Ahhh, gotta love summer! - June 30, 2013

Hey there, hi there and hello there to all enjoying the summer fun!  Cannot believe the year is halfway over, where did that time go?  It has been a pretty fun month full of good times at work, visitors, trips and even some relaxation:)

It's that time at the Duck, yup business planning indeed.  Like I told my wife, a good part of my job has become a professional story-teller to help folks see where we're headed and why.  I really think that colleges and universities need to start teaching the art of building a story and how to turn ordinary information into extraordinary.  Speaking of awesome, the whole team started the month giving back at the local foodbank packing over 300 boxes for the community during our quarterly team building/volunteer gathering.  It's always fun to get out in the community, sweat a little and give back outside the walls.  O yes, and fun Fridays took a new look with

The start of the month was wondermous with some great visitors from Iowa.  The Urells, Fishers and even a Bridgewater joined the Klein Hotel for max capacity at 10 people:)  We had fun eating lots of food, hanging out by the pool and chasing the dog around the house with the boys.  Then we ventured over to the water at Myrtle Beach for a family getaway building sand castles, riding on a massive ferris wheel and yes, dressing up like we're in the 20's, Native American's and the Colonial times.  Thanks for the family for making the trip, it was a blast. 

Then, just this weekend we had a visit from our good friends the Demkos.  With just a couple months left before baby Mercedes, Jenny did some great work on a pretty sweet blanket (and yes, she used a plate to measure, hilarious).  We had some nice relaxation, delicious food and fun by the pool with some friends.  Having a weekend sleepover with some great peeps, what a great end to the month indeed!!

Speaking of my wife's mad skills, we found a great use for them in making some Courage Capes for the hospital she works at (http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/tinysuperhero-capes-empower-sick-kids-article-1.1319437) She already found 11 recipients of the capes and next week she's going to start making them for Palmetto's Children Hospital, pretty awesome she is I must say!

O yes, and we visited the Dominican Republic for a fantacular funky wedding for the Funke family:)  Ryan and Melissa had a great wedding on a glorious all-inclusive resort, I think I'm still full.  It was probably the most relaxing time I've been a part of with more sleep than I'm used to, which was great.  We burned up the dance floor, played some sand volleyball, water polo, snorkled and read about 3 books.  Other than that, it was a lot of sleep, sun and fun with some friends, old and new.

All in all, June was a pretty awesome month including lots of words typed for the ol' doctorate, just one more elective before dissertation time:)  July is going to start great with Lincoln's 1st birthday, the 4th of July and a bachelor party in Myrtle for our pal Eddie B ... good times indeed.  Hope you all have them as well.

Always,

Nate

Now that was fun ... May 27, 2013

Hey there, hi there and hello there to one and all.  Wow, what a fun month May has been with a trip back home, a voyage to Kansas City, some time in Columbus and great times in Columbia with Jenny and Lincoln.

We started off the month with a trek back to Iowa where we were met with snow, yes, May + Iowa + Snow = wow!  We had fun getting together with family and friends to catch up and Lincoln enjoyed riding back to see all of his friends.  The purpose of the trip was to celebrate with our friends Adam and Katie on their wedding day where Jenny was in the bridal party and I was able to strap the Go-Pro to my head as the videographer.  Great times at the wedding and Elks Lodge indeed, there was even a sighting of Criss Cross.

The following week I journeyed back to the ol' stompin' grounds in Columbus, GA for a meeting which happened to be during Employee Appreciation Week.  It was fun to catch up with old friends and the team to reminisce about the good ol' days.  My time there was short which brought about the kickoff for our own Aflac Group EAW starting with a trip with friends to Carowinds Amusement Park.  The Swinfords, Bussells, Baumanns and us had a blast riding rides, eating funnel cakes and regretting it all on the ride back home!

That next week was the start of my first EAW at work up in Columbia, which began with a majestic Moustache Monday, and yes, that is my real moustache ... with some help.  Team Up Tuesday brought about the Dutch Disc Golfers ala Jason Swinford followed by our tenure lunch on Thursday and a pretty sweet get-up for Throwback Thursday where our team had an absolute blast!  Who says you can't have fun in the workplace? 

