A Year of Change

We made it to Denver by 8:30 and were home by 12:30. All good at Libby’s. We hit the grocery store in Cherry Creek before heading up the hill. While on the way we learned that Ty’s car was declared a total loss. I was wondering how much they were going to reimburse us and it turns out it’s about $5K more than we owe. Thankfully when I bought it last June I bought it right! Ty will now go without a car for a while. Even though both of his accidents were not technically his fault, (no tickets but according to the insurance company both are) he needs to mature a little bit before getting behind the wheel again. Next week we’ll drop him from insurance meaning overall we’ll save over $1K per month! He’ll also need to get a job to get his next car as we’re through buying him cars. Some people learn by words, others by experience. Seems as though Ty falls into the experience group. We’re just thankful no one was hurt in either of his accidents.

I think Jag is coming up today. He’s on and off which must mean there’s a girl, ha. Just a dusting of snow outside, nothing to worry about. This morning we’re off to the gym. I’m down about 10 pounds in six days. It was so hard having vertigo for a month as that’s the longest I’ve gone in decades without working out on a regular basis. I’m finally getting back into fighting shape at 207. By the end of the month I should be somewhere around 195 if all goes to plan. However the big news is Tom is down about 70 pounds to 225! Mom would be so so happy. She was always so worried about him and kept asking me if I could help him. I told her people have to want to help themselves and that’s just what Tommy finally did. Tom, you should be proud. I of all people know it’s not fucking easy to eat right! It’s probably the single hardest thing to do as sugar is the most addictive drug out there and is in just about everything we eat, and I mean everything! Great job! We’re super proud and happy for you!

Glad it’s Friday. I gave the Bronco tickets to Kelley and her family who is our egg girl. They haven’t been to a game in 16 years and are so happy. She said “oh my God, I’m giving you eggs free for life”! I told her that’s not necessary and I’m happy they all get to go. Glad I found someone excited to make the drive and go see the game.

Time to get moving so we can get to the gym. 6:40 now and it’s trash day. Lots to put out this week. Have a great weekend. We might go see Avatar 2. God Bless.

Driving down early this morning. It’s 5:15 now. It’s going to be nice and a bit warmer today which is good. Hard to believe it’s January 5th.

Yesterday I took down the few Christmas decorations out front. We still have some lights on the trees out back but will wait until it warms up. The Stock Show starts this weekend. I have great memories of going as a family when we were kids. Dad would always get us rodeo tickets. Maybe we’ll try to get down for a day over the next few weeks.

Time to get moving. Enjoy the day, God Bless.

I’ve been back on my strict anti-inflammation way of eating for about 5 days now and feel really good. It’s pretty strict but changes your life. I’ve shared the information and book with a number of people over the years who have had successes that include losing a ton of weight to reversing things like diabetes. You see, inflammation is the number one cause of disease from Alzheimer’s to heart disease. There are a number of side benefits from better skin to losing weight to sleeping better and more clarity during the day. Like I said, it’s a commitment but most good things are. By the end of the month I should be close to 195 pounds which is about 20 pounds lighter than I was post-steroids from my vertigo and ear infection. The key thing to remember is that it’s more important what you don’t eat than what you do. There are certain things that are on the just say no list as our bodies are not designed to process them. Ok, on to the day.

Lori had a long day at the office while I worked at home. Ty went to his friends house and spent the night and will meet me at the gym this morning. I’m busy forecasting the year and setting things up for success. It’s sort of cold outside but not too bad. No new snow which is nice.

This morning we’re taking two cars to the gym so Lori can go to the office from there. I’m working on my computer most of the day and Ty will be cleaning up a bit and getting ready to go back to school in about 10 days. Jag is doing fine in Boulder. Tomorrow Lori and I are headed to Denver for a dermatology appointment. It’s a routine full body scan for any suspicious looking moles or stuff. Another fun side benefit of aging, ha.

We’ll grab lunch after our appointment before we head up the hill. I’m waiting for Lori to tell me what dates in February are good for her to take a week off and then am booking tickets for Hawaii. It’s long overdue and unfortunately the kids Spring Breaks are a week apart so we can’t all go together. While we figure out what to do, I said fuck it, let’s us just go, we deserve it!

Time to go, almost 6:30. make it a great day, God Bless.

