A Year of Change

Jag and Ava get home tomorrow. It’ll be good to have them back for a few days before they head down to Boulder for the start of the second semester. Cool up here but it was sunny with a bright blue sky and in the mid to high 30’s yesterday. It was a really nice day.

Lori and I headed into Vail to go pick up her coat at Axel’s. She had the sleeves lengthened as they were a bit too short when she bought it. When we arrived and walked in, Marcel was working! Lori and her are great friends. She’s married to Dr. Huard who runs the longevity center at the research center. She’s Canadian and super nice and it was great to see her. She invited us to join her and Johnny for dinner but we didn’t want to go out last night. We will have them down soon though.

Ty took the bus into Vail after work to meet Will and Sonny at 7 last night as they were all hanging out as those guys leave to go back to Bozeman for school on the 14th.

Broncos play their last game of the year today. Kind of would like to see them lose so we get a higher draft pick, but then again, it’d be nice to have our first winning season in a handful of years too. I’m kind of torn.

As we get a week into 2024, there’s definitely a different mindset and feeling about what’s going on, at least for us. We have a different attitude and plan and are making a focused push on changing things up. It’s sort of like a family makeover, ha. That’s it, have a great day and God Bless.

This weekend is the end of the regular season for the NFL. We could have our first winning season in years when it’s all over. That’d be nice but will lower our draft pick.

Ty worked from 8am until 5:30pm yesterday. He has a really good work ethic. He’s often frustrated when others at his job don’t, as they do a lot of standing around, and he hates sharing the tip pool with people who don’t work as hard as him. Good on him. He works again today from 8 until 5, and same thing tomorrow. After work tomorrow he works at the pizza place from 5 until 10 and does the same Monday. After Monday, he’s through with the pizza place as it’s just too much and he doesn’t make anywhere near the money he does at his regular job. We told him to just quit a week ago, which he did, but he said he needs to give them notice and just won’t leave them hanging. Again, good on him.

Jag and Ava made more bread. Jag also has another intern offer. Think he’ll pass on this one and stick with the one he has. He called Paul, my friend who manages James’s bands money, for advice. Looking forward to seeing them Monday night.

It’s back to the gym for us. Leg day again. Had a dream I was walking and talking with my Mom last night. Pretty realistic.

Brian and I are busy developing the new company. It’s basically a luxury, members only, wine club. It’s coming together really well. We’re deciding who to let in, and how, on the financial side. Last thing we’re willing to do is give away a lot of equity and we’ll absolutely, no way, give up control. More on this soon, as it’s now moving really fast.

My computer is almost out of battery so that’s it. Have a great Saturday and God Bless.

Looks like an inch or two outside, nothing to write home about. 6:15am now and we need to leave in about an hour.

Last night about seven of us got together for our Thursday night fellowship. Good to see all the guys. We have a really good group. Marty is in Antigua doing something with his boat. Melanie stayed home as she’s through with sailing after a rough outing about a year ago. She was really scared as I guess it was pretty dangerous. She’s also recuperating from her concussion.

Ty works at 8 and we’ll go to the gym as usual. I worked out with Brent, my trainer, yesterday and it was leg day, so I’ll be hobbling around most today. Lori cleaned up a lot as we cancelled the cleaners as they don’t do all that good of a job and cost $200.

Jag and Ava made sourdough bread yesterday that looked incredible. He sent pictures and a video. They’ll land in Denver around 7 Monday night and grab an Uber to Tom’s and then head right up, hopefully getting here around 10pm. Monday is also the college national championship football game.

That’s it, have a great Friday and weekend, GB.

200 new Denver residents a day, sounds like a lot when you take the 30 days in a month and do the math. Denver tried to send a bunch to Wheat Ridge, our old hood, but Wheat Ridge told Denver, “You want to be a sanctuary city, you keep them”. Good for them.

Multiply this by 50 States and you can see the problem Sleepy Joe, (yes he fell asleep during a speech again) is causing. So my question is, how in the hell can anyone vote democrat?

Last night Jag and Ava went to Scotch Lodge, Tommy and Kristin’s restaurant in Portland, and said it was really cool. Glad they got to go. Mark and I went to James’s house in Lake Creek last night for a cigar. Tonight, we have our regular Thursday night get together at the new cabin.

