Tales of the Ordinary Days

My current view My mom has been in town this week. The last time I saw her was on a visit to Arizona while I was taking a time off from my work life. Now months later and with me fully back on the work treadmill, I found myself making a comment to her on more than one occasion. "Mom, I am so busy. How did I let this happen again?" I swore myself to a more serene lifestyle after smelling the roses during my months off of work. Instead I have found myself shuffling calendar entries and running from back-to-back engagements and meetings. Although I have been wildly successful in my quest to work with the right people on the right projects, I've somehow left out the balance of leaving some time for myself. Sometimes ones self is the best study of human nature. I have come to realize that what was good for me 20 years ago is different now. What I desire for daily personal time and replenishment of energy is much different today. I will rack that up to age and human e...

#3 and last of my new professional pictures Yep, time to launch. My time off has been an excellent ride, but I am now officially back in the work saddle. Reflection time is over. Clarity is in front of me; along with my LinkedIn account updated, a new Twitter account set up, and updated professional pictures taken. Lots more 'work collateral' is still in process, but I am officially back. While working through my new business partnerships, I was asked for an updated CV (curriculum vitae) which is basically a fancy word for a resume. I hadn't updated my resume since 1990, so this was a big task. A lot has happened in the last twenty-six years of my life. I have had three kids, two marriages, and one divorce during this time frame. I have also only worked for two companies. Although I had ownership in both and held various positions, my resume clearly only lists two companies as employers during this long stretch of time. An anomaly in today's working world. One...

Day 90 of my '90 days off' started with a 6:00 a.m. wake-up call from our alarm clock. Deep in sleep, I was unaware where I was at; Omaha, Denver, Remsen? My slumber was brought back to pleasant reality with a soft kiss to my forehead followed by Garrett rolling out of bed. Definitely Denver. And I'm an adult. Childhood years in Remsen are behind me. Garrett worked on his computer in the next room while I finish a great book. In the dark of early morning, 'When Breath Becomes Air' lit up my iPad and my conscientiousness as I read the final words of the book as told by Paul Kalanithi and his widow, Lucy. This book was particularly meaningful to me as I had just met Paul's family when visiting my parents in Kingman, Arizona. It covers life and death, so eloquently written by the young neurosurgeon who died just a year ago at age 39. As a new staple in my 'must read' library, this book follows the great work of Atul Gawande. It reinforced to ...

Monday wasn't such a great day for Abby 10:03 p.m. Monday, February 29, 2016 (Leap Day) I now officially have under a week left of my unofficial 90 days off. Today is Day 84 and I am ending this day sitting in my favorite chair, fur blanket on lap and fuzzy slippers on floor, with the only sounds in the house those of a popping fireplace and a teenage son's heavy footsteps in the room above me. The animals are all tuckered out and snoozing upstairs. Not a peep from them. They had appointments at the vet's office that wore them out. A day in the life of a house pet. Cookie, the dog, loves car rides and trips outside the house. Abby, the cat, hates them. This is clear by her hissing in picture above. She did not want to visit our kind veterinarian today. Not at all. Yesterday was a warm, but windy, Sunday. Ben and I went to the last home Creighton game of the year. I have always loved Sunday afternoon basketball games at the Century Link. This afternoon was no excep...

A little Saturday play after a hard day's work As I have found in life, the days fly by. Regardless of whether I am working or not. Such was the case last week. In the blink of an eye, I went from the mountains of Utah to the Denver Rockies. And then back home to Omaha. Yesterday's 70 degree Nebraska day offset the lure of the mountain views. A good week. In recap... Day 77 (Monday - 2/22/16) Monday was a day of legal work for us. Never underestimate the worth of a good attorney. This isn't a new realization for me, but an insight that has served me well both personally and in business over my years. And by 'good attorney', I mean much more than seasoned and smart. It means high integrity and ability to steer clients in the right direction, even if it isn't what the client wants to hear. Barring all attorney jokes, I have had the blessing of working with the best. Monday was no exception. Logically we went from attorneys to margaritas. Monday wa...

Evidence of Kim and Garrett, on each side of me, while we enjoy the backyard fire. "Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn't stop to enjoy it." - William Feather Last weekend marked days 75 and 76 of my 90 days off. I have quickly become aware that 90 days isn't as much time as one would think. It is going by fast for me. Too fast. The weekend was spent visiting friends in St. George, Utah. Craig has been a long-time friend of Garrett's, and Craig's girlfriend, Kim, a new friend to both of us. But as always seems the case with happy and fun people who naturally exude this disposition, it now feels like Kim is another 'old friend' as well. First let me point out that St. George, Utah is beautiful. I had never been there. The February weather was in the upper 60's. Mountains spiked our every view. And sunlight was abound. We traveled to St. George from Kingman on Saturda...

