A Year of Change

It’s here, the white stuff, snow! We don’t have a lot, maybe 3 or 4 inches, but the way it was coming down last night, you’d think we’d have a foot. I think it’s over for a while and will be in the 40’s and 50’s for the next few days. We’re getting close to that time of year when we’ll have snow pretty much on a regular basis until March or April. Time to book some Hawaii tickets for the kids break in February.

I guess the movers made it to Mom’s and loaded up all Robin’s stuff. Tom has done a ton of work, not only boxing up all the stuff Robin wanted but also in continuing to clean up the house. Cleaning off Mom’s bed so Tasha’s movers could get it was a chore in itself. We’ll go help again in a few days as there’s still a ton to do.

It’s been a crazy year. Of course there’s the obvious but there’s also lots of things in all of our lives that have made it a somewhat challenging year. From external forces such as politics, class warfare, and the economy and work, to those closer to home like health, school, bills, relationships, and more, it’s been a year where you really have to look at things through rose colored glasses. You can’t let yourself or your loved ones fall into the trap where things seem lost. There’s still more good in this World than bad. I’m a firm believer that the media, broadcast and even more so, social, exploit the bad in the World, which shapes peoples views and attitude towards life. Video games and their violence alone play a big part in devaluing life with all our kids, yet no one talks about that. Violence is prevalent in everything we see from sports to movies, we glorify it. Today’s youth are easily led by powers that use them for their own purpose. Most kids joining groups these days, that are protesting everything from income equality to the President, don’t even know what they’re protesting about. When did working hard and being successful and yes, becoming “rich” (which is a relative term) become a bad thing? People with money create jobs, spend money and are usually generous. Yet some politicians have effectively branded anyone who has made some money with a scarlet letter as being a bad person. We’re raising a generation of kids that don’t want to work and expect things to be handed to them. Trust me socialism and communism are not good things. I fear by the time the next generation realizes these things, it’ll be too late. As I’ve said before, it’s easy to give up or lose some of your constitutional rights but nearly impossible to get them back.

I’ll stop now, sorry for the morning rant, I could go on for hours but need to warm up the cars and clean off the snow. Hope you all have a great day, take care, be safe and God Bless.

I made it down and up as scheduled. I must have drove 250 miles yesterday between all my meetings and picking both boys up from basketball. The news is showing snow in Denver but we’re pretty clear up here with nothing on the ground so far. Official basketball practice for Jag starts this Friday but that’s just another day as he’s been practicing about every day for 3 weeks now. The kid is pretty darn good and getting better every day.

I stopped by school yesterday on the way home to drop Jag a couple pieces of pizza as a snack. I also had to pay for half of his China trip. I think I mentioned they told us on Friday he was going and wanted payment on Monday. I asked the lady in the business office what happens if someone couldn’t pay today and she told me, well then they don’t go. So I had to whip out my credit card for the $2250 charge, ugh. A lot of people up here obviously have a lot more money than us, ha. Throw in Ty’s camp for next year ($2400) and Jag’s tuition for the month ($2100) and it’s a big month! I think I’ll plan to win the lottery this week.

Lori is working away as usual. Her surgeon was really tired yesterday and cancelled the last surgery and went home. The guy had an open sore like some kind of cut or something which is a no no for surgery. I’m off to the gym at 7 this morning so Lori is taking the boys to school. She goes tomorrow morning as we trade off as one of us needs to take the kids. Ty has a basketball game tonight and Jag practice. Hard to believe it’s already November 7th. It’ll be Christmas and then 2018 before we know it. We have a lot to do before the year is over. What we need is a trip to Hawaii as we’ve lost all our tan, ha. Plus there’s something about the sun and the ocean that re-energizes you. We could never live there but it’s sure a nice place to visit.

Guess I’ll run, hope all’s well, watch your top knot (remember that from years past?), and God Bless.

We have a lot going on this week as usual. Starting this morning, I’m off to Denver after dropping Jag for a meeting at the distributor. I hope to be back by 3 if the roads are ok. Lori has a big day as there were a couple of emergency surgeries over the weekend. Ty has school as usual and a big project he’s working on. Both boys have b ball tonight until a bit after 6 pm. I won’t even get into tomorrow but it’s just as fun filled as today.

