Ray's Place

You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need!

Sites by Ray

Attraction Website Design: I can help get you on the web inexpensively!
Poster Place: Large selection of posters to browse or buy.
Ray's World of Beer Bottles: My collection, along with plenty of photos, links, and humor. Would you like to contribute to the cause?
Marathon Man: Photos and log of my running endeavors. Is it in you?
Arthritis Foundation - Eastern PA Sports Programs: Joints in Motion and Jingle Bell Run info
Attraction Avenue: A fun site dealing with dating and relationships. Check it out! You'll find some good jokes there.
Renaissance Man: FOR LADIES ONLY - My "personal ad" site. No nasty comments please!
Resume Website Center: Low-cost resume website for you!

Want me to build you an attractive site like one of the above? Just hit Contact Webmaster.

For former Matlack employees only, I'll build you an effective Resume Website for just $15.

2002: Work and Play

Matlack Marathon Man

Starting in June, I'm running for the Arthritis Foundation as a member of the Joints in Motion training team.

In late April, my dad had surgery on his left shoulder to ease the pain of arthritis and restore a greater range of motion. That same week, I noticed an article in my community paper, titled "Arthritis Foundation Seeks Marathon Participants". I'm doing it!!!

In return for helping them fundraise, they're setting me up on a training program and sending me to Ireland to run in the Dublin Marathon on October 28, 2002. I invite you to share my experience by doing 3 things:
1. Can you make a TAX DEDUCTIBLE contribution of $20, $50, or more? (You'll be rewarded next April 15).
2. Please pray for me and follow my progress. I'll be updating my website weekly with my physical, financial and emotional condition. I promise to try to make it humorous.
Visit Marathon Man for all the latest or to donate.
3. Pass the site address to your friends.

There are more than 100 forms of arthritis and related diseases. You probably know someone who's affected. Support them by helping me reach my goal!

As of 7/8, I had 17 weeks until the big event. Nine miles is my longest run so far, and I'm up to about 25 on a weekly basis.
Gatorade is now my favorite beverage.

Spring Planting

Work is going fine. Training classes and "Critical Business Periods" sometimes change my schedule, but I usually have long weekends. I've spent considerable time at my parents' place helping plant a forest of Sugar Maples and Red Oak. What else do you do on your days off? We're also preparing to plant some blueberry bushes and a vineyard. This barely gives me time to mow my own lawn!

2001: Transition

Quality, Value, Convenience

Naturally, I had been hitting the internet job sites pretty heavily as unemployment approached, but the Lord was merciful.
I'm was thrilled that after a 3 year job search (and just a few pleasant vacation weeks since my Matlack position ended), a job came through just at the perfect time. I started 9/24 as an Outbound Shift Supervisor with QVC in their jewelry distribution center in West Chester, PA. It is 2 miles from their home office and TV studio, so naturally, I'll be trying to hook up with one of their models or lovely hosts. [Oops, I got side-tracked] The wonderful part is that I will get to continue working 3rd shift. Isn't that great?!

...actually, it is since for the most part, it will be a 4 day week. Tues thru Fri 10pm-8am. It's 45 minutes from my house. I supervise about 20 people who pack the items and try to get them to you ASAP. I'm being hit with an incredible amount of information--procedures, reports, physical locations of everything, too many people to count, policy manuals to read... The floor of the distribution center is controlled chaos, with pieces of jewelry sitting everywhere in large bins, in various states of packaging.
An average day includes about 50,000 items mailed.
One night, one of the ladies asked me to help her untangle 25 multi-strand gold necklaces (at $200 each). I was successful with about half of them, but had to send the rest back downstairs to the professional untanglers.

MILESTONES

Feb - Launched community website www.crossgates.20m.com (It's greeted with widespread apathy.)

Mar - Participated in USS Mauna Kea wardroom reunion with 3 old navy buddies.

Apr - Transplanted spruce and hemlock trees at my parents' place during a beautiful week.

May - Attended my goddaughter Nicole's First Communion and awesome party. DJ, dancing, balloons, great food.

May - Ran an unsuccessful yard sale (but I did sell a few old pillows!).

Aug - My PC crashed and was down for 2 weeks. I even got tech support from my brother at the NYTimes.

Oct - Took advantage of a 5 day weekend to visit my sister in Charlotte. She and the rest of my family are all doing well. [Meanwhile, my parents were river cruising in France!!]

Oct - Put a fresh coat of paint on my shed. It hasn't been a big year for home improvements.

Nov - Ran a personal best distance of 5 miles in my local park.
Next: Boston Marathon?? . . . . . More likely a cold Sam Adams!!!

START YOUR ENGINES!

I attended my first NASCAR race in June at Dover Downs (DE). My brother Ken's girlfriend came up with tickets and he even brought my father down to spend a nice hot weekend.
Best part: I can still hear!

WALK THIS WAY!

Two weeks later, I was in NY for a real party weekend. Friday night, my buddy joined me for the first Mets/Yankees meeting since the Subway Series. Saturday night found me with him and others at Jones Beach, LI to see Aerosmith. Great concert...
Best part: I can still hear!

CA TRIP

My final day at Matlack was August 24. That afternoon, I attended a Matlack happy hour before catching a few hours sleep prior to flying from BWI to San Jose for 10 days of visiting. I did my standard circuit of friends throughout the Bay Area.
Highlights included touring the UC Davis campus, walks at Lake Tahoe and the Yuba River, and driving along the Marin county coastline.