What foods do you enjoy only during the holiday season? Which ones cause you to over indulge?

Oh yeah – bring on the food! Christmas dinner at Mom’s is one of my annual favs. Each year we have a delicious meal that leaves us all feeling incredibly full. As if that weren’t enough we spend significant portions of the day snacking on assorted cookies, snacks, & goodies while we talk and play games. The entire weekend is focused on spending time together as a family and there are some significant feasting themes as well.

To help balance out the eating we’ve also focused on finding ways to exercise to burn off some of those excess calories. This morning that took the form of a run (on the ice which was fun in of itself and an experience I’m also very thankful for). This afternoon included a nice walk. Having at least some balance of output to the input has felt great. To truly balance the two I probably need to knock out a marathon before bed 😉.

Days like today remind me how thankful I am to have these awesome holidays meals for not a handful of times throughout the year. The small number helps to keep my weight down and my appreciation of these times together high.

Thanks!!!

On my way to work this morning I fired up some music. There were a couple of songs stuck in my head and after I played them the next suggestion was rather intriguing. Without a second thought I was listening to a Third Eye Blind Concert From 2017.

As I listened to the band play and the crowd sing I smiled from ear to ear. It reminded me so much of the Strumbellas concert we went to earlier in the year. There’s an awesome energy when you get hundreds (or thousands) of people together for a concert. So many individuals coming together to enjoy something they love. All synched up with each other and in a great mood. Between the talk of concerts this past weekend and listening to the album today I’m pretty sure there may be a few on the calendar later in the year.

I’m typing this as we head up to my mom’s to celebrate Christmas. Becky volunteered to drive so I’ve had it fairly easy. There’s a stretch of this drive that will never get old to me. From north of Pepin until a few miles north of Maiden Rock is one of the most beautiful and scenic drives in all of Wisconsin.

There are epic views of the Mississippi River and the surrounding bluffs. The view is always a little different. Today it was a beautiful pastel color on the ice. Many bald eagles soared over the ice as well. I’m so thankful for a drive that always takes my breath away.

Thanks!!!

Which books have you read that we’re recommended by a friend? Wasn’t it fun going back to talk with them afterwards?

On my drive today I paused the book I’m currently reading. I finally gave in and have been reading The Fellowship of the Ring. Yes, I’m one of the few remaining people above the age of thirty who haven’t read it yet. 😉

This morning I was in the mood for something more bite sized so I opted for podcasts. It seems like a few of my favs have been piling up recently and it seemed like a good time to catch up. Before I hit play I remembered that there was one in particular that I hadn’t listened to yet.

Three weeks ago I got a text from my buddy Jeremy asking, “Have you read Adam Grant?” It was followed by a link to Adam’s podcast and another podcast he was interviewed on. I downloaded them immediately but then life grabbed hold and they were set on the back burner. Today I fired the interview of Adam up and it was AWESOME!!! So many cool thoughts and ideas while listening. It even led to a cool and interesting conversation with Becky. All in all it was about the best way I could spend a couple hours of windshield driving. It motivated me to re-read Grant’s last two books.

That’s when I started thinking about how grateful I am to have friends who help to feed my reading and listening habits. Over the past few years I can always count on them for excellent recommendations. They each fill a certain niche which is even cooler.

Jeremy is always good for thought provoking podcasts and books that are right up my alley. From Adam Grant to Malcolm Gladwell we’ve shared several interesting conversations.

Todd’s always got a podcast or two to bounce my way. Just when I think I know him fairly well he throws me a curveball and suggests something I never would’ve expected.

Brian pushed me for the longest time to read this great book that he knew I would love. It took a couple of years and much prodding, but I finally read Ready Player One and loved it. He’d also suggested The Hinger Games long before there was a movie attached. If memory serves he may have also been the one to turn me on to World War Z. Then again he is the sick individual who conned me into reading Out of the Dark by David Weber so I do need to vet out his recommendations just a little better. 😉

Steve has always helped filled my brain with excellent climbing and outdoors stories. Speaking of which, I still have a couple to return to him! All of the books I’ve read about climbing Everest have come directly from his recommendations. Walden has been a struggle, but I’ve found renewed drive to reread it.