More work today on Newco. Yesterday we also went to the courthouse to get Lori’s new license plates. 45 minutes until we take Ty to work. God Bless.

Ty works this morning, but thankfully, not until 8am. That means Lori and I slept in until 6 which is much better than 5:30, even though it doesn’t sound like it.

Yesterday Lori and I ran down to Denver to exchange some clothes I bought her for Christmas and pick up some new stuff at 30% off. It was a quick trip but a nice drive and was warm down there, almost 50 degrees! Looks like we’re postponing hunting in Alaska until next year and headed to Wyoming for antelope around October 1st instead. We just have too much stuff going on this year and it’d be $30k at least. This was basically my call as the money doesn’t matter to James. Marty too would prefer spending $10K instead of $30K. Plus, I for sure want the family to go on a memorable vacation somewhere nice mid-May when Jagger gets out of school. Our friends also invited us down to their private island they bought in Belize April 20th through the 28th. We’ll fly private too, so it’ll be pretty cheap.

Today two of my Partners leave for Italy for a week. Jagger and Ava are going to Kristin and Tommy’s restaurant in Portland tonight. Kristin has worked for me for over 20 years, since her early 20’s. She’s like a daughter. I’m sure they’ll have a blast as Tommy is a whisky professional that travels the World as a mixologist.

Cold up here but nothing too bad. Dr. B is in Hawaii all week, so Lori is working from home on and off. Time to get moving as we need to leave in 45 minutes or so. Have a great day and God Bless.

Today is a new beginning. It starts with my conference call with the team where I need to let them know of some people that are no longer here, (not fun, but necessary) and a few other changes for 2024. After that, the real work starts. Time to start implementing the much-needed changes.

It was a good break. We’re rested more than we’ve been in weeks so that helps. Jag and Ava are having fun and Ty took it easy all day yesterday recuperating from New Years Eve. He’s back to work tomorrow.

Yesterday we watched some football, went to the gym and took back a $500 patio heater Lori bought me for my birthday, that frankly, doesn’t heat up the patio! Sweet of her to think of it and surprise me though.

As I said yesterday, lots of things happening this year, Lori’s 60th birthday is the big one! Not sure what we’re going to do, but I have to think of something! We’re trying to decide where to go when Jag is out of school mid-May.

Anyone have any resolutions for the new year? I have a couple, like three, as if you have too many, you keep none of them. If you don’t have any, that’s fine too. To each their own.

Short week as it’s Tuesday even though it feels like a Monday. Still hard to get my arms around the year 2024. Irt sounds much more futuristic than 2023 for some reason. I’m afraid it’s going to be a tumultuous year for the World. I don’t see a lot of signs of enlightenment from the supposed leaders, which are in reality, representatives. They all seem to all be power hungry old people that will do anything to hang onto their positions. So sad, but there is a higher power that has a plan. Don’t doubt it for a minute!

That’s it, time to move and groove, good luck this year and God Bless.

2024, sure sounds like we’re living in the future, or out of some Terminator movie. When you think about it, hard to believe it actually is the year 2024! Some things haven’t changed, like the mountains or the rivers. They’ll all be around long after we’re all gone. But lots of other things have changed, mainly people.

Last night, we just couldn’t stay up. I did wake up at 11:45 so we were up for New Year’s, but I actually crawled in bed (Lori was already there) around 7pm. We were really tired from getting up at 5:30 every morning taking Ty to work and then staying up for all the parties and stuff. We slept in until around 7:15 although I was up at 5:20 and then went back to bed.

We did get the Christmas tree down yesterday and put everything away. 2024 is supposed to be a tough year. I’ve been talking about it for months but now it’s here, so let’s go.

This year we’re going to try to get to Europe for a couple weeks. I’m also 90% of the way to committing to going to Alaksa hunting and we have The Rolling Stones here in June!

Today we start the 14th year of the blog. I have to get it printed out so everyone can read it and so we have a hard copy of it. It’ll be interesting to go back and read it all. I’ll make that a project this year for sure.

That’s it, have a great day and great year! God Bless and Happy New Year!

Ready? 2024. Sounds surreal. We remember 12/31/1999 clear as a bell. My how the World has changed, and not for the better. I’m getting tired of saying that every New Year’s Eve. Hopefully things will soon get better, as one thing about time, is it always brings change.