O yes, and Friday brought the finale which included both a solo guitarish performance (Pimento Cheese Remix) and a classic flashmob by about 40-50 folks (Aflac Group Flashmob).  It was truly a special end to an amazing week that showcased how awesome of a company I work for, thank you to the duck and everyone that makes it fly:)

Last week was another great time as I had the good fortune of reconnecting with folks from the Mount and others at Enactus (SIFE) Nationals.  HR invited me to join in the recruiting efforts to help find our next leadership/analyst to rotate throughout the company through the program that I came through.  It was an added bonus that I was able to see the alma mater put together a Top 40 in the nation performance, made me pretty proud I must say.  Then to put a cherry on top, the night before I was able to get together with my best friend Gump, his wife Jenna and new baby Beckett to chat about the good ol' days and realize how old we're getting.  I miss the Flugums I must say, but was glad to see them.

Well, it's time for me to order some pictures to continue to decorate this house ... still have a ways to go, but making some good progress.  Having some fun redoing the backyard too, love the pool and can't wait for some visitors in a couple weeks ... us + 10 at the Klein Hotel, wowzers:)

Until next time, you stay classy planet earth.

Nate

Spring Adventures - April 28, 2013

Hey there, hi there and hello there to one and all.  Hard to believe it's almost been two months here in Columbia, SC ... where has the time gone!?  Happy birthdays are due to Jeff and Michael back in Iowa, hope you had great ones guys, no more emergency rooms Jeff:)  Plus, it's that time of our life when everyone around is either pregnant or having a child, so congrats to my cousin Chad/Kristal for their newest addition, Jered/Angie for their announcement and our pals the Mobley and Parson families for their little girls.  O yeah, and then to the Demkos, Rosengardners and others that have buns in the oven:)
Since the last time I wrote, Jenny started her gig at Palmetto Health-Richland, a massive hospital with some great people.  She's pretty excited almost every day she comes home, happy wife - happy life.  She has found some good work friends, has a great boss and soon will start working three 12s, her dream shift!  That way she can continue on with her woodworking for DemKlein Design (shout out to the Demkos!)

Aflac Group has been a blast too with so very much to do, it balances out with some great people.  Just am filling up the PIC team with some analysts and hiring another half dozen folks for our quality and escalations team, so it's exciting because I love the interviewing process, people are so interesting and funny.  We've had fun during our weekly Fun Friday events, so many characters on the team it keeps me on my toes.  It's been reassuring to have two great ladies leading the teams to allow me to help out in other areas.  As we truck along, I feel like our future state is coming together nicely, so it's good to see change happening, all for the better.  O yes, and I was selected as one of the two finalists for Aflac Group's Got Talent for our Employee Appreciation Week of 8 qualifiers, so come mid-May we'll have a Zac Brown Band Chicken Fried remix to Pimento Cheese, funny times!

As far as the volunteering, just starting to get my feet wet up here in Columbia.  A few weeks ago I got to attend a Young Leader Society event, a combination of United Way and YP.  Tomorrow I'm chatting with the YLS group to see how I can get more involved, so am pretty excited about that indeed:)  I also had the chance to partner with the HR group at Aflac to get a United Way campaign approved, so for the first time, Aflac Group is going to get together for the United Way of the Midlands, pretty exciting indeed!

We've had fun traveling in South Carolina too having been to Charleston and then Easter at Myrtle Beach with Kayla/Alan.  Although the weather was a bit dreary, that didn't stop us from dominating the outlet malls and walking on the bach.  Apparently Lincoln was not a fan of the waves, but we were just warming it up for Eddie's bachelor party over the 4th of July.  Then a couple weeks later we made the trip back to Columbus for a fun Tinkler wedding with the crew, congrats Jack and Alisha and thanks for lettin' us tear up the dance floor.

