A Year of Change

You’re getting close to the last day you can mail your packages or envelopes to have them arrive by Christmas! Make sure to get them out! It’s also the boys last day of Finals with each having one today.

Tonight we’re going for sushi with Emma and her family and then tomorrow Jag has surgery, and then Saturday we have our sleigh ride and cowboy chuck wagon dinner out at the ranch. I rented the whole sleigh and we’re taking our rock star family friends, (I try not to put James last name in the blog so it doesn’t pop up in random internet searches) Marty, Melanie and their son Max and letting each boy invite 2 friends. Emma and her Mom are going to San Francisco for the weekend so they’ll be gone. Oh they’re taking Jag to the Nuggets Warriors game courtside January 15th for his birthday! That should be fun!

The boys Finals start at noon but I’m off to Denver and Lori has clinic so they’re going early today. I was up again just about every hour or two with my sinus headache. The heat set at 72 didn’t help either.

I sent an email to my entire team yesterday telling them to put family first. Now this is sort of out of charachter for me as I’m the King of Revenue and always on top of them to get their orders in. But last night I was sitting around thinking how fast the holidays are going by and wanted to make sure that they know that even though they need to do their job (which is hard sometimes to get them to do!) that it’s important to enjoy the season with their family. Their job will still be here the day after Christmas but the moments they can share with their family won’t. I think when you lose some of your family, (like Mom) it puts things into a different perspective. I received a few emails back and could tell some of my people were surprised at my email. I always say, keep them off guard, ha.

Time for me to get moving, Pebbles looks particularly fetching this morning. In case you don’t know, that’s Lori as she puts her hair up at night and looks like Pebbles from the Flintstones! Have a great day, be safe, enjoy every moment and God Bless.

Today’s my little brothers birthday. If I’m doing my math right, he’s 58. He always jokes when I say little brother as he is taller than I am. Anyhow Happy Birthday Tom! I love this picture!

Yesterday both boys had two more finals. Today they both have Science and then one each tomorrow and then they’re done. Lori is off today and I’m chasing a million dollars or more in orders still. If everyone would just do what they’re supposed to do, we’d be ok. We did hire a new guy today to work the streets of New York. He should be a good addition.

I think I’ve kicked the cold that was coming on. Luckily I caught it early and, knock on wood, think I’ve turned it around. Can’t get sick this time of year, too much going on.

Not sure what Tom and Ali are doing today. It’s hard when your birthday is so close to Christmas. He’s six days before and I’m four after. Hard to have a party right before Christmas or between Christmas and New Years. Oh well Lori and I read that December babies are smarter, healthier, live longer, are morning people, less likely to contract major diseases and are more successful and better looking than those not born in December. Ok I threw in the better looking part but it seems to be true! Hope he has a great day.

Time to get moving. Lots to do. I started a big purge yesterday by going through my dresser and closet and throwing out 3 bags of clothes I don’t wear anymore. There was a bunch of single socks that I finally gave up on finding the match for too. Add in some trash from the bathroom drawers and that was a good day. Oh, I also wrapped about six presents for Lori! Can’t wait for her and the boys to open their presents. It’s much more fun to give than receive these days. Have a great day, take care, be safe, enjoy the holidays and God Bless.

Today the boys have more finals, I think English and Language meaning Mandarin for Jag and Spanish for Ty. Tomorrow is Tom’s birthday, whoo hoo. Lori’s working away as am I. Thursday we have a dinner with Emma and her family and Friday am is Jagger’s surgery. I’m fighting off one of the kids colds, I think Ty’s. I went to the doctor just to make sure I didn’t have strep or something contagious. I’m a little stuffed but think I’m better today.

It’s 6:45 and we need to leave at 7:30. Lori is in the shower, Jag is up and I think Ty was moving but could be back asleep. I’d better go check, ha. One week until Christmas, God Bless.

WOW, today Jag is 17 years old. It’s so hard to believe it’s been that long since he first came into the World at Lutheren Hospital in Wheat Ridge Colorado. I remember Mom and Dad being so happy, especially my Mom! Grandma Dixie and Pa Don and Annette were thrilled too even thought they couldn’t be there. As you all know, he’s turned into quite the young man, more than we could have ever imagined. I’m sure there’s great things ahead for him and he’ll somehow make the World a much better place as that’s the kind of guy he is. We couldn’t be more proud of him and who he has become.

Last night Lori accidentally turned the heat up to 80 degrees! We woke up in a sauna or her version of Hawaii! Jag and I have stuffy noses. Hopefully they’ll go away. Yesterday I ran Jag to Loveland for Emma’s ski race (her parents drove him home) and Ty went boarding on the mountain until 1:30. Today finals start at school and run through Thursday. Hope both boys do well.

I’m off to Denver today and maybe Wednesday and that’s it until Christmas. Lori started making Jag a spice cake last night and just finished frosting it a few minutes ago. It’s 5:39 now and we’re up early as Harley was barking as she thought the place was on fire since it was so hot, ha! Lori just made a snarky face as I read her the blog, double ha! Today she’s back at work of course and a week from tomorrow is Christmas. Take care hope everyone is well and God Bless.

