Ghost of Joel's Past, Present and Future...

Being that Christmas was very recently and Christmas was about the same time that Ebenezer Scrooge took a journey of his Christmas past, present and future in the classic "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, I figured it would be appropriate for me to do the same but instead do a review of the last year finishing with what is to come. And away we go.

"A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens

Beginning the year of 2010 I had already been at AT&T for about 6 months. I remember making plans to take my Japan trip in June of that year. I had saved over $2500 and I had enough vacation to take two to three weeks. My biggest problem was who to go with. As much as I agree with them my parents I was desperate enough to be willing to just go and wing it. (Foolish I Know!)

My problems never seemed to have been solved with my Manager (Jonas Denose). All the work I was trying to put in improving my numbers never seemed to help because of the lack of involvement my manager took with me. I remember him always saying my problem was customer service but never once during my visits did he engage with my customer. I honestly believe that is he took more involvement in my work, he could have greatly help improve my numbers. Once March came around I found out that Jonas was being transfered to the Northlake Garage and my new Manager was going to be Tony White. Only two days on the job with him and I was greatly encouraged by his positive words and engagement. I remember having a repair job where I had to completely rerun all the wiring and hang a new drop and he came all the way out to my job and gave me a hand. I come into work on April 10th and tried to dispatch when my IFD refused. I remember going to Tony White and pointing it out. Several moments later he calls me into a meeting with my rep and garage manager. I was informed that I being let go (General Discharge). The actual reason was never solidly said and I remember being devastated for a couple months after.

AT&T is one brute of a company.

To make a long story short, Two months later after fighting the lay off. I was told by my rep that they will not be bring my case to arbitration. I asked why and he said that during my hearing I used the sentence "I think I remember doing bla bla bla" when I should of said "I don't remember". He said that saying that makes me look guilty to the arbitrator.

The crap that AT&T does is so stupid being that people who deserve to be fired keep their jobs and those who should not get the short end of the stick. Which is exactly what I got. Tony White and my Union Rep said I did. A good example of such bone-head-ness (Yes, I made it up. Do want to fight about it?) is in august I get delivered a summons by an Illinois Sheriff. Apparently some guy who rear ended my work truck the year before was suing me and AT&T personally for several thousand dollars. It took me a week to try to get a hold of someone within AT&T who could help me. Last I heard AT&T assigned my case an attorney. Literally the LAST I HEARD. I have no idea where it will go from there and they better hope I'm not OUT OF THE COUNTRY when the court date comes. The reason I say silly is because I can give you a 95% chance that the guy was just paid off.

I had a meeting with my Pastor back in December over my Passion for Japan and was very encouraged by his positive belief that this is really a great calling on my life. I remember mentioning that I'm starting to get concerned that because I just turned 24 years old and many of my friends from youth are already married that this would be a burden on my calling. He came right out and said that maybe GOD has placed this calling on your life at this age because he is calling you to actually marry a Japanese Woman. This shocked me because My parents and I were thinking the same thing. (Yes, Grandma you have a good chance of having Japanese Great Grandchildren.) As for the meeting I had wrote a three paged letter called "My Passion for Japan". Please take a moment and read it. Later this year I might have to write a revision to cover my current situation.

Sakatoon, SK, Canada

Back last year I remember giving the year of 2010 the name of "The year of Growth and Reward", I Think, But I never would have imagined that it would not be in physical means but of character and spirit. As I mentioned in my post on September 6th I went to World Revival Church in Kansas City, Missouri. I went to take a further seeming of GODs calling on my life but in additional I believe it was GODs will that I met Pastor Kevin Tabuchi. (Read more about him in my letter.) Hes an experienced missionary to Japan and pastors a church in Canada. After much time of communication last December he invited me to come to their church in Saskatoon, SK Canada. As it stands now I am leaving out on February 14th which will get me there late on the 15th because its a 23 hour drive. We are making plans for me stay for about 2 weeks to whenever. We have decided to work out a deal that because I would be on a Visitor Visa (Can't get paid) we would exchange work for Room and Board. They want to put me up in a room with a roommate by the name of Yoshi who I a Japanese Citizen. He has said that this will be a huge opportunity to met new people and learn lots about the Japanese People. Supposedly Yoshi is the son of a pastor back in Japan who is good friends with Tabuchi-san. I really don't have much to say until I get closure to February 14th. I called the other day and talked with Kevins Wife. When she answered the phone she asked who was calling and after I answered my name she instantly (Not to even pause to put a face with the name.) said "JOEL!!! It's so awesome to talk with you." Talking with them I feel like I'm some LONG LOST friend or even family. I'm very much looking forward to February and coming later this year I'm hoping that I will be able to join their missions trip to Japan.

Please stay tuned as I'm planning on writing frequent posts on the whole trip.

Fun in the Sun.