Mom firing up her vintage Singer for some repair work on Garrett's jeans Day 74 was full of sunshine in beautiful Arizona. Mom, Dad, Garrett, and I kicked back and enjoyed exercise, activities, and lots of great conversations. Mom and I started with an early Silver Sneakers class at her gym. Kip led us in a strength-training class with a group of about a dozen. With some hyped-up oldies music, we got our strength on. Dad got in his many walks for the day and Garrett and I both found time to enjoy a run in the Arizona sunshine. Health is very important to my parents. They have their daily activities that keep their bodies fit and eating habits exemplify clean living. I often remark that my mom has always been ahead of the pack in understanding the good and the bad on the health spectrum. She defined 'clean eating' while we were all consuming mounds of processed, fat-free foods in the 90's. In the 70's my mom was 'uncool' at the pool, wearing a flop...

Windshield view from Vegas to Kingman "Go where you are celebrated, not where you are tolerated." A friend shared this quote in mid-December and it has resonated with me ever since. Just coming off a life change in leaving a job very abruptly, my feelings were many and mixed. The remaining December was a bit of a blur for me. As the CPU in my brain went into overdrive, over-analyzing the details of my departure, this simple quote kept coming back to me. I lost sight of this quote as my 90 days off became an adventure over the last month or so. But after spending a day observing and listening to my parents and husband, the importance of these words couldn't have come across to me any stronger. So simple, but so true. Is a relationship ever fulfilling when you feel tolerated and not celebrated? The answer is never. I run into this far too often with people staying in the same organizations or in the same relationships for far too long. And it really is all about...

My view as I come down the steps each morning The bliss of home life and warmer weather has set in for me. A little routine and sunshine goes a long way. We will be on the road again tomorrow, so I have soaked in my short-lived downtime in Omaha. Meetings on my listening tour continue. Each refreshing with great takeaways. Tuesday consisted of a lunch with a philanthropic leader. I learned about many great initiatives taking place in Omaha. Other meetings over the last two days included many great people I have worked with over the years. From healthcare attorneys to CEO's, I was all ears. I would be remiss to not talk about my kids. My silence in relation to them as of late isn't because they're not around. In fact, they are very much around and I am very much present. A great gift of my 90 days off. I think Grant has warmed up to having his mom around the house a lot. We have gotten into a very nice rhythm. George is orange and Randy with black (pretty cute, ...

Saturday, Day 68, I joined some of my high school friends in Chicago. Just coming off of our 30 year class reunion, I was very excited for this hurriedly planned weekend (at least for me). I had meant to blog about our reunion weekend in Remsen last September, but as was common for me those fall months, time slipped by with no posted story. I will give it a short summary as I believe it's never to late to share. The reunion was fantastic. A night of sharing friendship and life with the people I grew up. Fast forward thirty years. Before leaving Omaha to make the two hour trek to Remsen for the reunion, I went to a baby shower. An older lady at my table asked what I was doing for the rest of the day. When I told her of my reunion in my hometown, Remsen, I loved her enthusiastic response on my trip. "The 30 year reunion was the best! You will have a ball. No one cares about so-called success milestones of the past....kid accomplishments, schools, cars, jobs. No bragging...

(realization from yesterday, Day 66, that was left out of my blog…) (90 Days Off realization #8: Treating people with dignity weaves its way into every facet of life. Regardless of our impression of someone’s level of neediness or our impression of them being ‘deserving’; all people deserve this level of respect and human right as they carry out their daily lives.) ________________________________________________________ On to Day 67… A Friday in Denver. Still warm and we enjoy the day at a relaxed pace. I do believe this day demonstrated the recurring theme that I continue to feel as I walk through my 90 Day Journey. I am patient. I am relaxed. I am able to enjoy life and take in all the little details that surround me. Many years ago, as I passed by a church outdoor billboard while stuck in traffic, I read a message that sticks with me to this day. I think of it often while I wait in lines; losing patience or feel my blood pressure rise as I fall behind ...

What 65 degrees looks like (can you see me smiling behind the camera?) Warmth. I felt it as I walked off the plane. No chill in the air or need for winter jacket. Not in Denver at least. Day 66 included a morning in Omaha and then a Southwest flight brought us to Denver in early afternoon to finish our day. Although our travel schedule seems confusing to most, Garrett and I handle it with ease. Not only are we both organized, but we are both adaptable if plans change at the last minute. And that does happen more often than one would think. Case in point. The plans for this weekend. Two weeks ago our calendars showed Garrett and I together in Denver with Garrett's kids. Then I received a message from a childhood classmate, asking me to join my high school gal pals in Chicago. It took about five minutes for Garrett to say 'go for it' and me to answer my friend with a thumbs up. And so we changed our plans to accommodate. Our ability to relax and make decisions...

Afternoon neighborhood shooting Day 65 was one of sharing life with an increasing awareness that there is no such thing as normalcy. That is a facade. Quote for the day.... "Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans" ~ John Lennon ___________________________________________________________ The morning... The listening tour continues, but only after fulfilling parenting responsibilities for my youngest son. My day started with a meeting at Skutt Catholic High School before their school day began. I am always greeted with a smiling familiar face when walking the halls on these frequent encounters. A great way to begin my day. (90 Days Off realization #1 - Being present for young adult children is just as important now as it was they were little. Bigger kids may mean fewer problems, but the problem-solving involved typically carries higher magnitude in long-term impact. (i.e although packing diaper bags, planning naps, and choosing activities are ...