A Year of Change

Here we go, school starts today. Also it’s my first conference call of the year and just like here with the boys, there’s some big changes coming for the “kids” at work!

Yesterday was a snowy cold day. It’s supposed to start warming up tomorrow and be nice for the week. We’re leaving at 7:45 for school and right now it’s 5:56. I need to go shovel and get the car warmed up and take Harley before the kids so lots to do.

Lori is still sleeping as she hasn’t been sleeping well with her neck. Thursday she’s off to her moms in California. Not much else, glad I didn’t go to Phoenix as the roads probably are not good. That’s it, have a good day, be safe and God bless.

7 am and time to get moving. It’s nice outside and clear from what I can tell. Both boys are sleeping and Lori is half awake next to me. Her neck has ben bad for a few months now so next step is to try some steroids. Hope they work.

Tomorrow school starts and along with it comes a new way of living around here. We’ve already started and things are going pretty well. The boys are making their beds every morning and slowly starting to do more around here. Of course that comes with laundry getting mixed up and some things getting put in the dryer that shouldn’t. Oh well, it takes time to learn new skills. Ty has some new study habits he’s imlimenting and both boys need to start preparing for their trips. At the first of February Ty goes to Costa Rica and Jag to an island off Baja Mexico. There’s an Upper School hut trip this Wednesday and Thursday but we’re not sure if the boys are going. Jag has opted out and Ty wants to go but we’re leaning towards him staying home and getting off to a fresh start with the new semester. We’ll see.

Emma’s dad had to take an ambulance to Denver yesterday for a pinched nerve in his neck and she leaves Tuesday for a week of skiing in Purgatory down by Durango. Not sure if they’re getting together today, probably so as they usually are .

Time to get moving, we drove Lori’s new car up yesterday and that tax thing works! Instead of $35,000 we would owe on the 15th, our quarterly bill dropped to $15,000! WOW. Pics tomorrow, have a great day and GB.

There are good football games this weekend if you like football. Two today and two tomorrow.

First up Lori and I are off to Denver. Last night we all went to dinner at the Four Seasons which has a restaurant called Flame. It’s our new go to favorite place! The food was great and atmosphere good too. Then Jag and Emma went to a movie and Ty went to a hockey game in town.

Turns out I’m not going to Phoenix Monday and will just spend about 5 hours on the phone with one of my partners. It’s suppose to snow Sunday night so that’s probably a good thing.

Time to get moving so have a good weekend and do something fun. Ignore politics and the news and enjoy the day and your life. Be safe, be nice and God bless.

This afternoon Jag goes in to hopefully have the stitches taken out of his hand. He’s still out of basketball and will probably miss the season. Yesterday on my way to Denver I dropped him at Emma’s race. He’s going again to support her today. Ty hung out and Lori was at work.

Tomorrow Lori and I are off to Denver and then will rush back up to catch the football games. We’re headed to the gym in 15 minutes so I’d better get moving. Your body is an amazing thing as with two days of strict eating I’m down to 200.3 pounds. I’m planning on being in fighting shape by the end of the month. Wish me luck, ha!

Monday I’m off to Phoenix for 6 hours. I’ll land around 10:15 and be back on a plane by 5. Then I’m home until the following Monday when I’m off to Dallas for 24 hours. Lori heads out to Sacramento on the 10th returning on the 13th. So you can see, we’re busy. Looking ahead I think I’m in Portland on the 22nd.

It’s warming up and should be nice the next few days. Hope you all are well, take care and God bless.

It’s only Jaunary 3rd and we’re already super busy. This morning I’m off to the dermatologist in Denver and dropping Jag at Loveland Ski Area for Emma’s ski race. The race is from about 7 am until noon. It’ll be cold so he had better dress warm.

Lori has clinic and Ty needs to clean up a bit and get organized. I’m trying to map out my travel schedule for the next few weeks and work around Lori as she needs to go to California again. I need to leave in 37 minutes and have to shower so time to go. Hope everyone is in 2019 mode. Hard to believe it’s been 20 years since 1999!

Have a great day and God Bless.

Good morning. Yesterday, we made great forward progress identifying and loading up clothes to be donated. Ok, that first sentence was courtesy of Lori!