After that we had some fantacular visitors in mid-April.  Thanks Steph and Dad for helping us have a wondermous weekend.  Had some good time chillaxin' at the house and then having some adventure time up at the National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, NC.  It was so much fun to not only hang out, but go on some amazing adventures amidst the treetops, on the zipline, climbing the rockwall and even going whitewater rafting.  It was a beautiful day topped off with great company, including a visit from Kateri and even getting a bit wet going backwards down the rapids.  I think we found our go-to spot for all visitors interested in an adventure, let us know and we'll be around! Whitewater Video

We continued the adventures this past weekend at the 2nd Annual Benderdinker in Augusta, GA with the Bauman crew.

Welp, it's about that time to get back on some school work.  I took a two month hiatus from Creighton and start back this week.  In the interim, I received my candidacy so I am ready to start this whole diseration.  My topic is going to be: Impact of Servant Leadership Traits on Employee Engagement in Corproate America.  Lots of reading and writing on the horizon, but it's going to be fun.  Hopefully see some folks when we're back in Iowa this weekend for Katie's wedding, another dance floor to bust a move on:)  Until then, have a great day:)

Alwayz,

Nate

The Next Chapter - March 23, 2013

Hey there, hi there and hello there.  Wow, it has been a while and what a start to 2013!  Many happy birthdays and a big congrats to the Flugum Family on their newest addition, baby Gump is awesome!!  Since I last wrote we've had a great Christmas, some fun volunteer activities and o yes, a move to Columbia, South Carolina!
These past holidays were a blast back home.  I think we were able to accomplish 6 Christmas celebrations in 3 days these past holidays, great times with family and friends indeed.  2012 wrapped up pretty amazingly I would have to say, and without further words ... how about a video of the top 10 for '12:) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw9boR06qCc&list=UULoF65i50fEbEkDDXtDK1rA&index=2
Welp, our 2013 started off with a bang indeed that included a visit back home to watch some showchoir and basketball action with the bro, you rock Blake!!  Then, we got word that our time in Columbus, Georgia would be coming to a end.  Jenny, Lincoln and I agreed that an offer to move up to Aflac Group in Columbia, South Carolina would be a great new adventure.  While we're excited about the opportunity, it was touch saying farewell to such a great group of friends at Aflac, St. Francis and everywhere in between in the community.
Aflac started off the year great and thanks to a wondermous team, I was afforded a promotional opportunity to become the new Senior Manager of the Process Innovation & Control team as well as the Quality and Research/Resolution teams.  It was indeed bittersweet to bid adieu to a group of people that have become like family over the last four years.  To make it eve more memorable, they made this epic film that will be a great memento to remember everyone for many a year:) http://vimeo.com/60843526 (password = fantacular)
We joined some great friends up at Aflac Group, including a couple of my good pals Eddie and Jason of whom I tenure with this year during Employee Appreciation Week.  These first few weeks at Group have been amazing, especially being able to meet some really great people. I am so fortunate to have a couple leaders on my team that truly know their business and have made it that much easier for me to get engaged in some fun initiatives.  Speaking of fun, we did some minute to win it game action for our Fun Fridays, work hard play hard!!
Jenny also had to say farewell to her friends at St Francis.  Since she is kind of a big deal, it literally took her two weeks to find a new gig which she is pumped about.  Tomorrow she is starting at Palmetto Hospital here in Columbia, a great organization and great leadership which she is looking forward to.
I closed out the volunteer front down in Columbus with some great events.  First off was the YP kickoff meeting in late January.  Then came the Trivia Bee for the Literacy Alliance, which was an absolute blast and fun time.  Then, the week before we left it was the final Live United Youth Camp farewell.  All of these organizations truly made Jenny and I feel like we had a home away from home.  I hope that the time spent over the last five years giving back will continue to be paid forward by some of the most amazing people I have ever met, so many hours on boards and rolling up sleeves truly made an amazing impact on my life, thank you:)  You have inspired me to continue giving back, so I've gotten engaged with the local United Way and got Aflac to approve a campaign to give back, lots more to come!!
All the cards lined up just perfectly too on the house front.  We came up to visit one weekend and found our dream home, for quite the steal!!  Then, nine days after we put our Columbus home on the market, it was under contract and closed this past week.  We moved in to our new house in Lexington, SC the day we drove up and Jenny has been painting ever since ... which looks amazing, even the Tibetan Orange;)
Since we had been here a whole week, we thought it a good idea that we run a half marathon up in Columbia.  Little did we know how many hills this city had, but it was fun to run with Jenny, Kayla and Chunko a whole 13.1 miles in about 2 hours and 7 minutes.  Then Jenny and I signed up for some indoor soccer action we're starting in a couple weeks, pumped!