Well our Florida vacation has come and gone. I was a real blast. We went to Innesbrook a nice but old resort near St. Petersburg, FL, which of course is were I was born. Then we went to my grandparents house for a few days and finally enjoyed the Greene Family Farm in Tennessee for several days. I drove my car there and back with a trip of over 3000 miles and about 27 MPG on the highway. Excellent!!! Then over the weekend my grandparent came to our house. This was a big vacation.

The HCG Diet is bar none

I have been on the HCG Diet for about 30 days now and lost a total of 21 lbs. I'm down one pant and shirt size. I am very happy to finally start dropping weight. It would have been more if I did not cheat on my vacation but hey I almost had no choice. I am hoping to hit a least 30 lbs. by the end of this session in 10 days. Then at the end of August I definitely want to start a second session of this diet.

Did you know the Japanese drive on the left side of the road.

Today I had to go and get my Illinois Vehicle Emissions done and realized how happy I am of the improvement of the system because now all they have to do is pull in a cable read your vehicle codes and either pass or fail you. Then I realized that the Japanese don't have it this easy because the Japanese Government requires vehicles to be tested much more intensively and they charge anywhere from $1000 to $1500 for a single test. In comparison to the costs of the shaken a full diagnostic inspection of the very same Japanese models in the U.S. may cost less than $100 USD (9,400 yen) or free (TAX MONEY) if you live in Illinois.

Entrance of the Emission Facility (Wait time visible on sign. Who is the Air Team?)



Waiting to be tested.

Sayounara,
C3

June 2

Well, I have been on the HCG Diet for about 9 days now and I have lost 8 pounds plus 3 1/2 Inches in my belly. The results are awesome but the temptations are strong.

We are officially 3 days away from our family vacation. I hope to have lots of fan and get my mind off of these couple last crazy months. I hope to come back with lots of pictures and videos.

Happy CHRISTmas?

CHRISTMAS is tomorrow and everyone is my house is excited and can not wait until its gift opening time. I'm at a complete lost on what I can expect to receive since I never made any requests but I am more excited about what I got other people. In which I will post a complete list afterwords.

Well, couple weeks ago I found out that I had been taken off of Christmas day and instead had the day off. That is good news for me since my family enjoys Christmas together. Today I discovered that Best Buy now has a Anime Section. Which I guess that is a sign that Anime is becoming more and more popular everyday. On that same subject I want to let people know that I have decided to start my own website dedicated to reviewing Anime & Manga with a christian point of view for people who want to have a better understanding of a titles content before blindly watching or even buying a title. My new website is http://www.getpluggedanime.com. I know the address is very similar to the http://pluggedinonline.com that reviews American Media from Focus on the Family. So please if you are a otaku or any type of anime fan please visit it. I'm also interested in finding volunteers to assist me with reviewing title. If you are interested please contact me.

So here it is

Happy CHRISTmas

Updates 2.2

It is time once again for my life updates. Well, My family just returned from the creation museum several hours ago. This was my second time going and the rest of my family's third time. I highly suggest everyone who reads this blog to please visit the creation museum in Cincinnati, Ohio. My parents are arranging a church trip sometime soon.

[WILL ADD PHOTO HERE LATER]

Here is some information copied from their website.

The state-of-the-art 70,000 square foot museum brings the pages of the Bible to life, casting its characters and animals in dynamic form and placing them in familiar settings. Adam and Eve live in the Garden of Eden. Children play and dinosaurs roam near Eden’s Rivers. The serpent coils cunningly in the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Majestic murals, great masterpieces brimming with pulsating colors and details, provide a backdrop for many of the settings.

The area within the museum has been divided into unusually configured spaces that allow for personal interaction with each of the 160 exhibits. Several parts of the museum, including the stunning forty-foot high portico with its cliff wall and floor-to-ceiling glass windows, flaunt open spaces and remarkable designs.

Walk through the Garden of Eden. The Tree of Life, central to the garden, stretches out its branches, laden with ripened fruits. Come face-to-face with a sauropod, a dinosaur of incredible dimensions. His monstrous frame moves through the low-lying thicket as he grazes on plants. Introduce yourself to our chameleons. Examine bones, a clutch of eggs from a dinosaur, an exceptional fossil collection, and a mineral collection. Walk through the Cave of Sorrows and see the horrific effects of the Fall of man. Sounds of a sin-ravaged world echo through the room. Finally, see the sacrificial Lamb on the cross, and the hope of redemption.

The themes of the exhibits resound in the theater presentations: Men in White, Six Days of Creation, The Last Adam, and Dinosaurs and Dragons. Our Special Effects Theater, complete with rumbling seats and rising mists, takes visitors on a fantastic quest to find the real purpose and meaning of life.

Each seat is a rocket launching pad in our Stargazers Planetarium. Prepare for lift-off. The digital projector showcases a spectacular gravity-defying spaceflight, a thrilling 22-minute ride billions of light years away to the vast outer regions of our universe. Breathtaking images and inconceivable distances make this cosmic journey under the dome a fully engaging experience.

