To start off with in mid-November a new niece was added to the family. My brother, Jay, and his wife, Joyce, welcomed Brynlee Jay Canning to the family and she has been nothing but pure fun to be around. Filled with the piss and vinegar that we Cannings are notoriously known for, this little girl has stolen my heart.
The new year brought some new challenges as Qwest was formally bought out by CenturyTel and the company has wasted no time in shaking up the organization. The director of my division was moved to another position and fresh blood was brought in to try and revitalize the Operator and Information Services department. This is really nothing but good news for me as I sit as one of the, if not the, most educated individuals in the department and have been stonewalled for years.
This year also brought some tragedy into my life as my grandmother died. Florence Uwarda Trimble Canning died in late February from a stroke. While it was hard to deal with the loss of Grandma, it is comforting to know that she is now in a better place, with many of the people she loves. I have to say it was hard seeing my Grandma, a woman so strong and so active for so many years basically wither away to nothing in a matter of months.
On a much lighter note I heard some great news when my beloved Utah Utes hired Norm Chow as the team's new Offensive Coordinator. About two months before the hire was officially made, I was sitting around with my friends and said that the team will hire Chow. This was long before the rumors started to surface, low and behold look what happened.
Then something incredible happened. Maybe incredible is too strong of a word but I am very proud of my accomplishment. Just two weeks ago I completed work on my Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix. After a year-and-a-half of classes, countless papers, and some new friends I earned the degree much to the praise of my friends and family.
As you can see this has been quite a ride, and I can only hope that it will continue.
