Vacation
3:36 PM This is one of those weeks where I need a vacation from my vacation. As much as I wanted to, I didn’t hit the road for a new city. I stayed in Rochester for all of the Christmas and New Year’s events. Friends came back home and I did my best to meet up with them. Sometimes that means late nights. I met newborn babies and met up with people coming back from Philly, Iowa, Charlotte, Martha’s Vineyard, and California. It’s been nothing short of 2 AM from Wednesday to today, and that includes back to back 4 AM’ers. As whipped as I am, I’m ready for the New...
Read MoreSudden
Florida 10:52 AM We received a shocking phone call yesterdays morning. They said my Uncle Ken had died the night before, on Christmas night. We were stunned. To our knowledge, he hadn’t been sick or anything. When they lived in Rochester, their family would be with ours for every Christmas and Thanksgiving meal. I’ve had a day and a night to allow this to soak in. The thought of it scares me. It can happen anytime. You can spend the entire day with family, celebrating and being joyful, and then bang, you are in another place. But as I’ve thought about it, that might be...
Read MoreHoliday Hangover
1:52 PM First off, I say Merry Christmas. I hope you enjoyed the holiday. A weekend of festivities has come and gone, leaving my brain fried and body worn out. My sister and brother in law stayed in Rochester this year. It was his first away from home, but I think we made him feel welcome. Our traditions continued with Christmas Eve beef stew, church, and gift exchange with one of my mom’s best friends. From there we stayed up way too late, but still got up for presents in the AM. It is always fun to see the looks on people’s faces when they open something you’ve gotten...
Read MoreThe Ultimate Gift
2:40 PM I just got done reading, The Ultimate Gift, by Jim Stovall. It’s a great story about life’s lessons. I enjoyed it enough that I’m passing it on. During the Christmas season, it is a good fit. It made me think about my life and where I’m going. When a book makes you reflect, analyze, and plan for the future, it’s a good book. Here are some of the chapter titles: The Gift of Work The Gift of Money The Gift of Friends The Gift of Learning The Gift of Problems The Gift of Family The Gift of Laughter The Gift of Dreams – my favorite The Gift of Giving The...
Read MoreBig Day
Phoenix, NYC, and ROC A lot has happened in the past 24 hours. On the materialistic side, I got my Christmas shopping done. On the real side, my people in Phoenix just welcomed a baby boy into the world. It sounds like son and mother are doing fine. On the book side, a big step has been made. Not THE step, but a big step. With a smile I say I have some help in the process. More to come on that.
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