It’s cold, they say 22 below in Kremmling so it has to be 10 below or more up here. It is supposed to warm up tomorrow and be in the 50’s and 60’s in Denver for the next week. That means 40’s and 50’s up here. I forgot to thank you all for my birthday wishes and presents, I appreciate it.

Jag made it home about 9:30 last night from his fun trip to Steamboat. Emma’s mom thanked us for letting him come and couldn’t stop praising him. He and Ty are both really good kids.

Lori and I are headed to the gym and then to Denver. Jag might come and Ty is heading to the mountain. It’s 6:25 now and we need to be there at 7 so time to go get the truck warmed up. Hope everyone is well, it’s the first “official” day of 2019 meaning the first work day as yesterday doesn’t really count. Hope everyone is pumped up and ready to seize the day and year, God Bless.

2019, it sounds surreal doesn’t it. Like some far away future year where there will be flying cars and transporters sending people through space and time. Well, here we are, still driving cars, albeit a lot more advanced, and no Star Trek transporter devices as of yet. Society as a whole has taken a step backward with the divide between liberals and conservatives or whatever you want to call them, seems worse than ever. I pray for the future of our Country and its people and frankly am saddened that we are now here, more divided than we have ever been. The media, social, electronic and others are the main sources of discontent hell bent on creating different groups and pitting them against each other. If people would just go back to thinking for themselves, we’d all be in a better place.

Now to lighten it up, last night we went to our friends the Hetfields for dinner and celebration. There were two other couples who are also good friends and we had a great time. At one point in the evening, when the ball was dropping in New York, we were shooting off poppers out the window on to the mall and people walking by in downtown Vail below. Later we all packed up and headed home.

Today we’re making black eyed peas and a pork roast as we continue to purge and clean around here while waiting for Jag to get home tonight. We’re in full swing and committed to our new way of life which demands more help from the boys around the house and the endless pursuit of happiness daily for the family. We hope you all are doing well and are excited about 2019. We believe this year will be better than the last and are determined to make it so.

Let us know what your plans are this year. Did you come up with anything new you’d like to do? Hope so, life is short and goes fast, don’t waste the opportunity. Take care and God Bless.

P.S. here I am with James and our friend Rod and the beautiful Lori and I below. Us guys are looking a bit older these days, ha. Luckily we all still feel and act like we’re 30. Happy New Year!

Today is the last day of the year! Tomorrow we all get a do-over, get ready and take advantage of it. January is a fresh start for your careers and your personal life. For some reason people use tomorrow as the day to start or change things they could change any day of the year. The gym is always packed for a few weeks until everyone gives up, ha. In about a month Mom and Dad would begin to pack up for their annual trip to Scottsdale. They’d usually go down until right after Memorial Day and then would come back to Colorado in early June. Today is also Deb Rubin’s birthday. Her and her husband Len were Mom and Dad’s closest friends for decades. Then of course tonight it’s New Years Eve. It’s a big party night for lots of people. So tomorrow you and millions of people all around the World will get that fresh start and start all kinds of new resolutions mostly attempting to kick bad habits. Good luck. We’re focusing more on what new we can do to enhance our quality of life.

Jag’s having fun in Steamboat as Emma’s dad sent us a picture and video of them tubing down a hill. Ty, Lori and I began the big purge with about 5 large trash bags of trash and another 5 of clothes, shoes and coats to donate. We’re on a mission around here.

Our friends the Hetfields invited us to dinner at their house tonight around 7. No way we’re staying up until midnight though as I’m sure we’ll be home by 10, ha. Mom would always make sure to have some herring in the fridge and eat it at midnight. She managed to stay up more than we did. Sometimes the kids wake us right before 12 but we always called New Year’s Eve amateur night. No way we’d be caught out away from home these days. The last New Years Eve we were out was 12/31/1999 when Lori and I were on a beach in Seattle for Y2K.

Have a great day, hope 2019 is a happy, healthy, and bountiful year for you all. God Bless.

