All Moved

Sorry I haven't been blogging lately. We moved across town on Friday and Saturday. Instead of a 2 bed one bath with a tiny back yard in a marginal neighborhood for 550, now we live in a 3/1 with a huge yard only three blocks from ACU for 500. I finally live in a house consistent with my self image again.

Thanks to those who helped us move, specifically Mom and Dad and Barry and Elaine, Jason Pittinger and David Sessions, and Mark Aldreidge for the use of the trailer.

I start school again tomorrow after a 3 month lay off. Church history is interesting to me, but I don't know how interesting it will be at 8 a.m. every Tuesday. This weekend I have my first installment of the weekend class, coinciding exactly with the opening weekend of dove season. Incidentally, the second weekend of the class is opening weekend of bow season. Silly academics.

Because of the move, the promotion, and all that, I haven't been posting on my religious blog much either, but if there's still any one out there who wants the link, just e-mail me and I'll send it to you.

Fishing Pics

Here are a couple of pics from the previously mentioned crappie fishing trip.

First, here are ten of the bigger ones, plus a bucket full, and there are still more in the livewell.

Second, here's me and Mark in the picture, just so Jason P. won't say I took a picture of someone else's fish off of the internet.

I guess that's it for now. We're moving across town in two days. Today is the sixth of seven days that I have to work in a row. Next week I start class on Tuesday, and I have my first installment of weekend class next Thursday through Saturday. Looks like no more fishing for Mr. Fry for a while.

Mr. Fry does right by Mr. Crappie

It just wouldn't be Jason Fry's blog without a fishing report :)

I went out this morning with Mark Aldreidge, the guy who teaches our Sunday school class. He was in ministry for 20 years, and also got dumped on his head. Now he's a builder. Anyway, we chased a few hybrids early and caught one, although it wasn't big enough. We also managed about 7 or 8 black bass in the same area, all short. The plan was to hit the hybrids early and then crappie fish.

The first tree we stopped at was one I had never fished before. I had 3 fish in the boat by the time Mark got his stuff tied on. (I cheated, as I had mine all tied on already). I accidently let the boat bump the tree after the fourth fish, so we went to another tree about 100 yards away. In the next hour, we caught 28 keepers including several that were about as big as crappie get. We left that spot at about 8:30. We hit four or five more spots, ending at the place where Trey and I caught some last week. We pulled ten more from there. In all, we ended up with 42 or 43. We might could have finished out our limits, but we wanted to get home before lunch time. I might have had a few more than my limit, and Mark a few less than his, but it was a great time. I don't think I've ever had that many crappie in one mess, or caught so many so fast as that first hour on the second tree. I've caught a limit a half a dozen times, and in the teens another dozen, but this was crazy, and they were mostly 12 inches or more, plus four or five in the 14" range.

We stopped by the bait shop and had our picture taken with several of the big ones, and Mark also took some pics on his digicam once we got back to the house. I'll post one after he e-mails me.

Tight lines,
Jason

Academy does right by Mr. Fry

In an email that I still have saved, Stan White told me a secret. He said that to make it in retail, all you have to do is what you're supposed to, and then a little more. Consistent effort beyond the job description was his advice to me as I entered the retail world.

It worked. After months and months of wondering when and if anything was ever going to happen, it finally did. Tuesday, the district manager came to our store. We had a meeting, and I got promoted! I'm officially a "manager in training" now, a process that they said would take 4 months (probably meaning six), after which I will be a "real" manager.

The best news for those who have been watching my family from afar is that this new title comes with a salary. Overnight I suddenly doubled my income. Now twice not much is still not alot, but it's also still twice as much, and finally enough to live on. Not only did I get a great raise, they backdated it to August 6.

And so all is well in our house. The kids are well, the marriage is well, and finally the bank is well.

Thanks to all who have been praying for our family.
Jason

8 1/4%

Yesterday ended the three day "Tax Free Weekend." This title is a bit of a misnomer, as only certain items are tax free, particularly school clothes and shoes. Among the oddities, football jerseys are tax free, football pants are not. Fishing hats and vests are tax free, but backpacks and watches are not. Tennis shoes are tax free, but football cleats are not.

In retail, tax free weekend means a mad rush of customers, many of whom aren't familiar with the oddities. It means good revenue, and lots of hard work. Every single Academy employee (96, I think) was scheduled for an eight hour shift Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We were all pretty tired by the end, but we made our sales goals on Friday and Saturday, and missed Sunday by less than 2%.

I haven't updated since my interview... Out of the six candidates that were there, I came in first. The district manager is supposed to come to our store some time this week and talk to me, presumably to make me some kind of offer. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Jason