A Year of Change

We heard from Ty as he’s having a blast. We can’t reach Jag as he’s out on a boat with zero communication in the middle of the ocean. Only 2 and 3 days now until they’re both home.

Today James and I are taking a road trip to Aspen. Lunch was good. Without getting into too many personal details, he’s at a crossroad as is the band. At some point in our lives all of us question just what are we doing with our life. This is sort of the general place they are all in. In a way you could say (let’s hope so) that this episode will result in some positive changes. We talked about rehab, addictions and life in general focusing on where we both are at this point of our lives and just what’s important these days. While there are vast differences in how famous and wealthy we are, (he’s a little bit more famous and has more money than me if you were wondering) we’re a lot alike. He did say he told the band he just cant do 50 shows a year anymore. I told him do 12 and do them every other year, but only if you still like and enjoy it. Anyhow enough of our lunch as there was a lot more but I’ll keep that to myself. He did tell me how there were people in rehab for being addicted to their phones and social media big time. Not surprising if you think about it.

It warmed up big time here and felt like summer compared to the last week. As I said, the boys will be home soon and we miss them both. My Italy trip is officially off and we’re making some changes at work to coincide with our new German partners.

We’re up early as Lori is working out. I might go with her to walk the treadmill. Mojo wasn’t feeling well yesterday but seems better today. Harley is her same old puppy self. Think I’ll skip the virus segment today but suffice it to say, it’s not slowing down. The MWC (Mobile World Conference) in Barcelona which is one of the largest conventions in the World has had companies like LG, Navidia, IBM, Samsung and others, all pull out. I suspect we’ll see more of this in the near future. All I can say is what I said before, prepare as much as you can.

Here’s a couple pictures of Ty and his group in Chicago. He’s with Chloe and they’re doing their best Ferris Buhler pose!

Enjoy the day, God Bless.

Yesterday while I was shopping Lori received a text from Jagger’s girlfriend saying she has tested positive for mono! We don’t know if Jag has it or not and we won’t know until next week as there’s no way to get in touch with him. Chances are he doesn’t but Madi did say it’s going around Battle Mountain High School. She’s been traveling though as she was in Chicago late last week for a audition with Julliard and the weekend before that in Boston for her audition with Boston College. She’s a theater major and really good and trying to get into one of the performing arts schools. Meanwhile Ty texted last night from Second City which is where the likes of John Belushi and Dan Aykrod got their start. Ty gets home Friday and Jag on Saturday.

I’m doing better every day and today James and I are going to lunch for sushi. Big travel news, looks like my Italy trip is postponed. Not due to the virus but due to conflicting trips 10 days apart and budget constraints. Several of our guys are going to Prowein in Germany around March 15th so we decided to try to combine the trips into one. Thank God as I didn’t want to trounce through airports and sit in a metal tube for hours anyhow.

Not much snow up here overnight but it looks like Denver was hit with 4 or 5 inches. What a year. It’ll be good for us this summer though as water is gold in the West. It’s killing me that I can’t workout but I need to lay off for another six days. Lori is off tomorrow and I think making a few more decisions down at the house. James and I are taking a road trip to Aspen tomorrow to pick up our new hats that my friends made for us. They’ve been working on them for about six months. If you think back to last summer they made us some then too. Should be a fun little trip. I said I’d stay home and go to the house with her but Lori says it’s good that I go as James probably needs to hang with someone who doesn’t want anything from him. Guess that’s me as I just see him as another guy, even though he’s like one of the Beatles, ha. He’s all alone right now trying to recover from his relapse. Everybody has issues no matter who you are.

That’s it, watch your top knot! Look that up if you don’t know what it means. Time to go, God Bless.

It’s about 7:20 and Ty is almost to Denver. His flight leaves around 11 am. We coached him up on using wipes and assuming any and everything there is has germs on it. Hope he has fun, Chicago is going to be freezing all week long.

Lori and I watched Homeland on Showtime last night and hung out in a semi-empty house. Of course the dogs do their best to keep us busy.

Today I need to pay a deposit on the floors. Yesterday while stocking up on $600 worth of supplies at Costco, my left leg sort of in my hip joint started aching. This is of course because I have been favoring that side due to the operation but boy did it hurt. It’s better this morning but I need to take it easy. I’m one of those that always does too much when healing but I think I’ll try to not do as much today. Lori already shoveled and started the car, she’s a strong girl and would have made a good pioneer woman.

