Tales of the Ordinary Days

#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...

When we deny the story, it defines us. When we own the story, we can write a brave ending. I love this quote. Our story is our very own. The key is that we own it and learn from it. And then with that great knowledge, we script our own ending. My 90 days+ off gave me the piece of mind to reflect on my journey to date. My work life. My home life. My faith life. I spent a lot of time carefully reflecting on my past. With my main goal to best determine my purpose in life, this perspective was vital. My quest to fulfill my purpose meant owning my story. Over a conversation with my brother last weekend, I was reminded that my siblings and I have been paying into the Social Security system since the mid-70's. Work and experience in a variety of endeavors is not something lacking with the Wagner kids. We walked beans as soon as we were old enough to go to school. Before I was out of high school I had babysat extensively, detassled corn, worked at a small town drive-in and w...

In early 2009 my company won the "Young Professionals Choice Award". The timing of this award corresponded with a life-changing time for me. I was just a few raw months into my divorce. The particular day of receiving word of the award started with an e-mail blast to our office proudly announcing our company's recognition of this honor. It gave me a bit of a smile and some added pep on a bleak Nebraska winter morning. As I went about my day during the busyness of tax season, one of my partners popped his head into my office. “Hey, do you think you could give our acceptance speech at the award luncheon next week?” "Hmmm,” I thought. I sure didn’t see this coming. As he looked at me while asking the question, there was no doubt what I saw in his eyes. It was a look I had become quite accustomed to seeing during that time in my life. It was the look of sympathy. I have never understood the value of a palm reading when you can see everything in a person’s e...

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...

The phrase 'bloom where you are planted' keeps resonating with me. I'm not completely sure where the embedding began, but as of late, this catch phrase continually hits replay in my brain. I do feel like I am planted in a lot of different places these days. Tonight I am in Omaha. And I'm at home. Just home (9:06 p.m.). But home nonetheless. Home means many different things to me. I confuse people with pictures of Denver on my blog and social media. I also confuse people with my spotty appearances and 'going quiet' for periods of time. The new norm. "Did you move to Denver?" is a frequent question. or "I haven't seen you in ages. Why have you dropped off the face of the earth?" is another. Albeit the understandable confusion (apologies for past miscommunication and the inevitability of those in the future), I'm kind of everywhere these days. But the real answer is that most time is spent at 72nd and Center in Omaha, less tim...

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...

My house at 6 a.m. on a Thursday (note the extra child who is not mine) And to think that I saw it on Mulberry Street. Dr. Suess was a smart man. Entertaining, yes. But smart? Absolutely. He understood life. And not just with the ten-and-under crowd. We adults reading these fanciful literary creations relate as well. I am often reminded of Mulberry Street during my daily adventures. The theme began on our runs many years ago. Awaking to run at 5:30 a.m. would elicit visions to an outsider of lonely roads and peaceful surroundings. On most days this is true. On other occasions, this is not the case. Running our route through the neighborhood of Harvey Oaks has brought on many Mulberry Street stories. On one particular run, we met a man kicking a soccer ball down the street at this peculiar hour. Minutes later, a mad man flew by us on a lighted bike. Although traveling on pavement at record speed, it was as though he hoped to launch into the darkened skies. We completed our s...

The word for the day is integrity. It has come up several times today; in my words, on my mind and in a motivational e-mail I received. Thus I have proclaimed it the word for the day. The exert below is from my friend's daily post: "The definition of integrity - Your words and your life should match up. What we do in the dark comes into the light. We need to be the same person no matter where you are.There aren't a lot of people that fit that definition, at least not 100% of the time. But it is so important. People are always watching. They notice when our actions do not align with our words. It is not missed. We have to make sure we are people of integrity all the time.  You have to earn a title. People will respect you if you are consistent and honest." Not only do we need to carry ourselves in this manner, but we should expect the same of those who circle around us. It's easy to say we only work with people of integrity; in our jobs and with those we ...