Yesterday morning Ty had his cast cut off and the pins taken out of his hand. X-rays show he’s healing well. Thank God. The rest of the day was spent working. Lori on her computer and phone, and I on both of mine. Today though is the official first day back to work of the year. I have a conference call at 9 and Lori will be heading to clinic by 9 also.

Last night on Monday Night Football, a player took a hit to the chest and went into cardiac arrest. The game, rightfully so, was cancelled and will be rescheduled at another time. We pray the young man, 24 years old, will be ok. It was strange as no one I talked or texted with had ever seen anything like it. Maybe it was God’s way of telling millions of people what’s important in life, and it’s sure not a game! In history there are always moments that shape or change the World. Anyone remember George Floyd? Hopefully some good will come of this and people will somehow come together. Wouldn’t it be strange and wonderful if an incident in a football game changed the World back from the hard left turn it took a few years ago! I doubt it will happen but God works in mysterious ways and always has a plan. Don’t doubt that! We pray that Demar Hamlin survives and lives a long life. In the end though, he’s in God’s hands.

We had a light dusting of snow last night. Nothing to shovel but enough to sweep off the front walk. I’m excited and energized for 2023. It won’t be easy but as I said, I’ve taken the blinders off and thinking even more out of the box. Nothing I do will be “as usual”. We’ll see how that works, ha!

Make it a great day and God Bless.

Ty has a 9am appointment to have his cast removed and hopefully the pins taken out of his hand. Jag went to Boulder yesterday and will be back probably tomorrow or Wednesday. One more day of no formal work even though Lori and I are both getting a jump on the new year. We both work whenever we need to and have no actual set hours.

Yesterday we hung out after the gym. The NFL stole the game from the Bronco’s with bad calls and the Nuggets beat the Celtics who are in first place in the Eastern Conference. It was a good game.

Every year people have some kind of resolutions, but this year, I have a new kind of outlook on life. It’s hard for me to explain as it’s something internal that allows me to see things from outside the mundane day to day reality. That probably doesn’t make any sense to anyone. I think you have to feel it or live it to understand. It’s an eerie sense of calm and control that I’ve always had but this year I’ve seemed to sharpen it more than before. It’s like seeing things from a different plane or dimension. Oh well, to each their own. Ty has a list of 5 or 6 things! He quit drinking and smoking and it’s been about 5 days now. He did it on his own and has also put in place some new organizational practices, goals at school and has committed himself to working out 5 days a week. Good for him.

7am now so time to get moving. It’s a short week with today off. Think I’ll try to declutter some more around here. Think we’re going to try to go to Hawaii sometime in February, we’ll see.

Be well, stay safe and rock on! God Bless.

Wow, 2023 sounds like some movie. I remember December 31st, 1999 clear as a bell. Lori and I were on a beach in Seattle with a huge bonfire. People brought things they wanted to purge from their lives and threw them into the fire. Hard to believe that was 22 years ago.

In so many ways, society has regressed. I won’t go into it but anyone with half a brain can see things are not better now than they were then. That’s too bad. Hopefully we can turn things around.

Last night Jag came home from Boulder as he changed his plans. He stopped in about 8:30 to change clothes and then headed out to a party in Eagle. Sometime after midnight, he showed up with a couple girls who are sleeping downstairs now. I think it’s Lexi and someone else.

I did wake up at 11:56 so I woke Lori when the clock stuck midnight. Then it was back to sleep. Tom texted so he must have made it too.

Yesterday the Christmas stuff came down. We brought Dixie up and she hung out and looked at each ornament. A few times she asked why we were taking down the tree with Christmas coming up soon. Poor girl. She had a rough day. She’s now at the point where she’ll ask you something and then ask you the same thing a couple minutes later. She’ll be 92 in April.

Today Lori and I are headed to the gym again. We’re pretty committed to getting in better shape. It’s our thing, ha.

Let’s all hope and pray that 2023 is better than 2022. All we really need is for common sense to make a comeback. Everyone of us plays a part. If we all just do the right thing and keep pushing forward, we’ll be ok. Cheers, Happy 2023 and God Bless.