See the scaffolding, smell the freshly-cut timbers in the busy work site of Noah’s Ark. Delve into the belly of the Ark and imagine the stalls full of animals, in close quarters. Listen to the sounds of thunderous, driving rains and the pounding of water against the sides of the great Ark.

You will find our dinosaurs living in our gardens and sauntering throughout our exhibit halls. These eye-blinking, mouth-chewing, tail-swinging creatures may startle a few of our guests. Children will be excited to see the variety of sculpted dinosaurs in our collection, including the stegosaur, dilophosaur, and of course, the giant Tyrannosaurus rex! They can saddle up on our triceratops and have their picture taken with a dinosaur.

I ended up talking to the owner of the hotel we stayed in. His hotel is in great need of a new network for customer to use. He even admitted to losing customers to the old system. He was very hooked on getting bids for a new system. We gave him a bid of $1,800.00 for 6 access points and all new equipment. We met his father and I think he was urging him to just take our bid without other bids. Would be nice to get the job.

In other places in my life I'm getting to the end of my chain. I have worked on and off at blockbuster and I'm almost out of money..... I can not wait until I can get a new job. I know, I will post my resume on this blog and please all employers read it and please help me. I want have a job in the information technology. VIEW HERE Well, I think that is all for now. Hope report much better things my next post.

COMING APRIL 2009 "UPDATES 2.3".

Return from 12 Day Florida Vacation

Konbanwa,

SO I HAVE OFFICIALLY RETURNED.

I just got off the plane about 3 hours ago. Florida was very interesting. It was great weather and the last couple days we had below 80 degree weather with very low humidity. We return right before Hurricane Ike hits.

We were at my Grandparents Late Aug 26th thru Sep 1st. Then we went to Orange Lake in Orlando thru today (Sep 6th).


Awesome Resort/Timeshare. I suggest you check out it place first next time you are in Orlando, Florida. On tuesday (Sep 2nd) My Parents, Grandma Dot and Me went to a YWAM Orlando church service for staff members where guest were welcome. The service title was "Patience". It's hard to admit but that was targeted to me. I need patience for this dream of Japan. I got to talk to Barbra and her husband face-to-face and I got so many answers and information. Her husband is the IT guy for there Orlando Base. I saw there base and it was amazing.

(TRUTH TIME)
I got have a good talk with my Dad over my dream. I have relized how many people don't trust me that I will carry out my dream. My dad told me about several people who told him that. Which it makes me upset to not be treated like an Adult. I fell like when people do that they are underminding me. I do understand my dad is still in authority but it would be nice if people would tell me to. One concern I've received from friends and family is if I go to Japan and not like it or come home early well if that is what happen then "I WILL KICK MY SELF SO HARD MY CHRILDREN WILL FEEL IT!!!". My dad pointed out that people will not be interested in suppoting me if I can't prove my passion. And he said I NEED to take my two week or more trip to Japan (costing about $3,000 dollars) and paying for it and the lecture part of DTS my self. Because DTS is a schooling (You even get college credits for taking it.). Starting monday I am going to try to get a new JOB harder then before. In order to make the money by next year I need to get a job paying about $600-$700 a paycheck (even if its seperate jobs combined to make that.) I need to get out of Blackbuster because I go to work and get SO STRESSED!!! (I think thats one reson I can't lose weight and I'm affraid I'm going to go bald if it continues like this.)

PLEASE. PLEASE. PLEASE. Pray for me and ask GOD to show me the way.

As a update to some I really don't know why I care so much about Japan. But I can't get it off my mind. People ask me what I like about Japan but I can't answer because I don't know...
Hope to upload some pictures and video soon from the trip.
I return to work on Monday (Sep 8th).

Sayonara,
- Joel Greene

Update

Just though I would post a quick update. My family and I are about 1.5 weeks from our 12 day vacation to Florida for my Parents 25th and Grand Parents 50th Anniversary. We will be flying out Tuesday (8/26) Afternoon. It's an interesting story about these tickets. My dad won these tickets from Wendy's collect 64 cups and get a plane ticket promotion a couple of years ago. He never thought he would get these tickets. He was at Wendy's one day looked in the trash and saw about 10 cups. So for the next three four days he went dumpster diving. When he was done he had earned enough cups to send the whole family anywhere Airtran Airways fly's for free plus TAX.


I talked to Barbra at YWAM Orlando and next week someone will call me and schedule a tour of YWAM Orlando when we are in Florida. I hate going so long with out talking to people I know. I have not been able to get a hold of Josh who suppose ably is working for YWAM. Shamin has not logged on mySpace since 6/25. If I have not mentioned Shamin before she lives in Tokyo, Japan and I met her on mySpace earlier this year. She is christian and attends chruch. She said her church works with YWAM. Also Maria and Sandy have not replyed to any of my e-mails.

- Joel Timothy Greene

Beach Today

Today we went to the beach in Indiana. The water was nice. it had to be in the low 70's. Oh, It was Me, My Sister and her friend (Anna Ullrich) who went. We had a lot of fun.

We got there around 11:30am and left 4:30pm. We all got quiet tan.