After a long day of here and there, we made it to the Steadman Christmas Party by just about 7. We stayed until about 10 and then headed home. You have to experience it in person to understand how many people love Lori and think she’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. I was talking with Dr. Huard’s wife (he’s one of the top stem cell researchers in the World) who at one point said she doesn’t know a lot of people and she’s just “Dr. Huard’s wife” to everyone and I said I know what you mean as I’m just “Lori Fugate’s husband”! Anyhow the food was great with everything you could imagine from Chinese to Larkburgers to pork belly to tuna and more. Everything was put out as contionous appetizers for like 3 hours rather than a sit down dinner. Dessert was out of this World with a ton of choices. We both ate way too much, but hey, it’s the holidays!

This morning we’re headed to the gym and then Jag wants to go to Loveland Ski Area as Emma has a race. We might head down to Denver for shopping and if so, can drop him off. We have a few things still to get and then get them in the mail. Time is running out.

The Bronco’s lost and hopefully now our coach gets fired. They had the game on 3 big tv’s in the bar and a bunch of us eye candy husbands were watching it, ha. Time to run so I can take the dogs out and get to the gym. Enjoy the season, be safe and take care and GB.

This morning at 8;45 Ty has to be in Eagle for a climbing tournament. Then he’ll be studying for finals which start Monday. Not sure if I mentioned that Jag received his PSAT scores. He was over 1200 out of 1520 which put him above the 90% in the Country. This was all without any tutoring which everyone does now. Everyone from his college counselor to the doctors at Lori’s work were amazed. The only one not so shocked was Jag who expected it and says he can do better. Should have known, ha.

Jag went to Emma’s after school and they brought him home at 11 last night. We went to Danika’s going away party as she’s going to nursing school in Denver at the beginning of the year. Her boyfriend Zach’s grandpa graduated from DU with Dad! Talk about a small World. He recognized the name that somehow came up in conversation and asked if we were related to Ivan Fugate, wow. He’s a judge in Denver.

That’s is as we need to leave in 35 minutes. We still have Christmas stuff to do but have Lori’s Christmas party tonight. I’d rather watch the Broncos! God Bless.

Ten days until Christmas Eve. Throw in Jag’s and Tommy’s birthday and a week of finals along with a going away party tonight for one of Lori’s girls and the company Christmas party tomorrow for the hospital and we’re busy! I had a great meeting yesterday in Denver with my new distributor and am excited to have two companies now selling for me.

Jag has surgery a week from today which sadly we’re going to have to pay for as our insurance deductible starts over every December 1st! We have a surprise coming up for Jag’s birthday, we’re all taking a trip in February to a place the boys really want to go. Can’t tell you what or where but we will as we get closer.

6:48 now so time to get the boys moving. Hope everyone is well, take care, be safe and God bless.

December 12th marks the 12 days of Saint Nick nights. Both boys put their shoes out which we alwaysbdid as a kid. Ty left a note asking for some Yu Gi Oh cards and then told Santa, “p.s. keep up the good work”! How cool is that!

It’s now 7 and I should be on the road so time to go, have a great day, I’ll add more later, GB

Everytime you fly in and out of San Francisco, it seems you’re delayed. Yesterday was no exception. Finally I landed just before 8 pm which put me home at 10. There were lots of people though that missed their connections so I’m not complaining. Plus again, I was in First. So it was a long but successful trip that lasted 36 hours.

Today I have a meeting in Denver around 1o and tomorrow another one. Both boys need to get moving as they can’t be late again. Finals are next week, Jag has surgery a week from Friday and Ty has a climbing tournament on Saturday. Looks like Jag is done with basketball until at least February if not for the season. It’s almost 7 so time to go. Hope all’s well, be safe, be smart and take care, GB.

After a few delays, I landed in San Francisco around 2:30 in the afternoon. My California employee Hans picked me up and we headed straight up to Santa Rosa in wine country. Now if you have to go to California, Santa Rosa is not a bad place to go. It’s small and quiet with nice little shops and restaurants. We met up with Brian (my partner) and headed out for a work dinner until about 9. Then I headed to bed and slept pretty well. I’m in the Hyatt Regency which has really good beds!

Now for the news of the day. On Sunday Jag showed me his hands making two fists saying “look how my knuckles are different”. Of course I didn’t think anything of it but after x-rays yesterday, he’s having surgery next Friday! Apparently his tendon has slipped off his knuckle or something. Dr. Viola is the best hand surgeon there is so he knows what he’s talking about. He has finals next week and wants to wait so he can write well but then will go under the knife on his right hand, I can’t believe it. This of course means he’ll be out of basketball for most of the season returning around the beginning of February if at all, ugh. This means don’t buy him any gloves for Christmas!

My coffee and fresh farm eggs and toast just arrived so time to eat. All I really care about is the coffeee though. My meeting is at 10 and then I’ll drive back to the airport at noon for my 3:30 flight to Denver. This puts me in around 7 and home by about 9 pm. It’s super foggy here and will take until around noon until it burns off. You can barely see outside in the city. I could never live here! Have a great day, take care and 2 weeks until Christmas! God Bless.