What fun last night. Our neighbors, Brian and Michelle, K.C. and Shannon and of course Dea and Nate and the kids all came over for dinner and fun. The girls are so fun and we’ve sort of adopted them. Meredith is 3, Hannah is 8 and Kora is 11 years old. Their brother Ethan who is 13 showed up later in the evening. We bought them all Christmas presents and they wrote us the cutest homemade thank you card. It’s fun to have little kids around again, but only for a short time, ha! They’re a full time job, especially Meredith! Everyone showed up about 5:30 and stayed until about 10. Lori made enchilada’s and cheesecake and we had a blast.

Today of course is the last day of 2022! Good riddance. We had an inch of snow last night but that was it. Good football on today and we’re taking down our Christmas decorations. I guess I should say Lori will be taking down Christmas decorations, ha.

We stopped and hung out with Dixie for a while yesterday afternoon. She’s doing well but is looking frail. Age will do that to you it seems. Ty went to some friends and was home by 10. Jag of course is in Boulder.

Guess we’ll get to the gym before the day begins. It’s 7:45 now. Big day tomorrow as the World looks at a new year as a new beginning. I’m not big on resolutions but do use the New Year to make some changes, especially at work as people understand it, if not expect it. So, enjoy the last day of 2022! We never stay up until midnight anymore but will ring in the year sometime tonight. Be well, stay safe and God Bless.

Only about 44 hours left in 2022. Time to buckle up. Yesterday Jag headed down to Boulder for a couple days while I went to James to hang out with the guys. Before that we all went to lunch at the new Mexican restaurant that just opened in Eagle. Ty went out for a few hours with Izzy but was home by 10. Tonight we’re having a few neighbors over for Mexican food. Should be fun.

This morning we’re off to the gym and then I’m headed over to get some groceries while the cleaning ladies are here. I just saw that we’re supposed to get 10 to 20 inches of snow between tonight and Monday! Hope that’s just up high and not down here.

I have about $150K more in orders I need to get in today. Everything should come in but you never know.

I had a great birthday and thanks to everyone for the gifts and well wishes. Super thankful for everything. Lori just had a patient call and cancel as she tested positive for covid. That’s why we’re up so early. Make it a great day and weekend, time to go. God Bless.

It started last night around 4 and was still snowing around 10:30 when we made it home. It was a good storm and is still coming down lightly here this morning.

We headed out to dinner around 4:45 yesterday afternoon. By the time we made it to Adriana’s, roads were closing all over the place. She’s half Cuban and made an incredible dinner for the eight of us for my birthday. She also made a cheesecake for me and everyone sang Happy Birthday to me, ugh. Of course today is my 66th birthday. Good news is I feel maybe 46 at most. But you can’t stop time.

The boys came but left early right after dinner. Her kids are still in high school so not much for the boys to do. They did shovel for me when they made it home but it kept on snowing so I have a job in front of me this morning before we go to the gym.

Today we might go to the new Mexican restaurant that opened here in Eagle. Their main location is in Vail and it’s really good. We’re really happy to have them down here. Tonight we might go to the movies, not sure.

So that’s it. I’m super thankful to have made it another year and super thankful for my family, friends and my life in general. I’m a pretty lucky guy and am truly blessed which we all are. Things can always be worse than they are, right! Make it a great day and God Bless.

Tonight we have dinner at Adriana’s, who is James new girlfriend, for my birthday. She’s making Cuban food for all of us. James met her mid-October and she’s great. Marty and Melanie and one other couple who are friends of hers from Summit are coming so there will be 8 of us, plus the boys. Nice of her to cook us dinner.

I was in and out of Denver pretty quick yesterday. I had Ty’s car towed to Glenwood while I was gone. I was wrong yesterday as he hit the guard rail right down the hill from our house when some elk ran into the road. I didn’t get the full story until yesterday as it happened the night before and then I was up and out the door before he woke up yesterday morning. We’re just glad he wasn’t hurt. I thought about just paying to fix it myself but it’ll cost too much so I need to call the insurance company this morning. I’m sure our rates will be going up!

Jag made it back from Boulder and stopped in Vail to hang out with Lexi. They went to dinner and he came home around 11. No snow here yet, I’m keeping my fingers crossed as I could do without it. Looks like it’ll start around noon today and snow until 6am tomorrow.

Three days left in the week and year. As I said, bring on 2023. It won’t be easy but I feel I’m at least prepared better for it than we all were for this year. So, bring it on, give me your best shot, ha!

Time to go, make it a great day, God Bless.