Well, it's been a year, let's talk about it (part 1)

Hello,

Failed blogger Dominic Biscarret here with another random outpouring of thoughts about most anything and everything.

Unlike most anything I've ever written, this one actually has a bit of a theme. I'm going to attempt to sum up my feelings on my Puyallup to Portland transfer in addition to the year since it happened. I can't say if this will benefit anyone to read nearly as much as it will benefit me to write it. I kind of feel like I am wired in a fashion to randomly barf out literary ramblings. It helps me sort out how I feel on things. Anyway, let's jump right on in.

I'll start with a brief summary of the events leading up to it. Right about late October, my company offered me a sweet deal involving me transferring from our Kent branch to our Portland branch. Looking at it strictly from a career standpoint, it was a no-brainer. Better career advancement possibilities, was going to be living a bit better, etc. The social aspect was the tough one though. I don't think I grasped how good I had it. Probably still haven't. That's the thing about the present. You never savor it properly as it's going on. It's like you have to get a few miles away from it to see how beatiful it really was.

Anyway, prayed about it, visited Portland, had a basically sleepless night and on November 4th, I walked in and informed management that I was going for it. It was and continues to be a surreal experience. It was like I was watching myself do something very un-Dominic. I think you have to do things like that sometimes. Variety is the spice of life and a bunch of other tired cliches.

From there, I did my best to wrap up my last month+ in Puyallup. Spent time with people I hadn't seen in a while. Spent more time with those I was close with. Did a bunch of things that I had been meaning to do. Drummed a bunch. Drank WAY too much Forza coffee. I called it my "Victory Lap" and I made it worth my while. Had a blast. After a weekend of partying and almost crying about 30 times, I left the area on January 4th, 2009. It was a snowy and thought-heavy evening drive. Hello, Vancouver. Hello, Portland.

Let me back track a few months and set a precedent for how God provides in my life. Back in probably August of 2009, I met a girl named Brooklyn White who had just moved to the Puyallup/Sumner area. Her family moved from Vancouver just north of Portland. I didn't think much of this detail but it ended up being a pretty important one in the grand scheme of things. Anyhow, several months later, I end up saying yes to the transfer and having the following chat with Miss White.

"Um... so... you know that place you came from? Um, yeah, I'm moving there. Got a church you can direct me to?!"

I never claimed that it was eloquent.

Well, Brooklyn came through. In a BIG way. She directed me to Crossroads in Vancouver (www.crossroadschurch.net). My ultimate plan was that I was going to go through a long process of going to a bunch of different churches and then tediously choose one. The moral of the story, as always, is that God has plans that are much different (read smarter and better) than mine.

I was connected with a friend of her's/dynamic hair stylist by the name of Lori Hagelganz. Lori and I are both blessed with a quirky sense of humor so we get along well. She also keeps my thinning hairline looking respectable so that's another bonus. To say she was instrumental in me getting settled in would be a large-scale understatement. She introduced me to most everyone I know. More on that later.

Work in Portland was very different. It's different than starting a brand new job because I knew how to do 99% of the necessary skill set. I just got transplanted in with all new faces. Strange dynamic but I think I took to it pretty quickly. At the risk of sounding cocky, I feel I've done a solid job at the new branch. Then again, I've definitely had my share of screw-up moments. Take the bad with the good, I suppose.

As a preemptive measure, I emailed Jason Ritchie (worship pastor at Crossroads) in mid December letting him know that I was moving down, was a drummer, might be attending, might want to serve, etc., etc. He was EXTREMELY cordial, professional and really was "on the ball" with his communication with me in spite of the fact that I was a drummer that he had never heard play. Any worship pastor/lead singer will tell you that any "sight unseen" drummer is a high risk proposition. I believe it was Dave Groehl that said "a bad drummer will screw up a band faster than any other instrument". True story. Anyway, more on that later.

Okay, let's go ahead and wrap this one up and call it Part 1. The next installment will actually examine what has happened month by month and all that. I'll start on Part 2 immediately and should have it banged out within the next couple hours or so. God bless.

- Dominic