Tales of the Ordinary Days

A picture of the setting sun after a day on the farm Garrett and I have had our calendars marked for months for Weekend on the Farm. Although the picturesque retreat goes on for three days, we were only able to dedicate our Saturday to this Christian gathering. A Day on the Farm for us. After a short drive to Harlan, Iowa, we found ourselves smack in the middle of nowhere. A perfect setting for a perfect day. The surrounding trees and fields gained for us the solitude we yearned. Our typically overbooked schedules embraced this little sanctuary. Joining us was our friend, Lori Stohs. Just two days prior, we invited her on our little road trip. Following some confusion on the retreat theme of "Running to God", Lori quickly concluded that some time away to celebrate our faith would be well worth her Saturday. And no running shoes were required. The day was wonderful. It did not disappoint. We left Harlan with full hearts and with new and renewed friendships. God left...

I'm back. It's been a busy few weeks, but mission accomplished. I'm now out of the weeds and up for air. I've gotten a couple of notes from friends asking where I've been. Well...after giving it some thought, it's really all been all about reading, writing and arithmetic. With arithmetic being the clear leader. For weeks I have been doing what financial people do...numbers, numbers, and more numbers. There were days when I was swimming in numbers; diving into worksheet number forty-six of a complex Excel spreadsheet with my first consideration of taking shower at 4:00 on a Sunday afternoon. The life of an accountant. I thought these days were behind me. Racing fast and furious to calculate the bottom line. I was wrong. Less the visor and adding machine, I have filled the bean-counter stereotype as of late. For thirty days and thirty nights, I been churning through numbers. Projections, financial assumptions, income statements, cash flows, and s...

(A rerun post from 7/7/11...my first try at an organized run) _______________________________________________________________________ My biking escapades continue with me feeling like a newly minted cycling enthusiast. I now have the cool spandex bike shorts, zip jersey, and fingerless gloves. My shoes are the specialized ones that clip to my pedals. AND this weekend I participated in my first ever organized biking event; which was a true adventure in many ways. But before I dive into the details of the Tour de Sandy; let me digress a bit as to how this idea was hatched. As I have indicated in past blogs, Garrett (my man from Denver) is very much a cycling enthusiast. Although I'm a bike novice, Garrett invited me to join him on an organized bike ride called the Mike Horgan Climb. For those who don’t know me, I will let you in on a little personality flaw; I don’t like to miss out on anything. I tend to say “yes” to every event before completely t...

Garrett completed his 12th Triple Bypass this afternoon. 120 miles with 11,000 feet of climbing. Last year was the first year he missed (due to an unnamed someone in Omaha who had plans that didn't include Colorado). So today was all about Garrett. His day. A streak to be continued (minus a minor blip in 2013). And my kids were right by my side in this sentiment. Without hesitation, Zach and Grant bypassed a sleep-in-Saturday. They happily accompanied me to Vail to cheer Garrett on at the ride finish line. There wasn't a single word questioning the need for their attendance or complaints on better use of their time. In years past, this positive response from my boys wouldn't have given me a second thought. I would have expected nothing less. That's how they were raised and the kind of boys they are; ones open for an adventure and not questioning the keen skills of their parents in navigating the master calendar. I have since learned that not all kids are wi...

Zach and me atop Mount Evans We are closing on Day Two of our three day weekend in Denver. The days have been full of mountains and scenic splendor. Zach has his first out-of-town visitor this weekend with long-time friend, Nick. As nature's playground surrounds our Denver home, we had to take in some sites that were even new to me (at about 5 years into my Denver co-residency, I no longer consider myself a newbie). Our weekend in the Rockies has been fun, but I have to admit that I'm getting a little exhausted. Although I have grown used to the drastic elevation changes, 14,000 feet is always a long ways up. Today we drove to the top of Mount Evans and then hiked up its rocky terrain. We reached the elevation of 14,265. The views were stunning. Yesterday we hiked Evergreen Mountain with the Brucker kids. Zach and Nick joined another friend in Colorado Springs to take on The Incline. This hike was not for the faint of heart; 2,000 vertical feet in a mile span. Basical...

A late flight back to Denver has turned into a late night. This is pretty typical with our flights home (the home to the West, that is). The later the flight, the higher likelihood it will be bumped. It's the domino effect to the last man standing. For the record, the terminal is pretty dead. Most people are enjoying the beautiful pre-holiday night in a lawn chair, not in an airport. As Garrett and I maneuvered on the busy Interstate, we quickly noted that the high volume of traffic was turning into Ameritrade Ballpark. Eppley Airfield did not appear to be the destination of choice. Our suspicions were correct. Wrestling for an open table at the airport bar was not a requirement for our typical Date Night. So I now sit beside my honey with dueling laptops among the quiet buzz surrounding us. It's all good though. Sometimes God winks unexpected downtime into our otherwise busy lives. We have enough fireworks going on in day-to-day living. And who would have thought the ...