Yesterday Ty worked from 7am until 9:30pm. That’s just too much. He then had to take the bus home and I picked him up down at the roundabout at 10:10. The manager at his second job is trying to guilt him into working tonight even though Ty told him last Tuesday, he couldn’t work. Ty is finally coming to the realization that he can’t work two jobs. He has no transportation and it’s just too much. I know the owner well of the second place and don’t want to step in as it’s Ty’s gig, but not cool that Logan (the manager at the pizza place) is basically abusing Ty. Oh well, life lesson for him.

As for the party tonight, we’re going to skip it. We’re just too tired. I’m sure we’ll be asleep by 9, ha. Lots of good football on today.

Marty and Mel had to put their oldest dog down yesterday. She’d been sick for a long time. Still, always sad.

2024, it’s going to be a rough ride. Still, there’s opportunity in chaos. Need to face it head on and adapt. Can’t just be words or thoughts, need to take action. It’ll be interesting to see what all happens. I prefer even numbered years anyhow so let’s go.

Hope everyone has a good night and congrats on making it another year, Happy New Year’s Eve and God Bless.

Yesterday was a busy day getting ready for dinner. Too much work went into the day, especially for Lori who made it really special for me. Around 5:45, James and Addy showed up and a few minutes later, Marty and Melanie. We had a great time and all of us hung out until around 10. James told us all about the gig in Saudi Arabia, what a trip. Lori made me this four-layer German Chocolate Cake that was so good you would have thought some famous pastry chef made it. Everyone sang happy birthday to me. I think this is the third of fourth birthday of mine with all of us together.

Jag’s flight is at 7:30 and Ty works at 7:15 so we’ll leave the house around 6:30. Lori and I will then head to the gym, (what’s new, right) and then head home. Trash day is today and I have about six bags and two cans to go out.

Dinner was great and so was the day. I always joke that I’ll bet nobody else has James on video singing happy birthday to them four times. Time to get the boys moving. Have a great day. We’re supposed to go to a New Years Eve party with James and Addy tomorrow, but we’ll see. Only about a day and a half left in 2023, God Bless.

Well today is my birthday, now that we have that out of the way, on to the day, ha. Yesterday Lori and I managed to get a lot done. After the gym, which killed my back, we cleaned up and de-Christmased most of the house, except for the tree. The cleaners were coming at noon, so we wanted to get the garland off the mantle and counters and railings. We ran to Costco for a bunch of beef ribs to cook for dinner tonight, James and Addy and Marty and Melanie are coming for dinner, or that was the plan.

You see, Marty and his youngest son Max, were wrestling a couple nights ago and Melanie got too close and was bonked in the head. She has an aneurysm from being rear ended in a car accident probably 5 or 6 years ago. Later that night, (3 nights ago) she vomited twice and her pupils were really small. Telltale signs of a concussion. They thought she’d get better but should have gone straight to ER that night. Anyhow, after dropping his oldest son and longtime girlfriend at the airport in Denver yesterday, they went straight to Anchutz Medical Center which is a big hospital in Denver. As of 10 last night, she was still having tests. She had a CT scan and was waiting on an MRI. I guess the aneurysm is ok, but they were checking out other stuff. Marty had his little dog with him so last we talked at 9 last night, he was driving the dog back to Frisco and then heading back down to Denver. So, not sure if they’ll make it tonight. Might just be James and Addy and us.

At 4, I went to cigar night with the guys. It was our first night in a homestead cabin built in 1878 that Andres, in our group, refinished and fixed up for James. It is the first homestead in Eagle County and happens to be on Addy’s property next to her house. When I walked in, (I arrived first) it was like stepping back in time. It’s really cool and fun. My buddy Shultz drove up from Denver to join us for a smoke. Pics tomorrow as my phone is charging.

When I made it home, Jagger had just plated the short ribs and homemade mashed potato’s. It was an awesome dinner. Lori, Jag and I ate it and watched some tv. Ty spent the night at Maddie’s as she made it back from London last night, where she was for Christmas with her family. Lori and I will pick him up at 7:40 this morning on the way to the gym and drop him at work at 8.

That is it. Won’t be long until 2024! Have a great day, be well, stay safe and God Bless.