Tales of the Ordinary Days

Even God likes orange and Broncos :) (Text from Garrett, 7:48 a.m.) Day 63. A delightful and enlightening day. I couldn't sum it up any better. It is now 9:29 p.m. I started the day with Garrett leaving in the wee hours to catch an early flight back to Denver. By the time I was in route to start my day with breakfast with a dear friend, the picture above, with accompanying text, arrived from my husband. He had just completed his flight to Denver and was greeted with this morning glory. Yes, Garrett Brucker, even God loves orange and the Broncos. And no one can convince me that Peyton Manning doesn't rank high in the Big Man's books. A class act indeed. Post-Super Bowl, I envy Garrett being in Denver without me. How incredible would it be to be a part of the city's celebrations, greeting the championship team back home to the mile high city? Omaha did prove to be a worthy second though. My calendar was close to overbooked and it did not disappoint. Br...

Super Bowl festivities on Day 62 Today is Day 62 of my self-imposed, but mandatory, 90 days off. Many are aware of this 90 day adventure. To others, this may be new news. My time off has been described as many things; from 'mental detox' to 'my sabbatical' to 3 months of 'living abroad'. I would agree to any of these descriptions. Each passing day has proven to have a flavor of something different, covering a wide spectrum of feelings. The key points surrounding my time off is that for 90 days 1) I'm not working (like a paid job) and 2) I'm not making any major decisions. The magic behind what triggered the 90 days and the adventures leading up to Day 62 will be covered in future blogs. Lots of thoughts and learnings to share, but too much for tonight (especially given my limited time to focus and write between Super Bowl pass snaps and commercials). Know that it has been 62 days of happiness with lots of self-discovery going on; with clarity i...

Picture of Ben and his Uncle Jason on my shattered phone I dropped my cell phone today. I have done this many times. But today it shattered. And the culprit for my carelessness? I was trying to take a selfie while hiking. Fail. My first phone call post-hike was to my middle son, Ben. For years I have scolded him for having a phone with a broken screen in his possession. This was more often the case than him having a nice, unbroken screen. I have often lectured him on the need for using a durable phone cover and the merits of ‘being careful’. Common statements from me to Ben… "Don’t text on the trampoline in the rain" or "Don’t put your phone in your athletic shorts pocket while attempting a basketball slam-dunk." Today it was me, not Ben, making the call from a completely shattered phone. Ben’s phone is beautifully intact and has been for months. But just as I have asked of my own kids, I had to own my failing. And then I complimented Ben o...

A Broncos playoff win. A day of football. A sweet surprise. Sunday was intended to be a day full of errands and crossing things off Garrett's and my collective lists. A quick weekend in Denver was to entail some skiing and playing catch-up post-nuptials. As we sat drinking our beers at the airport on Friday night, Garrett received a random e-mail. Were we interested in Broncos tickets for the Sunday playoff game. YES!! Oh, and there was a parking pass too. Saturday we bagged skiing and instead opted for the list elimination route including the pick up of our coveted tickets. After a drive to Sports Authority Field, Garrett gathered the designated envelope from the will call window. We quickly read our seat assignments. Champion Club. The parking pass read VIP. Wow. They sure sounded important. Giddy with our discover, Garrett and I responded as any excited fans would. We bought Broncos stuff at the stadium gift shop. A stocking cap and zip sweatshirt for me. A bright ora...