To say that I’ve been occupied is an understatement. On August 2nd, I started a new job. As you probably know when you start a new job it’s a lot of figuring out how things work, despite having a general idea knowing how my job works. I’m now a trust officer with some additional responsibilities added in there as well because I’m also an attorney, but I’m no longer a practicing attorney which is weird (but good).

After a week or so on the job, I followed up on some wonky test results from my physical. After an ultrasound and then an MRI, it was discovered that I need to have my gallbladder removed. As an aside, I had no idea that gallbladder was one word and figured that it was two before this happened. I am still waiting on surgery, but would guess with / gestures at the entire world / everything happening that a removal of a gallbladder gets pushed down the list of things that are important. I’m not in any sort of pain so until that happens and until the world can relax a bit, I suppose that will happen.

On August 28th my brother-in-law Brady died. He was only 33 and as you can imagine and everything about it was incredibly tragic. My wife’s family is not really “online” in the sense that everyone else seems to be so I’ve not mentioned it when we were dealing with everything that happened. I really didn’t know how to explain why I felt that way and I obviously just didn’t want to explain it. I just got up a little bit earlier to do what I do here and do my best and then whatever happened here was going to be fine. I know I could have just done nothing, but that’s just not how I operate. The day of the service was the day of the Houston game and it was good that there was some closure that day. I feel like just this past week that things have been normal.

I’m going to go see my brother in Seattle starting on Thursday of this week, so yes the week of the Texas game I will likely not see a second of it. This makes no sense for me to be going this weekend with everything that’s happened, but he and I planned this a couple of months ago. There’s a couple of 15 mile loop trails at Mt. Rainier and Mt. Saint Helen that we’re going to run on Thursday and Friday and then I’m not sure what we’ll do on Saturday. My brother and his wife had a baby girl last December and I still haven’t met her, so that’s the other big reason for the trip. The odds that I’ll have a 10 Things from me are slim and none. I’ll see if the staff can put something up on Sunday morning, but don’t hold your breath.

So with my surgery coming up, the hope that it’s just day surgery (which is what I’ve been told unless there are complications) will also likely mean that I’ll be out a few more days before the end of the year. I’ll just say in advance that I appreciate your patience and hope that whatever happens, I’ll be out for a short bit, if at all.

My wife likes to tease me and claim that I’m essentially a robot with the ability to get things done despite everything happening. I’ve always felt that this was somewhat true, but this past month I’ve absolutely wondered how I can do what I do.

I really do feel like that I’m coming up on my last year or so with blogging and this site. At some point, it will definitely shutter as I’ll probably just turn off the lights and walk away after a full football, basketball, and baseball season. I don’t know if it’s this one or maybe the next one, but it is one of those two. With the kids getting older, there’s more obligations, from practices and games and band practice everything else, I’m just really running out of time on a more regular basis.

This definitely isn’t goodbye. I’m excited about everything that’s coming up this year, from football, basketball, and baseball, I’m still truly passionate and still really want a place to write and a place for us to hang out. I’ve obviously mellowed a lot over the years and the death of a family member will accelerate that process. You just don’t get time back and that time really needs to be with family and I know that you all can appreciate that.

Like I said, I’m excited, but I did feel like I owed you an explanation as to me just not being around very much other than to post.

Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”