O yes, then we had some great visitors come on down from the Bridgewater side.  Becca, Deb and Jeff joined the Klein Hotel for a great week of shopping, eating, purchasing random items and a visit to Charleston.  The trip to the port city was a blast, lots of walking and touring the USS Yorktown made for a memorable excursion.  Thanks Bridgewaters for a fun visit, and to all ... we're always open for friendly faces:)
Welp, we have Myrtle Beach next weekend, a visit to Columbus for a wedding, Jenny with a trip back home and much more excitement in the works.  Life's blessings keep on landing upon us and Lincoln continues to enjoy the finer things in life, like a fenced in backyard!
Always,











Nate

December 16, 2012 - Tis the season

Hey there, hi there and hello there to one and all during this holiday season.  Hard to imagine that the end of 2012 is upon us, so many gatherings and time with family to be had:)  Jenny, Lincoln and I are looking forward to a journey back to the homeland to see family and friends in Iowa.

The Duck is wrapping up a pretty awesome year I must say.  Since the last time I wrote, we had a joyus Bonus Friday ... pretty thankful to say that I work for a company that still is willing and able to give back to our employees a piece of the pie.  Speaking of pie, we also had our 4th Annual Chili Bake Off, a tasty tradition thoroughly enjoyed by all.  This year we had 10 chili entrants and while I was hoping to take home the top pick, a third place finish brought a happy face indeed:)  Additionally, we brought the teams together to gather more than 1,000 pounds of food for Feeding the Valley Food Bank.  Then about a dozen of the team members went and packed 7,200 pounds for local families, it was quite the rewarding experience indeed!  I will tell you, there has been many ups and downs throughout this year, but with new teams, responsibilities and opportunities, it has been the most rewarding year.  Just in the past 3 weeks I've had the chance to coach two more people into promotions and while projects are part of the job, those thank you cards are the most rewarding indeed!

On the volunteer front, we're closing out the year with a bang.  I had a random Santa volunteer gig for the Sonoma Pointe development, 50-75 kids in 70 degree weather was a bit crazy.  We've had some good Literacy Alliance, United Way and YP wrap-up meetings including a great Easter Seals pancake breakfast, always fun to flip some flapjacks.  Last I wrote I told you about which was one of, if not the best volunteer gig I've been a part of ... hope you enjoy the video:) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZuwMT9KfHo&list=UULoF65i50fEbEkDDXtDK1rA&index=1

The Creighton Blue Jay action has been quite intriguing this last course on Catholic Social Teaching.  I really should be writing my final 5 page paper, but I have another day to git ir done I suppose.  After I turn that in tomorrow, I'll be a year done with my doctorate with about another 1.5 to go.  I sure have read, reflected and written a lot over the last year and it's been truly rewarding.

With that being said, I should probably finish laying down the new area rug, folding some clothes and o yeah, writing that paper while Jenny works the night shift.  Lincoln and I have been hanging out and yes, he has taken over the house!  We want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and holiday season ... we can't to see all the family for six Christmases in three days ... yahoo!  Will chat with you after the New Year, hope it's fantacular.

Alwayz, Nate

November 18, 2012 - Happy Thanksgiving

Hey there, hi there and hello there to one and all after one of the best weeks ever, great indeed!  Not only has work been fun and fruitful, but in a week leading up to Thanksgiving, I was able to meet one awesome man and be a part of one of the best events ever ... Time for Art.

