Furloughs, Promotions, 30 & Then Some!

Yes, it has been a while since our last post, so in celebration of my 3rd furlough day since August, I'll give the blogging another try. For those of you who do not know, California is in a financial crisis and it has resulted in 24 furlough days for me and 12 for Mary Beth. This basically means that we take a pay cut but do not have to work. So, it's not all that bad! I was able to play golf yesterday and today instead of heading into the office. Yesterday might have been the last of the summer weather as it was around 100 degrees; today, however, the high was in the mid-70's...absolutely beautiful!

Despite the furloughs, the Barnes' really can't complain. After my boss left for a job at Ole Miss, our AD has given me the chance to oversee the development office. This is a wonderful opportunity that will be great for my professional career. It's amazing how much more I have learned in just the past month and I'm sure this will continue. Mary Beth also received a nice promotion going from part-time to full-time. Her new title is Associate Director of Campus and Registrar and she is now back in a normal routine.

Last month we were able to head back to Kentucky for my sister's wedding. We had a blast and it is always great to catch up with friends and family.

Football season has begun and Fresno State has started off 1-3. Despite this, our losses have come against teams that are 12-0 and all have a legitimate chance to make it to a BCS game. So for what it's worth, we may be the best 3 loss team in the country! I am confident that we will win 8 straight, finish 9-3, and go to a great bowl game. The toughest test may come next weekend at Hawaii. Yes, Mary Beth and I are both going! It will be our first trip there, and we are absolutely looking forward to it.

This weekend should be a pleasant one as Fresno State is off. We are going to a wedding Saturday afternoon and will be hanging out around the house watching lots of college football that morning and evening.

We hope to get back to Kentucky for Thanksgiving and down to the Gulf Coast over the holidays. Will somebody please talk with the airlines and get the flights down to about half the current cost?! It costs about $600 per ticket right now! That doesn't mean that you can't come out here for about half that price! It's amazing how they take advantage of holiday weekends; but, that's the nature of supply and demand.

To close, for those of you who didn't know I just hit the big 3-0. I guess it's not all that bad!

Until next time!

Coleman