Pix I took on a recent trip to the Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium Suzanne Scott passed away this morning. A wonderfully written newspaper story honoring her legacy got my attention. It brought back an old memory and reminded me of the goodness of a garden patch. I briefly met Mrs. Scott in 1989. Our chance meeting was on an elevator in the downtown Kiewit Plaza. I had begun my accounting career at Peter Kiewit Sons at the ripe age of 21. Walter Scott was CEO. In my year and a half tenure at Kiewit, Mr. Scott and I had never met. But I did meet his lovely wife. As a young hire for the big construction power house, I heard many stories of the company leadership. Mr Scott was well liked and widely talked about. Rumor had it that he and his wife occupied the top floor of the corporate headquarters. To me this was all just talk. I was a mere junior accountant trying to properly learn her debits and credits. One day I firsthand discovered the folklore to be true. I walk...

Open toed shoes allowed?? Of course!! Life is just full of new revelations. Many times we don't see them because we are too stuck in our routines. Today was one of those days. I do have to say that I love the latest one I stumbled on. So glad it came to me. I love dresses. And I love shoes (and boots, and jewelry, and great accessories). But I don't like to shop. Never mind on that last point; different blog. I also like to plan. Dresses feel even better to wear if I carefully lay them out the night prior. On a typical evening before a workday, I lay out my dress of choice and then add the complimenting footwear and accessories. Coming from the corporate world, my heels have always been the standard business attire. Although fun in color and style, they have traditionally been pretty corporate. Last night as I laid out a wrap-around brown dress with a geometric orange and olive diamonds, I eyed my choices of three different pairs of brownish heels. All looked profe...

Summer office space My new home office furniture was delivered today. At least for use over the summer months. Some may call it patio furniture. I refer to it as versatile  Just my style. I am anxious for my clematis vines to grow and the addition of summer annuals for added ambiance. Zach pulled through with the assembly and there was a lot. I was amazed that so many pieces of furniture fit into the small delivered box. "They are really good at packing it in, Ma'am" was the answer the young delivery man gave me. So on this sunny afternoon in Omaha, Zach carefully assembled the many pieces that were crammed in the Sears box. The final product brought me much happiness and a big smile. Comfort and warm color wrapped into a functional seating arrangement. And it actually looked just like the photo on the Internet. Score. By nightfall, I couldn't resist trying out my new digs. I sat cozily wrapped up in my fur blanket from the living room while sipping a ...

A mid-day walk on Thames Street Day two of my adventure was a day full of technology and a look into the future of healthcare. Did I mention that I love what I am doing? I LOVE what I'm doing. I haven't had this much fun in years. My professional growth is bubbling over and it feels great. Many have asked me if I have started my new job. I really don't know how to answer this question. There is a perception that I packed a box from Lutz and have now set up a new desk somewhere else in Omaha. Nope. That is not my new reality. No "About Schmidt" boxes of files. No family photos carefully unpacked on a neat new desk with IT set-ups awaiting me. No doubt I am working, but it feels more like a revolution. A grass roots effort. Building relationships. Solidifying partnerships. Doing the right things for the right reasons. A perfect match to my DNA. And I am having a ball. Two years ago over a glass of wine at Bonefish Grille, Garrett asked me what my perfect w...

My work view today Is there anything as peaceful as driving across town in the dark of an early morning? This ranks pretty high on my list. At 6:00 a.m. there is a flicker of life beginning to light up, but all is relatively tranquil. Garrett's traditional Monday morning flight home has me at the airport before six. With a ceramic cup of coffee in hand, my first choice on this early morning adventure is which way to take home. The quick way is the Interstate. The preferred drive is straight through town. Dodge Street is my favored route. This morning thoughts of hurrying home and catching some more sleep lingered momentarily, but instead I hung a left onto Abbott Drive out of the airport. It was the Dodge way home today. 6:02 a.m. 6:07: Britney Spears' "Hit Me Baby One More Time" blared on the radio as I weaved through the quiet Creighton campus. A security guard was the only human I spotted as the rain lightly fell on my windshield. I didn't switch son...