The Today Show led off their broadcast this morning with the quarantined cruise ship in Japan where cases of the virus doubled over night. It went from 61 to 135 which is more than any country other than China. They had a 74 year old American woman on the phone Facetiming saying we need to get off the ship now before we too get sick. I don’t think the authorities are going to let anyone off. Can you imagine? What would you do? One report out of China says 400 million are in lockdown and 1.5 million are infected with 50,000 dead. There are satellite photos showing Sulphur dioxide emissions coming from Wuhan and they say the only thing that could cause that are crematoriums working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Funerals are banned there too as is any contact with anyone else. They’re pretty much out of food but on top of that only one family member can go out for an hour a day to try to get food. These numbers are more realistic and with the internet you knew China couldn’t suppress the real numbers forever. The news also showed people forcibly being taken away from their homes. Don’t think that could happen here? Think again. Think for yourself and remember if you wait to get basic living supplies until everyone else does, it’ll be too late. Worse case is you’ll have some extra food, a bitchin face mask for home projects (if you buy a face mask) and extra supplies in case you get a cold.

It’s supposed to stop snowing now and be pretty much clear for the next 10 days. We can use the break as we’ve lost about 5 parking spots that are now filled up with snow. They need to get a front loader in here and haul it away as it’s not going to melt anytime soon.

In closing, no need to panic, yet, just time to prepare. You buy food and stuff anyhow, just buy a little extra in case you can’t go to a store for a few weeks. That’s it, hopefully like a bad movie this won’t be some historical record of the Great Pandemic. May God Bless you and God Bless us all.

Well she’s at it again. Shoveling outside trying to move the car before the plow comes. She already made coffee, took both dogs out and fed them too. And that’s just this morning! Yesterday she cleaned and helped Ty pack and cooked and did some other things I missed as I pretty much watched reruns of Homeland all day. I’m feeling better every day but sadly for her, it’ll be at least a week from tomorrow before I can lift anything of substance and do any shoveling. Things should be easier with the kids gone on their trips.

Jag made it to Florida and to the boat while Ty is supposed to be at DIA at 6 am tomorrow. That could be a challenge. Personally I wouldn’t be too upset if they didn’t make it as I’m not thrilled with the Chicago trip but of course all the kids want to go.

Italy at the end of the month is looking less likely by the day. The virus is not to be underestimated although most in our society do as they’ve be conditioned to think nothing will ever happen to them. The videos of citizens in China and other countries where it’s common to suspend rights are scary. The authorities are rounding people up by force and taking them to quarantine camps. If they take you and you didn’t have the virus you almost surly will after being housed with hundreds that do! The actual numbers no one knows but they’re way above what we’re being told. Some say over 30,000 dead and hundreds of thousands infected. That makes more sense as does anyone really think China would shut down their country and economy and quarantine over 60 million people over 600 deaths? Sounds a little fishy to me as way more people die from the flu. Chinese authorities say at least 5 million people left Wuhan before they locked down the city mid-January and they spread out all across China. For sure some of those got out to neighboring countries too. At this point, it’s just a matter of time to see how bad this gets. 100% Containment is no longer an option. This thing is every where. No matter where you live the person next to you in line at the grocery store or bank could be carrying the virus. Any doctor office has to be suspect for sure. We’re just too connected as a society these days. Now the best course of action is to be prepared to try to not get sick and if you do, to have supplies on hand to try to get better. On top of things, you can get this more than once! Some will ignore this all together, others will go overboard and cut themselves off from the World and go no where near any stores or people and most of us will be aware but continue with day to day life. I actually know of some people on lock down already. Can you imagine if all travel and stores and businesses were shut down for 14 days? Are you ready for that? Do you have enough food, medicine, toilet paper? Could happen. CNN of all people was blasting Trump yesterday for not sealing the borders, wow.

Lori just came in. I have a lot of respect for her as ever since I’ve known her she has that mentality of if it needs to be done, she doesn’t complain but rather just tackles it head on, no matter the challenge. I feel bad my surgery coincided with the largest snowstorm of the year. Oh well, that’s it, time to get moving, hope everyone is well, take care, be safe and God Bless.

With a bunch of snow, Jag gone and Ty at Sonny’s, Lori had to do everything. From taking the dogs out, to shoveling snow to waiting on me. To be fair, I had no idea it would snow like 2 feet when my surgery was scheduled. She says I timed that right!

I was sore yesterday but skipped the pain pills. I just don’t like the way they make you feel. Ty was on the mountain but knocked off early as there were just too many people. I helped Jag get ready and he left around noon for Denver. His flight leaves at 9 this morning so by tonight he should be on a boat in the Keys. Meanwhile Lori was working.

Today I’m not sure what’s going on. Ty spent the night at Sonny’s and needs to come home and pack for his trip as he’ll leave late tomorrow night or early Monday am. He did get a much needed haircut yesterday.

That’s it, no gym today or for the next 7 days or so, bummer. Be well, stay safe and God Bless.