Knowing I have these friends (& several others) I know I’ll most likely never run out of fuel for my habit. How awesome is that?

To everyone who’s suggested a book to me over the past year – thank you!!! I haven’t gotten through all of them, but I will eventually. Thank you for caring about me enough to think of me when you read it!

Thanks!!!

If you could only watch one Christmas movie each year which one would it be?

Our Australian adventure really condensed our Christmas season so we didn’t really watch many of our normal Christmas movies. To wrap up this season we decided to watch one of our favorites, Christmas Vacation.

After watching this almost every year for well over a couple of decades it seems like I have all the lines memorized. As we watch it Becky and I are dropping lines back and forth. The funny thing is that after all these viewings I’m learning to appreciate it more every single year.

Sometimes it’s in noticing some of the finer details that I’ve missed somehow. This year those have included the clip of It’s a Wonderful Life about angles getting their wings when a bell rings only to be directly followed by the doorbell ringing repeatedly as the parents show up. Another one that made me chuckle was the mountain scene in the intro as they go to get their Christmas tree… typical Illinois countryside… 😉

The other way I appreciate it a little more each year is in seeing myself and others in the one liners and jones. Funny how as there’s more life experience to draw from there are so connections and relations to real life. As Becky pointed out, it’s also becoming easier to understand and relate to the older parents in addition to just Sparky and Ellen.

I can’t wait to see what I learn and appreciate from it next year. Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Thanks!!!

When you go outside in the winter what sounds really stick out to you? Today the sound that really struck me was a woodpecker hammering away on a tree.

Winter is a magical time in the woods. With no leaves on the trees and the snow to soak up ambient noise it seems so much easier to hear different noises. Certain sounds seem so much more clear in the winter than at any other time in the wilderness.

This morning Becky and I went for a run and the only sounds were the crunching of our footfalls in the snow. This afternoon we went for a nice walk on the trails behind the cow pasture. As we walked I paused a couple of times to hear a wonderful sound. There were a couple of woodpeckers doing a number on a couple of trees. The sounds of their repeated pecking rang so clearly. I couldn’t help but smile and enjoy the acoustic show they were putting on for us.

So much to be thankful for today, but those sounds in winter really stuck out today. Maybe it has to do with reminding myself to look at the bright side and find positives to things that normally bother or frustrate me. Winter is not my favorite season and I’m still working on finding ways I can enjoy it more.

Thanks!!!

Which season is your favorite? What tricks do you utilize to help you appreciate that season?

The morning started off with an early morning run. There were still a couple of hours prior to the arrival of the sun. The moon was hanging high in the sky and was lit enough to see the more than just the bright sliver. It was quiet and peaceful. The fresh air in my lungs felt wonderful.

Later in the day I went back outside. The temperature was unseasonably warm yet the cool air going in my lungs felt great. The little bit of sun peaking through the clouds seemed to warm the day even more. Taking some time to stand outside and breathe was exactly what the doctor ordered.

Time outdoors is always amongst my favorite. Experiencing fresh air and natural light always feels better than staying inside. While in Australia it was easy to enjoy the time outside even more as it was summer and hot. I often struggle in the winter as I’m not a fan of the cold and snow. Today reminded me of why I need to remember to go outside more during the colder months of the year. Those two doses of outside time were fantastic!

Thanks!!!

What was an album that was one of your favorites 20+ years ago?  Yes, I know, I just totally opened myself up to ‘old’ jokes.  You know what I mean though, which album do you have buried in a box in your basement that would be great to listen to from start to finish again?

