Grandpa duty calls.....

I know it's been way to long.... sorry. I've had a lot of travel, which gets me backed up on paperwork, which means I have to spend more hours in the office.... you know the drill.

Fortunately, this current trip is out to see my gorgeous little grandchild. We arrived in Springfield last night, and I had the chance to feed Alie for the first time.... what a joy!

Words cannot express the feeling you get watching this darling baby eat, sleep... do whatever. Okay, the crying thing and the "gas" I can do without.

But, how could you not love this thing, no matter what she does.....

I'd like to blog longer, but I think I hear "Big A" calling me.......

Advice For the Gym Rat.....

They don't call me Silver Fox for nothing.

I don't want to hear that this blog doesn't have something for everybody. Take today for example..... Here's a thought on "throwing the steel around" at the gym, (as I so eloquently describe working out to my wife).

Now when some guys around you finish a set, after grunting through their reps, they drop the weights to the floor and we all hear "da boom" as it resonates through the gym. (The "da" was the first bounce, and the "boom" was the second hit to the floor.) These are usually big guys lifting heavy weights... Fortunately for me, I don't get intimidated easy. I just have to use some specific techniques to be in the free weight area.....

Now, you don't want be the guy that drops his weights after a set and hears them go "tink", with no double sound..... not good. SO, not that I need to do this, but I've thought about this technique for those who might not be able to throw the heavy stuff around....

As you're finishing your set, you kinda THROW the weights down, not just drop them. THEN you get more of a "tha thud". Sure, it's not a "da boom", but it's not a "tink" either.... and you get the double bounce. Pretty good stuff, huh? Nobody stares at you and smiles... so I'm told.

NOTE-- Don't throw the weights down too hard. Especially if they are pretty light....as you have a good chance of breaking your nose on the high bounce...... and how are you going to explain that too one....

By the way, if I run into you this week, you might notice the nose brace from when I saved the widow lady from being robbed by three thugs. One of them caught me while I working on the other two.....

What Really Makes You Rich?

Is there really anything in life we can accumulate that is more valuable than family and friends. Sure, family members are precious to us, but let's consider things of value that we make a choice to invest in..... (most of our family just happened.)

When you're on your death bed, what else will come to mind, what else will you reflect on, what else will you take pride in, what else will seem well worth the investment, what else will make you feel like a rich person .... than the friends you've made over the course of your lifetime.

Never think you're too busy to invest in and develop friendships. As I reflect on my life to this point, friends are a priceless commodity. The stockmarket can go as low as it wants, but the value of my friendships steadily grows as the years fly by. And you know, it really doesn't take that much time to create a lasting friendship when things click.

Yesterday I had a chance to "catch up" with a couple old college baseball teammates. And when I say "old", I mean, "old". I haven't seen Lonnie "Flame" Spencer for around 33 years! He, Scott Laing and I had a great time enjoying the memories of the good ol' years. We realized how much fun we had in those few years of college that has bonded us, and helped make a connection that will last for a lifetime, no matter where we are or when we meet again. When you think about that, it's really amazing. We picked up where we left off in college.... unbelievable.

Which makes me think about today......what am I doing to add value to my "friend portfolio"? Can I ever have enough friends? Isn't there somebody that I come in contact with now, that if I made an effort to spent more time with, I could let them "diversify" my "friend portfolio". They could be another friend that if I saw in another 30 years, I would be able to have a great day, catching up where we left off last, and enjoying the day together.

Let's commit to making more friends in the days ahead. I guess the easiest way is by being the kind of friend to others we would want them to be to us, and making the effort. Yes, it is hard work, but that's probably one effort I don't think we'll ever lose our investment on.....