Yesterday Lori and the boys had their Canine Companion meeting which went well. The Broncos were crushed which is becoming a weekly trend. Our coach needs to be fired and we desperately need a quarterback. No snow up here so I’ll take the truck down today as I have an appointment to drop it off for service. I think the snow is arriving tomorrow. I think Tom also said the movers are coming tomorrow to pick up Robins stuff. I need to go down and move out our drums and other stuff we were storing at Mom’s house since we moved, ugh.

I’ve been doing pretty well with no phone and no sugar. Jag is too! We’re trying to get Ty on board but he’s a little tougher. Time to throw out all the remaining Halloween candy. We bought a rice cooker over the weekend along with a juicer but the juicer is going back today. It really doesn’t work as advertised. Hopefully the rice cooker will as the kids love rice. Time to get the good looking one (Lori) up! Then 15 minutes later, both boys.

Tragic shooting yesterday in Texas by a felon who legally wasn’t allowed to own any guns. Yet the democrats, who just last week said not to politicize the Muslim who drove a truck into a crowd in New York, were calling for gun control before the bleeding stopped. How hypocritical, but not surprising. Thankfully an armed citizen stopped this nut or it might have been worse. When a guy drives a truck into a crowd, you blame the driver, not the truck, but when there’s a shooting, they don’t blame the shooter, they blame the gun, hmmm. And then there’s the daily shootings in Chicago where people are literally shot daily and hundreds are killed every year yet the democrats ignore that, hmmm. Must be because the Dems are in control in Chicago and Illinois and they have the strictest gun laws in the Country. I’m so sick of all the politicians, time to install term limits.

I’d better go before I go off on a rant. Be careful and watch your back, as it’s a different World than it was 20 years ago. People, especially those despondent, don’t value life anymore. There’s a number of factors that go into this that no one mentions such as Hollywood who glorifies violence, the media and all the crap they put on tv, social media, (this is a big one!) , video games, and celebrities who think that because they entertain us in movies that they somehow know what’s best for all of us, (just like senile politicians), to mental illness that our society ignores. We throw away people daily as our system is one that doesn’t care for those that need help. All you have to do is look at the VA as an example. Whoops, looks like I am going off on a rant. I’ll stop now.

So, have a great day, be safe, watch your back, and God Bless.

Last night we went to the school gala/fundraiser. It was fun once the dinner started and our friends showed up, but we left pretty early. These things are always so so. They try to guilt you in to giving them more money on top of the $26,000 per year you spend on your kid. A small number of people step up but they have millions, if not billion of dollars. For example four people donated $25,000 each to fund the building of a tiny house on an old bus the school owns. I leaned over the one of our friends sitting next to me and said, “$25,000 to build a tiny house? I LIVE in a tiny house!”. In any case, it was ok and we were home by 9:30.

I decided to leave my cell phone at home last night and it made me wonder, how did we ever manage without cell phones? Could I do without one? It would be difficult work wise but even if you take that out, could I go without it on a personal level. One thing’s for sure, the family would need to communicate, or plan out our day better as to when the kids would need to be picked up, etc. So, to start, I’m going to begin by giving it up except for between 7 and 5 on weekdays and on the weekends. Ty just came up and I told him my plan to which he replied, “you’re not going to give up your phone”. Sounds like a challenge to me. We’ll see how this works. Maybe I’ll have to end up compromising and just text for a while to get used to it.

It’s raining up here but the 5 to 10 inches of snow we were supposed to get doesn’t seem to be coming. I guess we’ll get a little on and off, mostly tomorrow night, we’ll see. The kids have their Canine Companion meeting today at 11 am. Lori is going to take them as the Bronco game starts at the same time. I’m making chili today but first I think we’re all going to the gym. We also need to pick up Mojo from doggie daycare where he spent the day and night as we were in Denver for most of the day yesterday.

Looks like we’re going to Breckenridge for Thanksgiving. Lori’s friend Brooke, who used to work for her at Dr. Rodgers in Denver, along with Ashley, another girl who works there, and us, are all getting our families together at Brooke’s parents house. We’re having surf and turf as neither Brooke or Lori are big on turkey. Of course we’ll be making one here the day before just so we have leftovers which are the best part of the holiday.

