Update
Monday, November 09, 2009
It’s been a month since my last blog entry. I wish I had more to write, but I have been busy with school. Seems like I spend most of my time reading for my courses, both from my text books and other required resources, add to that conducting research for article reviews and issues papers. Grad school is more time consuming then I anticipated. I have also been trying to review for an ASE (Automotive Service Excellences) recertification exam this coming week. I have to re-certify in automotive electrical systems. My exam is this Thursday Nov. 12, 2009. I am glad it’s only one exam this time. I have to recertify every five years and technology changes so fast; I cannot keep up with new electronic components. I have been studying and learning on how to become a better teacher for the last few years and I have not been in an automotive shop or related environment. When I was teaching at the college, I had the opportunity to stay up to date. These next few days will be spent trying to balance my courses assigned reading and review of auto electrical systems for my exam.
Update on my workouts and tennis:
My workout schedule for October was briefly interrupted by a few distractions and weather the first part of the month. I did get to ride my bicycle two times in October to Clint and back, (that’s a six mile ride round trip), and I also worked on my serve (tennis) practiced at Clint High School. I did make all my tennis classes on Saturdays so that helps. This week was the last class and the coach let up play a singles match. I lost the first set 6-2, the seconded set was called due to time, but the score was 3-2 l had two games won. I did well, but my opponent is a better player at the net and has better ball control. He knows a have a week back-hand and he used that against me. However, I do have to say that I played him hard and he had to earn those points. We played long sets with multiple duce and match point breaks. I need to find a tennis partner to practice with and help me with my game, I still have to keep working on my serve, I have multiple double faults, and that did not help me, because that how I lost most my games.
Other updates:
I am continuing to work hard on connecting with family. I am a family reunion committee member for both sides of my families. My Dad’s (Cantu) and my mom (Soto), this also involves time and endless amounts of e-mails and a few phone calls. I am thankful to have found Facebook, because it makes it easier to reconnect with family. I still administrator of a Family web page for the Cantu Family and have suggested the idea for a family web page for the Soto Family. I hope to get a replay this coming weekend at the next Soto Family reunion meeting. I just keep adding more things and projects to my plate, keeping me busy all the time. I need to go back and organize myself and work on my time management skills. This is funny because I have told some of my students that that time management is the most important thing to master to be successful in school and in life. Now I find myself having to use these skills myself.
A quick note, this last month I lost another friend to Domestic Violence. My friend Salina Gomez was apparently killed by her boyfriend in Arizona. I still do not have all the details, all I know is that a got a text message one morning and I am still in disbelieve and shook. At first I did not recognize the phone number the text was sent form and with the state of shook, well you can say that did not help. Took me a few hours to figure out who sent the message. After that I received a few more text messages, but no calls from anyone who could explain what had happened. She leaves behind three kids, I know they will be ok, because I know her ex-husband Mike will make sure they are well taken care off. Salina was part of the Dance group (Danza Pavoreal). In fact she was often my partner dancing across from me. (That's her in the back across me the girl with the choker, infront on the guy siting down in blue.) I use to see her when she worked at the sub-way at EPCC for a couple of years, she would take a break just so we could talk. Words can express how I feel about her death, perhaps it’s not easy because I still am not able to find peace, and it’s mostly because I don’t know what happened. When she divorced Mike and move to Arizona we did not stay in touch. She was not here in August for the Fiesta de San Lorenzo, her kids were here with their grandmother and Mike picked them up, as they needed to get back to Arizona because the school year was starting.
Well I guess this will all for now, until I can find the time to write down a few more thought and maybe get some more photos to share.
Laterdays
David S. Cantu
