Recently, Lucy has suggested to me that I should write a “Guest Blog” entry. Those of you that know me well know that I am a much better talker than I am a writer. That is why my job (which I really enjoy) involves very little writing and mainly consists of talking - conference calls, meetings, conference presentations, more conference calls, more meetings, etc... When I do have to write (emails or memos), they often revert to a form similar to this: I appreciate the opportunity to [insert work task here]. After reviewing the [information], here are my thoughts and recommendations:
- Positive Behavior #1
- Positive Behavior #2
- Suggestion #1
- Positive attribute #1
- Positive attribute #2
- Positive attribute #3
- Suggestion #2 (you get the idea).
Please let me know if you have any comments or questions.
Best regards, Doc
Yes, I am a bullet-pointer in my written correspondence. Quick and to-the-point. Then I can fill in with words and explanation in a conference call, meeting, etc.
With that said (or written, rather), I am at a significant disadvantage when it comes to “blogging." However, I am willing to try. Here are some observations about the past week of my life. Please keep in mind that all the following of events are real and did actually occur. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone. Some names may be changed to protect the innocent (or the guilty) at my discretion.
Mulch – The Ultimate Sucker Bet?
I love the positive benefits of mulch – weed control, erosion protection, nice clean look, I even like the smell (is that weird?). However, mulch does not come without its fair share of hassles.
This past weekend I had the opportunity to spread a few wheel-barrowfuls of mulch (read: approx 50) at Lucy’s parents’ house. You may have seen the awesome new swing set – well, it is now bordered with yard ties and the play area is fully mulched. Each wheel-barrowful took several (read: 30-35) shovelfuls to fill. For those not as geeky about math as I am, that is approx 1750 shovelfuls of mulch that I moved over the weekend.
The area looks great, but I keep thinking:
- How many more times will we need to re-mulch?
- How long until that fresh-mulched look goes away?
- Did we just open Pandora's Box (of mulch) and will now need to spend many dollars and many hours to keep the thing up?
Today it is definitely worth it, but will we change our minds as we continue to have to re-mulch year after year?
Mustard Meets Pork Tenderloin
I think you all read about the awesome dinner that I pulled off last Friday, but I tried something new that evening that I want to share.
Earlier that day, I mentioned to a co-worker that I would be grilling pork tenderloin that evening. He told me he always rubs the tenderloin down with yellow mustard before he seasons it. I had never heard of this before. I decided to try it, and so I rubbed each tenderloin down with yellow mustard before I applied my seasoning rub. The tenderloin was very moist and flavorful, but no residual mustard taste. I am a convert! Dee-lish! Apparently it works great with chops and ribs as well.
Running (for your life)
Over the past couple of years I have started to run. Growing up and as a young adult I never enjoyed running. As I have gotten older, I have realized some of the health benefits of running (namely, being able to button my pants). Last year I ran my first (and maybe only) half marathon.
Well, yesterday afternoon I decided to go for a run. Let me set the stage – 5:45pm, 94 degrees, humid, 10 mph southerly breeze. I walked out the door and saw our next door neighbor, Will, who was also preparing for a run, so we ran together. Now, Will is a runner – marathons, trail marathons, 20-mile just-for-the-heck-of-it runs, you get the idea. I went for a long run at a very quick pace; he went for a short jog at a leisurely pace. When I finished I was dripping in sweat and gasping for breath. When he finished, he was a “little sweaty” and was breathing only slightly harder than a sleeping dog. Key point – we ran together. 4.5 miles in the park by our house.
I like to think that I am in pretty good shape and physically fit. However, I felt like yesterday was the first episode of The Biggest Loser and I was the fat guy trying to keep up with one of those personal trainers. Nice little reality check. Am I glad that I did it? Yes. Will I do it again? Maybe.
Moral of the story: IF GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO RUN WITH A SEASONED MARATHON RUNNER – DON’T!
Bad Days – A Necessary Evil
So, last Saturday was a bit rough on me. I have worked very hard on my golf game over the past 4 years and have really started off the 2010 golf season pretty well. Well, Saturday morning the wheels fell off the bus. Trouble driving the ball, trouble chipping, couldn’t putt to save the rainforest – everything was off. It has been a long time since I played as bad as I did on Saturday. Now, I am optimistic that I got 4-5 rounds worth of bad shots out of the way so the next few times out should be special. But living through the nightmare of my golf round was enough to make me want to sell my clubs.
I guess I tell this story to say, sometimes we need really crappy days to make us understand and appreciate the good days in our lives. I know that I am very blessed to have a job, to have a family that loves me, and to have a wonderful wife that supports and loves me. I try each day to have many more positive experiences than negative ones, and carry the good with me and leave the bad behind. Each day I ask Lucy “what was the best part of your day?” It is something that she first asked me several years ago, and I thought it was great to spend a few moments thinking about all the good things that happened during the day. Some days it is something little (I found a Tootsie Roll in my drawer), some days it is something big (I got a bonus), but everyday it is something special. Lucy helps me see the positive things in my life – I guess because she is a big part of all of those positive things.
I appreciate your time today. I tried to not use too many bullet points. Lucy, thanks for letting me blog. I love you tons!
