So This Is Iowa

And so it begins. I am now in Cedar Falls, Iowa to begin my sales training for Banker's Life Insurance and Casualty. I don't really know what to expect, but I have to admit that I am excited. But right now, I'm just looking forward to a good nights sleep. The motel that the company put us up at is pretty nice. It's light on the frills, but they provide free wireless internet. More importantly, I'm not paying for it.

Back and Going Again

I passed my licensing exam last Wednesday and the very same day made my way down to St. Louis to enjoy Thanksgiving with my folks and the family. Much to my chagin, I drove right into the teeth of a wicked snowstorm that had me PARKED on the 39-55 interchange outside of Bloomington for nearly two hours. The rest of the way down was just as slowgoing until I reached Springfield. All in all, it took me 12 hours to reach my destination when it should normally only take me half as long. Thank God for front wheel drive!

But despite all the trouble it took me to get there, I'm glad that I was able to spend that time with my folks. I know this is a cliche, (but it's a cliche for a good reason) I didn't realize how much I really missed them until I got to spend time with them again. Watching football and war movies with the old man is always fun, and you can't beat homecooking despite what all the restaurant advertisers may tell you.

I wish I could have stayed longer, but I had to come back to the home office in Milwaukee to fill out some paperwork before I head for sales training in Cedar Falls, IA. Wow! Another five hours on the freeway. Plus there is another snowstorm headed in that direction. Not exactly a thought I am relishing, but it's gotta be done.

Time to Go

Tomorrow is my Wisconsin Insurance Licensing Exam. Everybody wish me luck. But more importantly, I'm going to go home and visit my parents for Thanksgiving! I can almost taste that turkey right now. Plus I'm looking forward to seeing all my relatives, including the two new additions to the clan.

I only wish that I could stay longer. I have to be back into town on Monday before Bankers sends me to Iowa for sales training. I'll be gone Tuesday through Friday, but I'll be back in time for happy hour.

I tell ya, it feels good to have my productivity wheels spinning again.

I Like Purple

Last weekend I earned my purple sash and I'm still feeling the effects today. My legs burn. My joints are on fire. But I still feel pretty damn good about it. In addition to the higher rank, I also receive larger amounts of responsibility including teaching the younger students, maintaining the kuen, and serving as sgt. at arms during exams. The coolest thing, however, is receiving my very own key to the school. That's going to be a real boon considering the weird schedule that I might have to keep once my insurance training comes to an end.

Speaking of which, my certification exam is a week from Wednesday. Yeah, it's the day before Thanksgiving, but at least it's early in the morning. That way, I can take off directly from the exam if I wish. As it stands, that's exactly what I'm thinking. It will be really nice to spend some time at home. I miss all of them.

More Work to be Done

I just finished taking a practice insurance license examination on my computer. A passing grade is a 70 percent and I scored a 58. The test is a little over two weeks away, so I have time to bone up and improve my scores. At least now I have an idea of what areas I need to focus my studies on now. Yeah, with a score of 58, all of them would be a fair answer. :)

Ronin No More

Well. I guess that says it all. I am now training to be an insurance agent for Bankers Life and Casualty. I'm studying for my certification test which I will take before Thanksgiving. Then it's home for some turkey and then off to Iowa for a week for sales and product training.

Thank you to all the people that stood by and supported me on my quest for employment. You are all very much appreciated.

Anybody want to buy some health insurance? ;)

Four More Years

For good or for ill, President George W. Bush is our president for the next 4 years. Let's all hope that these next four are better than his first.

Al in Three Parts

1. The Martial Arts Tournament in Appleton kicked totally ass! Our team reigned supreme as we took over twelve trophies home including a complete sweep of the Adult Men's Forms competition. I was plesantly surprised with my own performance as I placed first in forms, and second in both breaking and sparring in my divsion. Even more impressive was the show of skill and sportsmanship from all the competitors. I made a few new aquaintances there and I look forward to competiting with them again next tournament.

2. The job seach is moving forward. I got a call back from Banker's Life Insurance and they want to bring me in for a second interview. While this is promising, I can't lie to myself and say that a sales position is what I wanted. Then again, I don't want to live off my families charity for very much longer. I can remember my first sales job and how disasterouly that ended for me. Well, at least this isn't door to door, and everyone needs insurance, right?

3. Go out and vote people. 'Nuff said!