Just another Manic Monday. Now that the clock is ticking on my employment, every moment seems to carry extra weight. I mentioned in my last blog that God was attempting to get my attention and, for the record, I just want to acknowledge that I'm listening, Lord.

Last Monday was one of the most awesome days that I've had in many years both professionally and personally. My goal that day was to call ALL of my agents and let them know personally that the company had decided to pull the plug on our program and that we would be bleeding off their business over the next year or so. Given that, my employment as a marketing voice for the company was no longer needed and ergo, effective June 1st, that I would be toast. My secondary goal in making those calls was to network with my customers and see what the market would hold for finding a job. Well, my first goal was not met and only because my secondary goal was such a huge success. I had several of my agents that made calls on my behalf, send e-mails, even one that had a Vice President call me to inquire about my interest in his company. I realized what a tremendous group of professionals I work with and how firm the relationships that I've established really are.

My only concern with the amount of success that I had was in giving God his due. My success in networking and talking to people about job possibilities was all choreographed by God and not at all about me. Those of you who know me, probably know that one of my biggest sins is ego and self worth. One of the hardest things for me in my walk with Christ is moving over to the passenger seat and letting God take the wheel. He has had to break me a couple of times and, like a little kid who keeps burning his hand on the oven door, I'm finally beginning to get it.

My best call and the one that I am holding out hope for, was a cold call that I made to one of my competitors. UCA General is a Managing General Agency that has the pen for a company called Sirius, which is located in New York and has an A+ XV rating with Best's. It is one of the most financially sound insurance companies that you have never heard of. Their CEO is Lin Lan, a Chinese lady that runs her empire with an iron will and a strong hand. I had met Lin about four years ago at a golf tournament. One of my coworkers at Republic Western had left to join UCA and she wanted to introduce me to Lin. I met up with them after the round in the bar and Sharon introduced us. I was the Underwriting Manager of the company at the time and Lin had heard about me. She told me I was paying the agents too much. She invited me to join them for dinner, but I was entertaining some local agents and had to get back. As I was leaving Lin called after me and said, "Ken, if you ever want to go to work for a good company, call me." I smiled and began to walk away when my smartass streak got the best of me and I called back to her, "Lin, do you have an in at the Fireman's Fund or something?" She looked at me strangely and then broke into a smile and said, "Oh, you a funny man."

I didn't remind Lin of our first meeting in my call, but told her that I was calling her as a courtesy and let her know about Republic Western's decision to exit the commercial lines business. We chatted for awhile and she finally asked me the question I was waiting for which was what I planned to do in the future. I told her I was looking and had several leads. She asked if I'd ever consider working for her. I said yes, but that she had a good man in Bill Tolbert. She shocked me by letting me know that Bill had retired the year before and that she had NO ONE in the Sacramento area. She further had a drastic need for marketing help with the Gilroy office and how I felt about marketing. I told her that I had NO problem with marketing, in fact I'd cold called her. She will be in Sacramento next Tuesday and we will meet to discuss the potential of me hiring on to rebuild the Sacramento territory for her and being her designated Marketing Manager for the Gilroy branch. The position would not pay me what I'm making now, but would come with a car and I would continue to work out of the house. I'm very hopeful and anxious to speak with Lin. I just need to remember that God is in control, not me. Pray for me, please.

I have two other interviews set up this week, one with a wholesaler of surplus lines insurance products. They are located in Sacramento and have an excellent reputation. The other is with another wholesaler, who is located in Turlock and would want me to work out of my house.

I did play golf on Saturday at Cherry Island golf course and shot a 42-40=82 and took the skin money and overall bets. I played with Mark Konrad, who shot 86 and Bjorn, who shot 93. Mark and his family then joined us at our house for pizza and the King's game.

I wanted to share a joke that was in the sermon at church this week. An atheist and a Christian were talking and the atheist complained to the Christian, that Christians get national holidays in Easter and Christmas and how unfair that was. The Christian looked at the atheist and suggested that he celebrate April 1st.

That's it for now. Keep me in your daily prayers and God Bless each of you.