We since were out the door by 9:30 and in town by 11. My guys at the Chevy dealer were all set for me so it literally took us 10 minutes to buy the new truck. I had bought another car at another dealer which is en route from the Port of California a few days earlier and that took 4 hours! In reaity it should only take 30 minutes max to buy any car. The new tax law we’ll be taking advantage of is a game changer. Our accountant says we’ll save $50,000 or more by using it. This means we actually do not have to pay like $50,000! You can only use it if you own a business and thankfully we have owned Dumonde Inc. 1996 so it’s a big deal to us. Without getting to detailed in case you’re wondering (Tommy) my S Corp. Dumonde Inc. owns my shares of August Wine Group which allows me to use this law.

Anyhow we headed down to meet our friends Jeff and Tina for lunch. While walking to the restaurant we stopped in a lingerie shop for Lori. Lunch was fun but the food was so so. We had watched Garth Brooks on tv the night before and were talking with Jeff and Tina about the show and bam, we’re now all going to Phoenix March 23rd for the Garth Brooks concert! Should be fun. I told Robi on the phone earlier that we were thinking about it but at lunch Jeff whipped out his phone, pressed a few buttons and we all had tickets!

After lunch we jumped in our new truck, (it’s more luxurious inside than my 3 month old one and I like the outside color better) and headed home. We made it home about 10 minutes before Emma’s dad picked up Jag to go to the ranch. Ty and Jack went to a movie and believe it or not, I fell asleep on the couch at 6 pm! I woke up at 8 and went upstairs to watch the football game and was out again and woke up at 7 this morning. So I must have needed the sleep. Lori made me a spice cake which is better than any store bought cake. She made the same one for Jag’s birthday and we all loved it.

Today we start the big purge. It’s liberating just knowing we’re going to do it even though we haven’t started yet. Lori says we should already be the biggest minimalists on the planet as it seems we purge all the time. Jack’s parents are supposed to drive up and get him today, we’ll see as there will be lots of ski traffic going both ways. Ty really needs to purge though so we need to get him going. Lori and I are also starting on the boys 2019 rules. There’s some changes coming here, I promise.

Happy December 30th. Even though I hate Facebook I did get birthday wishes from all over the World meaning lots of winemakers and friends in Europe. That’s about the only good thing about it. Have a great day and God Bless and get ready for 2019!

Well today is my birthday. When you stop looking forward to this day, you know you’re getting older. Everyday for 60 years (or at least 43 since I left home) Mom would call me at 8:45 in the morning which is when I was born to tell me Happy Birthday.  As Robin said, like people tell you, it doesn’t really get easier as time goes by, right now that’s just a saying. Maybe it will down the road.

Tonight Jag leaves for Steamboat with Emma and her family. Lori and I are going to Denver for lunch with our good friends Jeff and Tina and picking up our new truck. There’s a new law that if you own a business, which we do, and buy a car, suv or truck over 6000 pounds after September 27th and before the end of the year, you can deduct 100% of the purchase price right off the top of your taxable income! This is amazing and it’s only in its second year. At the Land Rover store they call it Range Rover month as they sell tons of expensive cars to people wanting the tax break. I called our accountant to verify the rules and found out it is true, so it’s new car time. By the way, this will save us about $40,000 on our taxes next April, unbelievable.

Ty and Jack made it up here before I made it home yesterday and hung out all day. Jack goes home tomorrow and then we’ll start on Ty’s room. Lots of developments for 2019 as things are going to be changing around here. The kids aren’t aware of it yet but they will be as the free ride is over, ha! More to come on this later.

They say it’s cold outside with temperatures below zero but I was out starting the car in gym shorts and it didn’t seem too bad. I have a few orders still to come in and should squeek by to close the year. Lots of changes coming at work too next year, all for the better.

Robi sent me a blown up picture of me as a baby. Jag and I were looking at it and I told him after I’m gone he can show his kids and they’ll say, “wow, Grandpa was a fat baby”! That made him laugh as it’s always the things that are true that are the funniest. I’ll post it tomorrow to give you all a good laugh. Ok, time to go to the gym and get the day moving. Hope everyone is well. Our tree is down and gone and we’re in full on purging mode. The mechanical engineer is working away on our house and permits are applied for. We should be breaking ground in a few months when it warms up. Then it’ll go fast.

I expect all of you to have something, no matter how small, that you’re going to do next year. This could be a trip, learning a new language, starting a new hobby, changing or stopping a bad habit, anything! Just make a point to get out of your comfort zone, trust me, you’ll be glad you did and I promise, you can do much more than you could ever imagine! God Bless.