December Birthdays

Mornings in Santa Barbara from now until the middle of Spring are some of the best. The skies are blue, and most often without any clouds. The air is crisp, and refreshing. The sun, as it rises above the mountains and over the Channel, turns everything a wonderful golden hue...

I just wanted to mention that.

Without further ado, as we always do here on The Herd at the beginning of a new month, here are the birthdays for the month of December:

• Tyvador 'Ty' Hernandez, December 6

• Johnny Hernandez, December 11

• Trina Garcia, December 29
  

• Matthew 'Matt' Hernandez, December 29

As usual, I know there are more out there. But I haven't gotten feedback on the totality of birthdays yet, so this is all I have. Wish these folks a Happy Birthday-- remember, December folks usually lose out to Christmas, so it's a nice thing to go out of your way to wish them well!

How Lucky Are We

I was reminded by a comment Salene left in the 'Update on Ronny' post. She said:

"we are the luckiest family i know. very fortunate and protected."

That statement is, pardon the pun, dead-on.

We are truly the most fortunate family I know. There are over 100 of us, and we defy the percentages that say we should have been hit with tragedy at least dozens of times. The population of California, the US, and the world sees heartache more than we do-- by far.

Though we have lost loved ones, they left us with indelible marks of love, respect, and an assurance in their goodness. By whatever means-- Gramma Connie's prayers and God's protection, knowledge to take caution and care, or by pure chance and happenstance-- we have been proven fortunate.

Just in case you needed a story to accompany this, here's a little tidbit on one of us who happens to walk in the shadow of angels...

• Ronny is more lucky than we realize.

• When he was an adult for nary a couple years, he drove to work at 3am from Lompoc to the UPS center in Goleta. One morning, Ronny, tired from the odd hours, dozed off and fell asleep at the wheel. Word is he woke up on a stretcher, after his car overturned, and with Ronny thrown from the car.

• A few years later, when Ronny was working for a tree-trimming company, a bad combination of chain-saws, branches, and height caused him to fall. As his brother Matt tells it, he fell from the tree, onto the roof of the house. And then from the roof of the two-story house onto the ground below.

• As we know, Ronny was stabbed three times in an unprovoked attack just a few weeks ago.

• After all this, he is otherwise healthy. No lost limbs, he walks, and there's not much left besides a few scars to serve as a reminder.

I'd say we're lucky. And some of us are more luck than others.

Matt Goes Driving

Matt Hernandez, who has worked for UPS for 3-and-a-half years, has been biding his time at Big Brown.

A year ago, during what is know as Peak Season at UPS (which is essentially the period of November 1st through Christmas Eve), Matt had the fortune to be teamed as a Driver Helper with one of the better Drivers in the Santa Barbara Center.

The Driver, by the name of Tony Jamison, who was also the Co-Chair for the Safety Committee for the 65 Drivers in the Center, was able to help bring out Matt’s natural born talents. He was able to teach Matt all about the DIAD device, about the techniques and processes Matt would need to use as a Driver, and Tony gave Matt some of the best lessons in Driver Safety.

Last week, Matt was assigned to Service Provider Training School, the week-long program where UPS teaches its employees how to become professionals. This is not required—Matt had to volunteer when the offer was presented to him.

Matt passed the class. But he did more than that. He set the bar, scoring in the 90s on all examinations, and was cited as the example for excellence in the class.

Within 3-5 years, Matt will be able to take up a full-time Driver position. Currently, the top rate for Drivers is in the neighborhood of $28 an hour, with full Medical, Dental and Vision benefits, 401k retirement program, Teamster Pension, and no less than 30 days of paid time off per year.

Congratulations, Matt. We’re tipping our hats to you.

What Can Brown Do For Us?

The question asked in the poll was how many cousins have worked for UPS. Though there were only 3 votes, you can see where the thinking is. Most people can name a few, but not more than a half-dozen people. Whether the experiences are good, bad, or just a blip on the resume, UPS has employed far too many of our family members.... just kidding.

So here's how the voting came up:

2 people think that 4-6 cousins have worked for UPS

1 person thinks that 7-9 cousins have worked for UPS


And here is the list I have... 9 cousins in all:

- Renee Jaimes: Counter/Office Clerk (still with UPS)

- Lizzy Cook: Counter Clerk (separation due to injury)

- Trina Garcia: Data Clerk (still with UPS)

- Ronny Hernandez: AM Handler (voluntary separation)

- David Esparza: Supervisor (voluntary separation)

- Matt Hernandez: Data Clerk (still with UPS)

- Robert 'Bosco' Cook: PM Handler (voluntary separation)

- Ray Aspuria: Package Driver (cousins by marriage are still cousins; still with UPS)

- Chris Jaimes: Feeder Driver (cousins by marriage are still cousins; still with UPS)


So that's 9 I have. Not to mention all those other people we're related to, and those people who the family knows from way back when. And those we're connected to for weird reasons: like how Dolly dated a guy who's dad dated Gramma Connie, and both guys are related to a guy who works for UPS.

Either our family is too big, or this town is too small. Because this shows that you can't even get a job without bumping into someone you're related to.

Congrats to the person who voted in the '7-9 Cousins' option.