Ken

Why is it that when life seems so replete with joy and contentment, that reality has to rear its head and bite you in the face? I sat through a teleconference on Friday with my staff and my boss and we were, ironically on Good Friday, hung on sacrificial crosses and sacrificed to the God of profits and corporate greed. The management of my company has been caught with their hands in the cookie jar and they may face bankruptcy. In the meantime, they are closing underperforming divisions, which includes my program. I had said recently to my Dad that things were going almost too well. Well, not anymore.

My boss did give me six weeks of continued employment and then a paltry severance which includes some company stock that will be about worthless by the time I get it. The CEO and his family have apparently been playing fast and loose with some company assets and a large refinancing package is in jeopardy because of it. Job One for me now is to find a new job. There is a job fair tomorrow and I am spending countless hours on the phone networking with my local agents letting them know what is going on and seeing what might be available out there. I felt for Darryl when CF closed down and thought that I empathized with him. Now I truly do.

It's a damn shame as we were really turning the underwriting around and were starting to pull in some significant profits as a company. I'm not consumed with bitterness or anger and my energies are all going into finding a new job and getting into some serious networking with my agents and insurance contacts. I already have a number of leads and I'll spend tomorrow at an all day Career Expo. I have to get back into interviewing shape, remembering that I'm on the other side of the desk now, being interviewed rather than doing the interviewing. I'll keep you all posted on how I'm doing. As for now, I have to get at it.

Do me a huge favor and PRAY for me. God is getting my attention again and I know that all will work out for the best, because God is in Control of my life and God will provide. Thanks.

April 14, 2003 would have been my Mom's 66th birthday. She passed away in August of 1999 and to this day, hardly a day goes by in my life when I don't think of Mom or miss Mom or both. She was a very special lady with a heart of gold and a way about her that both put you at ease and put a smile on your face. In honor of Mom's birthday, I'd like to offer the eulogy that I presented at her funeral on August 16, 1999 as a testimony:

"My name is Ken Lyon and on behalf of the Lyon family, my Dad, Art, my brothers, Darryl and Randy, their wives, and my wife and myself, thank you for taking time out of your lives to help honor the life of my Mom today.

I stood in front of a group similar to this last December and helped my father eulogize his Mom, my grandmother. She was 87 years old and there was something right about celebrating the life of someone who lived a long and prosperous life. Today is much harder for me. I wasn't prepared to say goodbye to my Mom. This is a memorial service for a wonderful lady who was taken from us MUCH TOO SOON! It isn't fair!

That is my rant today, but, that said, Mom was a Christian and she did have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, so it's not all doom and gloom. She is in a better place in heaven and I envy her that. The gloom is simply that as a son and as a man, I wasn't done with her before Jesus called her home. I live in California and the last time that I saw my Mom was when my daughter, Jennifer, my wife, Darla, and I drove out to Texas 4 weeks ago. I wanted to wait, I wanted to see her up in Canada or in Las Vegas, but it wasn't to be. My brother, Randy, called me and said, 'Ken, she's dying, get out here right now!' The cancer that invaded her body took hold of her and it was like falling down a flight of stairs, there was no stopping it.That was a tough trip for me. I knew that I was coming to Texas to say a final farewell to the woman who gave me life, who raised me, who became my model of womanhood. She taught me how to be a parent and modelled for me what it was to be a wife. On that day that I dreaded, when I leaned over her and kissed her for the last time, I told her that I loved her, that I knew that she was trying to get well, but that if she saw Jesus before I did, to put in a good word for me because, God knows, I need it.

During my entire childhood and young adulthood, Mom was a stay-at-home Mom. She was there to clean my wounds and heal me with a hug and a freshly baked cookie. When you have a stay-at-home Mom, she becomes your best friend and the most reliable thing in your life. Mom married YOUNG. I know that because I have an eighteen year old daughter and that is the age that Mom got married. Jennifer is young! Having a mother who is only 20 years older than you is pretty cool. She had the energy to keep up with her three sons and the youth to enjoy life. I remember when I first took up the game of golf and I have had a thirty-year love for the game. I was 12 years old when I first took golf lessons. One day my Mom decided to come out to the course and play with me. We played over at a golf course off Royal Lane in Dallas...I don't remember the name of the course. Mom was 32 years old and she showed up wearing short white shorts and red top. She was looking GOOD. I remember that it was the first time that I had seen my Mom through someone else's eyes. She got a load of attention out at the course and I remember feeling an odd mixture of embarassment, anger at the guys leering at her, but also a justifiable amount of pride. She was some lady!

