Markus Randel's Blog

Dear Joseph and Lucia,

I did the best I could to throw myself into work yesterday. Both of your birthdays always throw me for a loop. I would love to buy you presents and treat you to an adventure of a lifetime. But all I can do is just write you a letter you may or may not read one day.

I want to blame someone (your mother), but that wouldn’t be fair. I’m just as much to blame for our situation. I’m sure your mom has raised you well. Just please look past any derogatory statements about me.  Some might be deserved, but I still love you both and miss you horribly. I’m in a good place now. I work full time.  I pay the support for you to have a good life. I support my family here with love and finances.

It’s taken a long time for me get back to this state.  I still wrestle with the loss of you two. But I know one day you will look for me. And you’ll find these letters. I hope they mean as much to you as they do to me.

Until then, I’ll be waiting.

Love,
Dad

Dear Joseph and Lucia,

It snowed yesterday. It was a bit ironic. The plant closed yesterday in expectation to the bad weather. But it didn’t come in until after work hours. This morning is when the plant should have at least been delayed.  My drive in was treacherous. I just stayed slow and calm and made it in to work ok.

I’m sorry I haven’t written in a few days. I just don’t have anything new to share with you guys.

Working in Oklahoma is a strain on me. I miss being home with Michèle so much. Tomorrow night, I plan to drive back to Richardson to spend time with her. I just know you will love her as much as she already loves you.

So for now I’ll let you know I’m still waiting for you to reach out.  I’m still working. I’m still sad not having you in my life. I’m still getting through the days. (And I’m cold.)

Love,
Dad

Dear Joseph and Lucia,

Last night was a late night. I took the train this weekend which wasn’t a good idea. The trip down Saturday ended up taking 8 hours. It was delayed for two hours just to start. Then there were several stops for freight trains. I didn’t get to the house until 6 PM. We had a vegan dinner and my friend Craig stopped by for a visit.

I got the TV working again with a refurbished computer. It wasn’t easy and I wanted to give up several times, but Michèle kept encouraging me.  So now the ladies at the house have Netflix and all the movies on the server available.  Job done.

The train ride back was just as miserable as the one down. There were two major delays due to freight trains. The schedule is for an arrival at 9:25 PM.  I didn’t get to the station until 12:30.  And then another 30 minutes to get to my rented room.

End result… I’m tired this morning.

I don’t mean to gripe so much. I had a wonderful time with Michèle and Craig and Rachael. I miss home already. And I miss you two. So until the next time, I’ll still be here waiting for you.

Love,
Dad

Dear Joseph and Lucia,

I took the test and passed it with an A. That means I’m certified for another 2 years as a LabVIEW developer.  I spent a week studying and was nervous as all get out. The test was scheduled for an hour long. I finished it in 30 minutes.

I tell you this just to let you know, you never stop learning or taking tests. Life and careers keep you alive and growing.

Now I’m going to go calibrate a test cell with my new software.

I’ll be waiting to share more.

Love,
Dad

Dear Joseph and Lucia,

It’s been a tough week. I’ve had troubles at work. Two of the test cells had massive problems involving the software. I’ve had my feet held to the fire all week getting them back up and running. I can gladly say they are all running right now.

I don’t sleep well. I usually wake up around 4 or 5 in the morning. My doctor has me on sleep meds that help me go to sleep, but they wear off. It’s a good night if I get 6 hours of sleep.

I’m staying in OKC this weekend. I’m really not in the mood for the drive to Dallas, and the weather looks like a Sunday drive won’t be favorable. So I’ll stay up here and hopefully Skype with Michèle or your grandmother.  Hopefully, I can get some rest.

I’m tired, but I’m always waiting for you.

Love,
Dad

Dear Joseph and Lucia,

Good Morning! I’m sorry I haven’t written in the last few days. Work has been extremely intense and I’ve been in the lab troubleshooting problems the whole time.  The good news is I reached out for help and solved one problem.  Cell 7 is up and running so my boss can finally test a new unit. It’s been on hold for a week now.

The gist of this story is never be afraid to ask for help.  It can come from the most unexpected places.

I have another cell to address today. I’m hoping to get it back up and running again after the modifications we made. It’s a complicated puzzle.

So I’ll stay busy, but I’m always waiting to hear from you when you are ready.

Love,
Dad