This past week at Aflac has been pretty rewarding.  Not only did this week include a payday, it was Aflac's annual bonus day.  I had the opportunity to bring our whole team together to chat and reflect on what it means to work for a company that has never had a layoff and continues to reward their employees' efforts with not only a plush holiday duck, but a bonus ... pretty special if you ask me.  In addition, Aflac announced the 15 or so specialists that won a trip to NYC for the Heisman dinner.  I found out early that one of the specialist on the team won, so I took the whole team to watch the video on a TV in the hallway and video taped her reaction ... it was priceless to see the team's joy and happy tears that she had:)

Had a chance last weekend to go out with the boys to Providence Canyon for a camping trip.  Five of us headed out Saturday afternoon for a walkabout on the trails and a great night camping under the stars with easy mac and hot chocolate, delicious indeed.  In the morning we walked out visiting the canyons and taking in nature, very refreshing indeed.  It's been fun taking the Lincoln out on the trails the last couple of weeks too with his buddy Barkley, he's getting pretty well trained ... still quite the puppy though.  Best thing about Lincoln is that every night when we get home, the level of excitement he has to see us is absolutely amazing and cheers us up no matter the day!

While the bonus at the Duck was great and the hiking was fun, the best thing over the last couple of weeks was our Young Professionals Time for Art event.  It's been about 10 months in the making since the idea was brought to the group and this past Thursday, we had a wondermous event!  Our theme: Bid Time - Give Back - Get Art.  It was an event, first of its kind in the USA (that we could find), that brought in 22 not-for profit agencies for people to connect with and 36 pieces of art that people got to bid on ... instead of their money, they bid their time.  The 165 attendees bid 2,000 hours back to our community which is the equivalent to our event employee one full time person to volunteer over the next year in our community.  Thanks to Jenny and all of the friends for the support to help turn an idea, into reality ... truly amazing!

Welp, about to have a great short week at work and celebrate Thanksgiving with my wife and pooch ... hope everyone is able to remember all they are thankful for, including some tasty food!

Alwayz,
Nate

November 4, 2012 - A time for thanks

Hey there, hi there and hello there.  It has been a wonderfully fantastic month indeed with a birthday, Halloween and a first year anniversary all rolled into a few weeks!  Plus, my sister Steph's birthday is this week too ... you're getting to be an old lady:)
Aflac has been fun over the last couple of weeks, especially as we were able to celebrate Halloween whilst at work with the Avenger crew, hilarious!  Additionally, we had a couple great leadership offsite meetings where we learned more about getting outside of the box, and then we took a trip to the ATL to learn about introspection at the High Museum as well as the competitive nature of our team when we hopped in some go-karts.  Last week I also had the chance to visit some friends up at our Aflac Group office in South Carolina helping to outline some process improvements and help where we can while visiting ol' friends.
The countdown has begun as well for our big Young Professionals event, Time for Art.  Next Thursday, November 15th we'll be at the CSU Corn Center for a creative community and cultural mixer.  A not-for profit agency fair mixed with a silent art auction, the twist, instead of bidding your money, you bid your volunteer time to the local community.  Hopefully we can get a great turnout because it's going to be a fun time! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9II4KohJAw
A week ago today, Jenny and I were in Las Vegas for the best part of the month ... celebrating a year of wondermous wedded goodness!  Holy schnikes, where did that year go eh?!  We had a blast staying at the Luxor, gambling on the Clue machine, eating at buffets and goin gto shows.  We were able to see Criss Angel's illusion spectacle, Zumanity and the best show I've ever seen in my life, Cirque de Soleil's O aquatic masterpiece.  The last day we went to the breathtaking Hoover Dam, unfortunately we didn't get to see Megatron, maybe next time.  So many flashing lights, great company and dressing up like superheroes on the strip made for one memorable celebration of a year, thanks Jenny:)
Welp, off to start another 5 page paper for class, learning about Catholic Social Teaching this semester as well as my practicum, Time for Art ... busy time indeed!  Have a great week.

Nate