All of you knew Mom and if you were ever going to a party and it was crowded and you wanted to find her, all you had to do was follow the laughter. When Dad talked about his Mom in December, he talked about her quiet dignity. With my Mom, it was LOUD, in-your-face, life-of-the-party FUN. She didn't melt into a crowd, she drew a crowd. She was the light of this family. She was surrounded by four fairly introverted, moody men and she was our glimpse into how the other half lived. She will be missed.

Mom was the type of person who never had acquaintances in her life. She did initially, but by the time she had met someone once or twice, she was their friend, whether it was the checker at the grocery store or a clerk at her favorite fast food restaurant. She would laugh and kid with them and they would remember her, but more than that, she would remember them and make them feel special. She was one of those rare people who make life better because she was a part of your life.

I envied my brothers for living so close to Mom. If you were ever in the dumps and needed a change in attitude, all it took was a visit with Mom and you'd leave with a smile on your face and a bounce in your step. Your problems were still there, the only thing that changed was your perspective. She will be missed.

I asked Dad for any input on my eulogy, if there was anything that he wanted me to share about Mom and he did mention one thing. You recall at the beginning of my remarks that I said, 'She was taken too young and it just isn't fair?' Well, that was my complaint, not hers. During Mom's entire ordeal and battle with cancer, she never once complained or said, 'Why me?' Her only concern was for her family. She was concerned that she was ill and that Dad had to clean the house, do the laundry, make meals, make the bed, do the dishes and tend to her. She was concerned that she was pulling Darryl and Randy from their families and that I had to make an emergency trip from California to see her. She didn't cry for herself, she cried for us. This is an example of the selfless beauty that she was. Rest well, Mom. I love you and I am going to miss you."

Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Others leave footprints on our hearts and we are never, ever the same.

I'm finally back to update this blog. It has been a busy week as Darla and I were in Vegas this past weekend and at the Home Opener for the SF Giants at scenic Pac Bell Park on Monday. I was at work yesterday, but my boss has this silly rule about actually working during the work week, so I acquiesced and spent yesterday getting caught up after being gone the prior two-and-a-half work days.

The trip to Vegas was relaxing in spite of limited sleep and an abundance of over-stimulation for the three-and-a-half days that we spent in Sin City. The weather was oddly cool and we spent no time at the pool. The trip started out in a nerve-wracking fashion as Dad and Shirley were nowhere to be found when our plane touched down. I had checked in with Dad in the morning and they were packing the car and planned to get on the road within a half-hour. The plan was that they would check-in to both condos and have our keys ready when they picked us up at the airport at 5:45 pm. We were right on time and went to pick up our luggage at the baggage claim. Dad was not in evidence and I assumed he was with the car and planned to pick us up at the curb. We waited and waited at the pick up area and no Dad. I tried calling his room and not only had he not checked in at the Polo Towers, but the doofus at the desk couldn't find his reservation. It was odd, simply because Dad prides himself on being prompt and on time. I was worried, but found our reservation intact at the Jockey Club. We waited an hour in case they had the time wrong and finally and reluctantly headed to the que lining up for cabs. We cabbed over to the Jockey and got checked in. Darla was finally able to rouse someone with a modicum of intelligence at Polo Towers and they located Dad's reservation. He had NOT checked in and there was no message. We left a message with our cell phone number and that we were going to dinner.

I tried not to worry, but scenarios were running through my head. Why hadn't he left a message at our hotel and if something happened, why hadn't he paged us at the airport? We walked over to New York, New York and had dinner and finally at 8:30 Dad called on the cell. They had just arrived in Vegas and checked-in. Dad had fallen deathly ill on the trip and ended up in the hospital on IV and they had run numerous tests, including a cat scan. He had been bent over in pain and after five hours in the hospital, the pain had subsided and they released him. The doctor surmised that he might have had a pinched bowel or intestine and the pinched area had unblocked itself. He was tired and had been ill several times over the course of the day and wanted to just rest up. We told him, we'd meet up with him in the morning and to get some sleep. It turns out that they HAD tried to page us at both Sacramento and Vegas and we hadn't heard the pages.