After hanging out with the Lyons family I had an album that I couldn’t help but bust out an album I bought over two decades ago.  Way back in the day I remember listening to that album from tracks 1 through 14 on repeat.  Today I followed suit and did the same thing.  I’m pretty sure I heard each song at least four times today while working in my shop, driving, and around the house.  The start of each song brought on the thought “why yeah…  I forgot about this one!”  Before I knew it I was occasionally singing along.  How awesome to have an album act as a time machine to remind me of so many moments from when I was 20 years younger.

Throughout the day there were various other things for which I am supremely grateful.  I know, usually I share everything, but in these cases it’s more appropriate to keep them to myself.  The short answer is that today was again proof that I’m closing the gap and have a wonderful partner in Becky who shares many of the same values I live.  Having the opportunity to be the truest version of me with someone who inspires me and has those common values is an incredible combination.  Days like to today remind me that I have so much to be thankful for in my life every minute of each and every day.

Thanks!!!

I’ve been continuing to work on keeping my Australian cool for just over a week now.  While it’s been far from perfect today showed me that I’m making progress.

While working on a project (picture above isn’t it, just the most recent pic of a started project I can show) this afternoon I ran into three very different challenges I wasn’t expecting.  I’ve been trying some different types of work I haven’t done before and, as one could imagine, I’ve run into roadblocks I haven’t run into in the past.

Depending on my mindset these challenges can often lead to extreme frustration.  It’s not out of the realm of possibility that I get so frustrated I have to set the piece aside for a little while and go do something completely unrelated.  Today I thought of how relaxed I was on the beach in Byron Bay and then went to work on the challenge.  I took a deep breath, took time to be thankful for the opportunity to learn something new, and then attempted solutions I’ve never used in the past.  Everything worked out even better than expected!

This evening we hung out with our friends Adam and Kelsey.  Isn’t it great to have friends who keep you laughing loudly?  I can’t even being to count how many times I laughed loud and hard at a comment or joke.  My core is a little tired from the laughs.  Thanks for a great night, it was awesome!

Thanks!!!

The family that nerds together stays together, right?

Spoiler alert: this blog contains no spoilers. As I’d love to share some of my favorite moments from the movie I’ll hold back. Except for one thing… some stormtroopers die. 😉

For reals, I’ve had this date penciled in my calendar for about a month. Not because of the movie, but because it is a family event. All of us are Star Wars nerds (you know we have a dog named Skywalker, right?) and this is an opportunity for us to hang out together doing something that stretches generations.

While I might not clearly remember watching A New Hope or Empire Strikes back I sure as heck remember my Star Wars wallpaper from when I was three and going to watch Return of the Jedi in a theater with my Aunt Diane. I even remember the collector glasses from McDonalds that I probably should’ve taken better care of after Return of the Jedi.

To share this moment with the entire family was pretty awesome. I’m thankful for moments like this when we can all come together and bond in our shared nerd-ness. 😁

Thanks!!!

What’s the song you listen to when you need a smile? Which song are you happy to have stuck on replay in your head?

I’m in the autobiography cycle of my reading queue (business/non-fiction, autobiography/biography, fiction) and I stumbled into a great one! Before our flight left Sydney I took a quick run through the book store and took pics of all the books that looked interesting. One that caught my eye immediately was Always Look On the Bright Side of Life (A Sortabiography) by Eric Idle. I was even more excited to find the book was read by the author on Audible.

As a Monty Python fan it seemed like a great option. What also interested me was how little I knew of him and the mix of his age and nationality. Having been a small child in England in WWII added an interesting bit of history that’s fascinated me. Several books I’ve read recently have referenced WWII and I was curious to see how that impacted his life.

The book itself was amazing! I had no idea all that he’d accomplished. What also stood out was an excellent mix of self deprecating humor and wonderful life lessons. The entire way through I was often laughing, almost always smiling, and usually learning.

Another thing I appreciated greatly was how it reminded me of the song Always Look On the Bright Side of Life from Life of Brian and Spamalot. A quick listen to that song and I can help but shrug off seemingly any amount of stress. Try it – play this link whenever you’re in the dumps https://youtu.be/X_-q9xeOgG4 . You’ll be whistling along in no time!

Thanks!!!