Guess I’ll get moving, think about whether or not you can do without your phone, even just for one day! I’m sure you and I can, as we all survived without them for most of our lives. On the other hand, I’m sure most of you won’t give it a try. Oh well, life goes on, have a great day and God Bless.

This morning at 6:30 we’re all headed for Big D for haircuts and to run some errands. Tonight Lori and I are going to the annual fundraiser for VMS, Jag’s school. I helped them out with their wine and saved them about $12,000 and Lori thinks we should go, so off we’ll go. It’s at the Ritz Carlton and the theme is “Woven Together” which is a Scottish theme. Lori and I will not be wearing kilts or tartan but many will. I’m sure it’ll be fun.

Last night Jag and Ethan went to a movie. Ty stayed home as he had basketball after school. Tomorrow at 11 am both boys are going to a meeting of the Junior Chapter of Canine Companions. Vail has the only Youth Chapter in the Country and Lori is on the Board of the organization. I graciously (ha) am donating the wine for the 2018 Gala and a trip for the 2018 auction to go see Andrea Bocelli in concert, probably in Las Vegas. It’s a good cause as they place highly trained dogs with disabled people for life. Some are kids, some veterans, others adults, but all are in need of assistance and it truly changes their lives. I donated wine to them last year and we sort of fell into volunteering this year. I only agreed to do it if 100% of the money raised went to help people as too many “causes” these days are just profit centers for those running it. Trust me, I know as I get asked weekly for free wine! When we heard about the Youth Chapter, we sort of volunteered the boys.

Some good news, Jagger was accepted to the Intraterm school trip to China in February! He’s one of ten kids going. They told us yesterday, and get this, want us to pay for half the trip on Monday! Thanks for the notice, huh. On top of that, Ty has been accepted to go back to camp this coming summer in the Teen Leader Program! This is great too! It never stops!

So, (my Mom always said to me, “you know you say so a lot, right?” ha) we have a busy weekend. Time to get moving. Hope all is well and be careful this weekend with the anarchist protests. Take care, be safe, keep the faith and God Bless.

Last night Ty had a couple basketball games against his old school. His new team played well and smoked his old team by about 40 to 20, giving up most of the points in garbage time. Jag’s teams practice consisted of going to Ty’s game and learning how to chart players. This means logging everything that one can do on a basketball court. Lori showed up just in time to see Ty play and we were all home by about 7.

Thankfully today is Friday as we all need a break. We need to be in Denver by 8:30 am tomorrow as we all need our hair cut, or in Lori’s case, colored.

Today is the third day of our no sugar challenge which is going pretty well. A psychologist buddy of ours who won’t eat anything “white” says it takes 5 or 6 days to get out of your system, but then you’ll feel amazingly better. Jag and I are the only ones on it right now but Ty should join in. Lori does her own thing and needs her sweets now and then.

I have a few trips coming up between now and the end of the month. Vegas and Texas are my primary stops with maybe Florida too. Seattle and New York will come up the first two weeks of December. Big changes are coming to our Company as we add Argentina and some new spritzers in cans that could/should be a game changer. Looks like Lori’s making some changes too at her work. We’ve decided we need to shake some things up from the status quo to improve our situations and companies.

Today we’re challenging everyone to do something to eliminate some stress in your life. There’s stress that comes from outside sources and then those that come from within. There are specific ways of dealing with this to make your life better and more enjoyable, which basically consist of recognizing it and then stepping outside your body and looking at it in a practical manner to learn how to overcome it. Sounds simple but works. Stress is a killer. It makes you unhealthy, unproductive and unhappy. More to come on this but the first step is realizing that you can deal with it and eliminate it. So today let’s start with noticing what stress you have in your life. You need to know what is negative in your life before you can change it. More to come.

Last thing, watch out for protests in major cities this weekend as that lovely violent democratic group known as Antifa has vowed to basically riot starting tomorrow until the President leaves office, which obviously isn’t going to happen. George Soros and the dems at their finest. Hungary, George Soros’s home country, is actively investigating him, for crimes against the State, and trying to keep him from coming in to the country. This guy is a threat to democracy who for decades has been trying to overthrow our way of life and move us to a one World government. He and other elites advocate a one World gov as then they can control things easier. By the way, all the leaders of this group are paid for by Soros. They try to whip the crowd, (mostly young people) into a frenzy, even inciting violence. There goal is to destroy our Country from within which is the only way this great Country will fall. No outside force can do what some of our own citizens are unwittingly doing. Funny as if you ask these people what they’re specifically protesting, they don’t even know, super.

