Stress, Disappointment, Worry and Surprise

I’m on a plane flying to Phoenix with Beth and my friends Scott and Betsy. Time to kill so I thought I would write some random thoughts for my blog.

I like to blog but hardly ever do. Why is that?

I have lots of stress at work these days. I can’t figure what else I can do to increase revenues. Done everything right as far as I can see. We should double volume but no. I have got to think way, way out of the box to get this ship right. I am still confident in what we’re doing and I have to just continue to work hard and be patient. Working hard has not been a problem but patience has.

I am so disappointed in how the White Sox season ended and felt like well there is the Bears, Hawks and Bulls. I find myself enjoying the playoffs though I didn’t think I would. Can’t believe the Twins left 17 men on base last night. Not Twin or Gardenheir like at all. I wish Joe was playing. What happened to him. Crede, Crede……

Finally doing some work on the house. Wood floors throughout the first floor and up the stairs into the guest bedroom. It will look awesome but will force us to do more like painting and furnishing. Beth is going to stress over spending the money. You know how I feel though. Money is a means to an end not the goal. Money is evil only if you worship it. Money is fun if you use it to enjoy yourself and your surroundings. I don’t want to get to the point where I’m broke or default on our mortgage but I don’t want to spend my prime years worrying that we won’t be able to care for ourselves when we’re 80 years old. If I can’t…well they shoot horses don’t they?.

Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize! What? I like Obama but really, give him some time. It almost takes the weight out of the award now. I mean they didn’t give it to Elie Weisel or Mother Theresa when they were young based on what they thought they would do with their life. I hope and pray that Obama’s agenda leads to affirmation of the Peace Prize but we won’t know for many years.

Remember that my blog is “The Luckiest Man in the World” and that hasn’t changed because that is what I am. There is stress, there is illness, there is loss, there is uncertainty in my life but that is part of life and on the richter scale for stress, illness,l loss and uncertainty I hardly register a blip. Many more people handle 7.5s and 8s with grace and dignity so I am going to always remember I am “The Luckiest Man in the World”. I mean have you seen my wife, my daughter, my son, my family (the Circus)? It’s all good!

I can lose weight pretty easily but I can gain weight very easily. That sucks.

I am still a “jack of all trades, master of none”. I like to be active and play sporting games but I just don’t improve too much. Platform Tennis season has just begun and I am worse than I was last year and after 4 years, going on 5, I am still only on series 11 and deserve to be there. I know what to do and how to do it I just don’t. I used to think I was mentally tough but Paddle has proved to me that I am just “mental”. I have improved in golf after a couple of thousand dollars in lessons and a bunch of days at the range and I hope I will work over the winter to be prepared to go to a new level next season. Baseball/Softball has been over for almost ten years now. I miss it. Bowling is the one sport where I excelled but I don’t play anymore. I am going to get a new ball and start. I love bowling. I don’t care if that is queer, it’s what I like.

What a year for all my friends to be turning 50. Because of the economy everyone was so toned down on their celebration. Bummer, man. Oh well, I guess it is just marking time. I had made a 15 year plan when I was 35 and it was supposed to set us up to enjoy our 50s as empty nesters, which we are. I am going to stick to it and try to do something fun and kick it off right.

I am done for now. Be back soon.