It’d be interesting to see how many posts where I’ve used the word snow! I’m sure a bunch. Right now I-70 is closed from Vail to about Georgetown which is easily 60 or 70 miles of highway. Jag and his crew need to get down sometime today for their 9 am Saturday morning flight. Not sure when they’ll head out.

My surgery went well or so I’m told. I’m sore like I did a heavy workout but not really in that much pain which is surprising to everyone on my medical team. They gave me all kinds of pills from Celebrex to Oxy but I didn’t take any. We ran into our James (Metallica) when leaving the hospital around noon and we joked about how no way he or I could or would take oxy! Can’t believe they even still give it out. We’ll put ours in a safe and save for our medical supplies for emergencies. I laid on the couch most of the day but probably did too much. I need to lay low. Both boys are going to have to shovel this morning as no way I can do that. Lori, of course has been wonderful. She’s almost perfect, ha.

It’s a snow day for school which almost never happens so that tells you how much we have outside. It’s going to be probably the best powder day we’ve had this year and of course Ty will be hitting the mountain. He has to stay on the main runs as there could be avalanches even at the ski area. We have drifts outside halfway up Jag’s car. Ty and Lori are out there now trying to dig the cars out. I picked a good day to lay low, ha.

Here’s todays virus update,

Here we are, right where we thought we’d be.  It’s Thursday, February 6th. Trump’s market action associated with State of the Union and acquittal overpowered all risk.  After Trump’s press conference today, this ‘victory lap’ trend should begin to close.  Technically, today’s stock action marks a complete retracement back to prior market highs of Dow 29,348 from January 17th.  Apple is back near prior highs.  Even Alibaba is trading into the $220’s.  Trump was able to take a victory lap without any panic days in the market.  Again, right where we thought we’d be.  His political victory is assured by the market scoreboard. What comes next?  China has quarantined more than 60 million people.  Out of nowhere, President Xi voluntarily cut tariffs on U.S. products.  You think he did that because of 566 coronavirus deaths?  566 deaths is far fewer than the seasonal flu.  Yum brands, the owner of Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut just warned that coronavirus will be a significant headwind for 2020 earnings.  Yum operates 6,300 KFC’s and 2,200 Pizza Hut’s in China.  Kate Spade and Coach just closed a majority of its 366 stores in China.  Toyota is hunting for alternative auto part suppliers outside of China.  Adidas is closing 500 of its own stores and 11,500 outlets.  Apple closed all 42 stores.  It’s been two weeks since any AirPods have been manufactured.  Perhaps most importantly, Foxconn has stopped production of iPhones until February 10th and is likely to extend the shutdown into March. Tesla closed its 24 stores. Starbucks is closing stores.  You think the Chinese economy is being brought to its knees because of 566 deaths? Hmmmmm. Get ready and hold on!

Time to wrap it up. Hope you all are well, take care and God Bless.

Thought we were going to get hit hard last night but the snow isn’t here as of yet. That’s good as I go in in about an hour for my procedure and should be home by noon.

The boys have school today and tomorrow before two weeks off. I tried to get as much laundry done as possible and clean the kitchen before I need to lay low for a week or so.

Last night we lost the basketball game. We just couldn’t get shots to drop. Jag should be done unless we’re in the tournament in a few weeks. He’s pretty much over it anyhow. We were talking last night how for his entire high school career we haven’t had a real basketball coach. Too bad but it is what it is. Time to go so we can leave in an hour. Have a great day and God Bless.

Ty’s season is over while Jag has a game tonight. Jag has another this Saturday but he’ll be gone on his trip. They lost last night after being tied at the end of the first half. Hopefully they’ll win tonight. Poor coaching once again by our side.

Seems it was a great State of the Union speech last night. Nancy Pelosi in an unbelievable act of disrespect tore up the President’s speech right behind him as soon as it was over. Guess she’s not happy that they (the Dems) wasted 3 years chasing him and he now has the highest approval ratings of his Presidency and will be acquitted later today in their unfounded impeachment trial . Oh well, guess we shouldn’t expect any bipartisan support these days. So sad that they all care about hating each other rather than actually trying to help us, the people. I say kick them all out!

Snow tomorrow night and surgery in the morning. Lori is off to the gym in a few minutes. I need to check the oil in Jagger’s car and somehow get it changed. I think he also needs a few things before his trip Saturday morning.

Time to go, hope everyone is well, GB.

Tonight at 5:30 the boys have a game and we do have a little snow. Looks like Denver has a lot more though. It’s going to start clearing up mid-afternoon.