Oh well, it’s a changing World and sadly not always for the best. How about the democrats abandoning Hillary yesterday saying she rigged the primary in the election. Ah duh, the only surprise here is now the dems are actually admitting this and turning on her. Time to run as I feel myself heading off on a rant, have a great day and God Bless.

We’re running late today so no time to write much today. Big day, big weekend and big month coming up. Need to get moving so have a great day, God Bless.

Here we go, 61 days left in the year, wow! As I said yesterday, we have a lot going on. Starting today, Jag and I are doing what we call the “no sugar challenge”. This is where both of us have no sugar (with the exception of milk for him) for 30 days. Neither of us process it well or like the way it makes us feel. Also with his grueling basketball schedule coming up, he needs his body to be in the best shape possible. Wish us luck, we’re throwing a lot of candy out today with it being the day after Halloween.

Last night Jag went to basketball instead of trick or treating. Six boys showed up which was a pretty good turn out. Ty though, hit the streets again, this time down valley in Miller Ranch near Edwards. He finally strolled in around 9:30. This morning Jag has to be at school at 7:45 for his Pre ACT tests while Ty has late start at 9:30.

Lori and her crew dressed up yesterday and looked great! They should have won the contest but the girls at the front desk won instead, hmmm. I have a workout at 6:30 and Lori then takes my spot at 7:10. I’m leaving early to get home to take the boys to school. Mojo peed upstairs in Ty’s room for some reason. Not cool as he knows better. Looks like I’ll need to get the carpet cleaners here today, ugh.

Guess I’ll run as it’s now 5:38 am. Have a great day, GB.

Lots going on, Halloween, the last day of October, basketball, early training at work and the last day to secure purchase orders for the month. Throw in the World Series and there’s a lot going on. Last night Ty and his buddies and Jag and Ethan hit the town for the festivities. It started to rain and snow around 8:30 but was dry up until then. Ty and his friends ended up getting the Golden Ticket which is only one prize handed out by one house in town and then you go to the Town Hall and get a bucket of candy.

Meanwhile I watched our defense play lights out and our offense not really play! Half our team is Super Bowl like and the other half sucks. Time to get a new quarterback.

Lori needs to be at work at 7, Jag at school by 7:30 and Ty by 8 so time to get moving. I think it’s pretty icy outside just by looking. Here’s a picture of the sunrise up here and the steady stream of headlights coming to town last night, pretty nice. Take care, be safe and get ready for November! God Bless.

Only about 36 hours to go until November! Lots going on though in the next 36 hours. Lori’s head nurse has her birthday today and Jag is making up a science test at 7:30. Ty is off today and then we have our Minturn Halloween tonight. I also need to go to the city as our water is not right. It’s off color and needs to be checked. Oh, we also need to carve our pumpkins!

Jag is going to school dressed as a cowboy tomorrow, completer with spurs and all. I emailed to see if he could wear a orange toy gun in my holster as I thought in today’s overly PC World, someone might be offended. Sure enough, the school replied some students might be scared or offended. Apparently they don’t have a “safe space” for them to go to. It’s a wonder we ever managed to grow up. I told Lori he should put a banana in the holster and then we could see how many are “offended” by fruit because it’s in a holster! What a joke things have become. I get it about guns and school but it’s clearly a toy, bright orange and could never be confused as a gun. Wonder how many kids will get in trouble for dressing as Indians or better yet, Hugh Hefner! Too bad we don’t have a smoking jacket, ha.

Lori’s nurse’s husband has been in the hospital for over a month after having his colon removed. He’s not doing well and we’re worried about him a bunch. Her doc returns this morning from a week in Hawaii so that’ll add to her workload plus they’re all still in training with some new system.

As I said, Ty has the day off and needs to get some stuff done around here before the festivities tonight. Time to go so I can get Jag moving. Lots of cleaning to do around here today. Have a great week, take care and God Bless.