. I blame E-tim for me being as fat as I am... but he's got phenomenol taste in food! Moncada forever!

Jaime B.-

I can't think of anyone else I'd have NOT teaching my kids than this chick. Just kidding!
She is so incredibly down to earth and was mature beyond her years back when I first met her in high school. Seeing her always brings a smile to my face and I'm lucky that she let Brian ask me to stand in her wedding.

Josh-

Of all the memories I have of Josh, nothing jumps at me more than the time we partied together when I lived in Oak Park. He single-handedly battled Jack Daniel and kicked his ass. I've never seen anyone finish an entire 5th of JD and be able to see, stand and walk as coherently as him. Unbelievable... on top of that, he's a hell of a golfer and, this is for Abby, an incredible catch!

J-
(Sorry there's no picture, no camera does this guys muscles justice!)
First off ladies, this guy is RIPPED! We used to party back in the day and we've chilled ever since. He's got this quiet strength thing going on that seems zen like. Maybe I should start calling him "master."

Karl-

yes ladies, it's the same Karl from Beauty and the Geek 2!
Karl is just an absolutely nice, good hearted guy that knows how to have fun. Partying with him is great because he's hilarious! One time he got drunk and decided to play hide and seek... by himself! He and Josh also introduced me to the Wii, and although it is tons of fun to play, I still have to be loyal to my PS3. Sorry!
and oh... he's super strong too.. I once saw him carry a 37-inch tube tv that weighed 200 lbs up 5 flights of stairs!

Leo-

What more can I say... this guy is my best friend. Sometimes we get on each other's nerves, sometimes we annoy each other, and sometimes we have completely different interests. At the end of it all, he's there for me, as I am for him. There's not a thing in the world I wouldn't do for this guy. Over 14 years we've been through our own trials and tribulations and after 14 years he's still there for me.

Natalie-

As of late she's turned into my partner in crime. Whether we're tearing up trivia night at the local pub; having a night out on the town, or sitting around watching TV, it's always a fun time. I admire her strength, drive and focus in everything she does (especially when it comes to not wanting to get Strep again). She has been a wonderful friend and I don't know that I could have gotten through the past months without her.

Rene-

My quiet, hot friend. In high school we had girls on the north side, west side, south side, and in the city! He's always been there in my times of need and been a source of strength in my life. I still remember a time when I came home from college for the holidays and he was in the Philippines. He came back real late the night before I was heading back to school. This guy didn't even go home after the airport... didn't go to see his girlfriend at the time... he drove 45 minutes in the opposite direction of his house to come chill with me before I left. I can't even count the times he's asked who's ass we're going to have to kick to make things right.... We've both been incredibly busy and we haven't been able to chill as much as we used to but he's been there when it matters and always is.

Rommel-

Probably one of the most creative and funny persons I know. There is never a dull moment with this guy and some of the times I've laughed the hardest have been with him. If this guy can't make you smile then no one can!

I'm so greatful to have all of you as friends and thankful to you all for making it to my dinner. Again, I apologize it didn't provide us the opportunity to actually hang out as intimately as I would have liked.

TO THE REST OF ALL MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY,
You may not be listed above but your impact on my life does not go on unrecognized.
Now buckle your seat belts, I'm going to take you on one hell of a ride!
In the coming weeks I'll be travelling to San Diego, Phoenix, LA, Anaheim, Long Beach, San Francisco, Westminster, Portland, Seattle, Boston and possibly Kuwait City via Houston, Texas.
Where will I end up?
Place your bets.

One thing is for sure, having as good friends and family as you all make it difficult to leave Chicago, but the lonely road ahead isn't so lonely knowing I have friends like you all.

I'm blessed and truly thankful for your presence in my life...

Please continue to visit this site every so often.
This blog is meant for you.

California here I come...