I worked out yesterday and probably shouldn’t have as I was a bit sore. Ty came home at 4 while Jag stayed for practice and arrived home at 7:30. Practice was delayed as the girls had a game. Yesterday at Lori’s work it was a sad day. Dr. Shiffrin, the dad of Mikaela the best alpine skier in the World, fell off his roof removing snow and died! Dr. Shiffrin was a doctor at the hospital. How sad. I guess he died on impact according to Lori. I won’t go into the details so we’ll leave it at that.

Looks like the Dems screwed it up in Iowa. They switched over to a new app (ha ha) that former Clinton staffers came up with. That didn’t work very well. Oh well, typical. Bernie was supposed to win but the Democratic National Committee doesn’t want him to be the nominee, just as they didn’t want him to 4 years ago. They even changed their rules to let Bloomberg in the debates after he wrote a huge check to them. Bet Kamala Harris and Cory Booker are pissed off as they kicked them out based on the rule they changed, ha.

Turns out the virus is growing and is now confirmed as a bio-engineered weapon created in a lab. This is known as the Chinese bought a gene from a commercial company called AddGene. If you’re interested I can share more (Tommy) but here’s a small exert to help clue you in.

The novel coronavirus has an identical protein coat as a PLA registered bioweapon: That Bat-SARS-Like coronavirus was issued Reference ID: AVP 70833.1 by the National Center for Biotechnology Information at the U.S. Library of Medicine.

The ONLY way to modify a virus and insert genes without changing the protein coat, is bioengineering.  They actually found HOW and reported it today: A commerical product from AddGene, called pShuttle, which leaves a fingerprint (as an audit trail)  is the ONLY way to get this virus to affect humans and it was from the 2 AIDS gene insertions, specifically: spike protein to HIV-1 gp120 and Gag. So what they did was attach the AIDS virus, or a derivative there of, to the virus. They are using AIDS tests to confirm infection.

Good news for non Chinese is that we have 5x less of the endothelial cells which are what primarily gets infected.

In English this means they can track the modification of this to the lab where they created it and it will hit Asians harder that Caucasians. Also contrary to what the mainstream media is telling you, this in no way came from a fish market. Now there’s all kinds of theories as to why this was created from being a weapon to controlling (reducing) the World’s population and more. I’ll leave that all alone as “why” doesn’t matter as much as how and now what can we do about it. I could go on but you get the point. There are, according to medical professionals in Hong Kong (not the Chinese govt.), over 200,000 cases there alone! 3M is sold out of masks and allocating them as they produce them Worldwide. Lucky for us we have hundreds in storage including the N95 disposable masks to full face respirators. If anyone needs some N95 masks, let me know.

If you aren’t worried and think this will all easily pass and you trust the government and think this is all an overreaction, then sorry for wasting your time. Personally I always think it’s better to be prepared and not need something than need something and not be prepared.

Back to our World. We finalized the flooring and things are coming along well. The game is at 5:30 tonight at Vail Christian and tomorrow at VMS. Zoe is doing fine in Israel and they are all going to spend a night in Jerusalem. She and Ty are texting and/or talking almost daily.

Think I’ll hit Costco today to top off some reserves of consumables. This means toilet paper, toiletries, non-perishable food essentials, batteries, etc. Always a boy scout, ha, God Bless.

This week we have two basketball games, Jag leaves on Friday, I’m scheduled for surgery Thursday and we have a bunch of house stuff too. I need to be down at the house to review the floors at 10:30 this morning. Lori is back at work after getting up early, (we were both up at 4;30 am yesterday!) and we’re expecting snow.

The game was so so. Up until the 4th Quarter San Fran led but there were a bunch of bad or non calls as usual. We obviously weren’t happy with the outcome. On top of that the commercials were not very good this year and halftime was horrible. it was a pseudo strip club show with the girls lip synching. No one in our group liked it.

The cases of the virus are still growing but like I said, in two weeks we’ll know the real gravity of the situation. How are you all liking the endless stream of Bloomberg ads on tv? As they say, you ain’t seen nothing yet. 54 Billion is a lot of money so expect a bunch as this guy thinks he can buy the election. Who knows, maybe he can, hope not. The ad he ran yesterday in the game was so misleading as the mom who lost her son forgot to mention he was in a gang and took a gun to a gang fight to shoot other kids, hmmm. He was also 20 years old, not her sweet little “child” as she said in the ad. She also didn’t tell you she was flown by private jet to the Super Bowl and given tickets by Mike! Nothing new here though, just typical bending of the truth to fit the narrative. We have about 9 months of election ads which is going to be really painful.

Time to get the kids up and get going. Snow around noon they say. I have a phone interview this morning with a new hire too. That’s it, next thing to look forward to for football is the draft at the end of April. Be safe, wash your hands often and God Bless.