Tales of the Ordinary Days

October 2009 - October 2019 Garrett and I just wrapped an amazing 9 day road trip through Oregon, focusing our travels on the southwestern region of the state. By our calculations (which was basically a combo of loose memory and verification through my flipping through iPhone pictures), this was our sixth annual fall trip together. We started this tradition with hiking the Rocky Mountain National Park in 2014, taking in the beautiful orange aspen leaves and all the great fall mountainous views. The other calculation that came to light was that it was ten years ago when Garrett and I first met. TEN YEARS. Wow. We had to recheck our math on that one too. A lot has happened in our collective lives since that fall day in 2009. By twist of fate, I followed up with Garrett, a presenter at a conference I was attending in Denver ten years ago and so it all began. This was before texting was the prevalent form of communication. I sent him an e-mail on my way out of town and we later se...

Ben getting a haircut in the backyard of our first home (Little Tykes toys, long gone...Grandma's homemade jammies, some kept in basement storage) Today I drove by my old house. Really old, as we haven't lived there in eighteen years. There wasn't any one thing that motivated me to do this, other than a recent sentiment of touching pieces of my past as I look to the future. I often think back to a parting conversation I had with my divorce attorney. It was a remark he said in passing, one that typically would have slipped my memory quickly. But ten years has passed and his words are burned in my brain. "You will remarry and be happy. I am sure of it. You're a traditionalist and will find your happy home again." I have often wondered which of my behaviors deemed me a traditionalist and not a trendsetter in his mind. Why conventional was seen as my future and not edgy? Did I ultimately fulfill this prediction? On the surface, one could say no. B...

Christmas in New York On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me... A fabulous weekend in New York City with friends who are best of the best. The Snide's. Goodness and fun oozes from this couple. As we boarded our flights from our respective home bases of Columbus and Omaha, texts were flying back and forth on plans for our first day in NYC. Like kids readying for a visit to Santa, excitement was abound. Cindy and Rick, of the Snide duo, have been long-time friends. Garrett knew them first through a business peer group and later introduced me. Our couples journey started as we sat by each other at a group business dinner in Toronto, Canada. It has since been five years of laughs, traveling, and general 'over-40' amusement. Although the base of our commonalities start with an authenticity in friendship, we share similar life stories. Second marriages, lots of combined kids, and the resulting blending of families. Our love for life and for our life ...