Friday, Dad was his old self with no lingering effects from his ordeal. We went out to get some groceries and then lunch on the strip. We also went over and saw the Antique Car Show at the Imperial Palace. I had tickets for the Catch a Rising Star comedy club at ten that night and we headed back to our rooms about four-thirty to rest and planned to meet for hors de ouevres and cocktails at Dad's condo at six. We then went to Smith and Wollensky's steak house for dinner. S&W is famous for their dry cured steaks and chops. The restaurant had several bachelor parties and other large parties and it was crowded and LOUD. We thoroughly enjoyed our meals, but all questioned whether we would go back. The acoustics were terrible and it was rather pricey, with steaks running about $40 and everything a la carte. The bill for the four of us was close to $200 and Darla and I (dieting) had shared a New York steak and didn't have wine or cocktails.

We went to the comedy club at Excalibur and laughed till our sides hurt. The show was hilarious with two headliners and a musical comedian to warm up the crowd that was very polished and entertaining. We then wandered to the boardwalk and gambled until three a.m.

Dad talked us into sitting through a partial time share presentation at Polo on Saturday and we got tickets to a variety show at the Venetian that night. The show was at six p.m. and was tremendously entertaining with jugglers, magicians, Chinese acrobats, a comedy singer, singers and a daredevil act that worked on ropes above the crowd. We were in the balcony and happy to not have the duo flying over our heads. We went from the show to a wonderful dinner at the Venetian's Grand Lux cafe. The restaurant is run by the Cheesecake Factory chain and it was excellent. We went from there over to Madam Tussaud's wax museum and enjoyed seeing all of the stars and sports celebrities images in wax. It is always amazing and each replica costs about $70,000. There were well over 100 including John Wayne, Mel Gibson, JFK and Princess Diana. There was also a Vegas wing with Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr, Liberace and the like. It was a great time with Dad and Shirley.

We flew home on Sunday oddly relaxed and tired. We had been on the go for three days and still had the Giants game on Monday. Both Darla and I fell asleep on the couch at home Sunday night by eight thirty. We were exhausted.

San Francisco was great on Monday. Their ace, Jason Schmidt, was on the mound and the temperatures were in the high sixties. Both Darla and I got a little sunburned as we sat for four hours in the blazing sun and watched our team go to 7-0 on the year by hitting five home runs and beating San Diego 7-4. We saw NO war protestors as I had seen none the week before when I had to see agents in SF. The weather was rainy and the war protestors are adamantly opposed to the war as long as the weather is good. If it's raining, somehow their ardor for protesting wains. It's hard to take a group seriously when they stay indoors if the weather turns nasty. Thank God our soldiers will fight in any conditions.

I am thrilled to be home and back to my hot tub. I have really become a spa addict and miss the hot soak on trips away from home. Darla and I are in the spa nightly year round and it really helps loosen my sore muscles and aids in sleep.

Darla and I continue on our diets and in spite of the temptation in Vegas, we have both lost seven pounds to date and I'm down 11 from my high of 204 pounds in December. My goal is 175 pounds, but to get back in the 180's would be great. Darla is on the Atkins diet where she can eat any protein, but has to avoid carbohydrates and can't eat breads, pasta, fruit, caffeine, sugars, milk, starches, etc. She can eat meat, eggs, nuts, cheese, poultry, etc. She eats a big breakfast with eggs and bacon. My diet is Slim Fast, where I eat a shake for lunch. My shake includes fruit (peaches, strawberries, bananas, pineapple or raspberries) and frozen yogurt. It is not on the diet, but I have to be able to gag down the shake for lunch. I've cut out sweets and eat fruit in its place. So far the conflicting diets are working for both of us. I like the Atkins Diet, but I have high cholesterol and all of the bacon and eggs can't be good for me, so I'll stick with Slim Fast.

I hope all is well with all of you. I enjoyed the video images today of the statue of Hussein being pulled down in Baghdad square and then the Iraqis dragging the head of the statue through town. Perhaps this war will be over sooner than later.