Tales of the Ordinary Days

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 ...

My panoramic view from my middle seat vantage point Well, we are done. Road trip completed and a success. Zach has his gun equipment. Delivered and set-up, his shop is almost opened for business. The two drivers and their sidekick (me) are now cozy in the warmth of our Denver home. Christmas decorations are up. Simmering chili with freshly made cornbread are in the kitchen. And Stanford and Notre Dame are playing some pretty good football on the screen in front of us. We collectively drove 1,070 miles over two travel days. Adding a one-way flight at the beginning and a one-night hotel stay at the end, the comforts of home are feeling pretty good right now. Our 26 foot truck did the job. Carrying 4,000+ pounds of gun machining equipment, we named our diesel-loving and dependable rental, the Heifer. She was a bit stubborn going up hills and wanted a nap rather than a start at a truck stop in Iowa. But in the end, she faithfully did her job before we returned her to the Penske...