2026

 

Been too long since I posted but will try to post more frequently this year.  The past two years have been eventful in many positive and negative ways.  I will cover many of events in the blog this year.  

Until next time......

Big day

Tomorrow is a big day for me at work.  After months of working on a big project tomorrow marks the first phase to be implemented.  I won’t bore you with the details but I am already getting a feeling of anxiety.  Like most careers the more I have progressed the more the scope of my work has increased.  Hoping as I write tomorrow I have a feeling of relief that phase one is over.  That is all fir today.  Wish me luck!!

Until tomorrow….

Dave

Until 

MLK repost from 2015

Today we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I appreciate great orators and Dr King was one of the best. I once heard that his I Have A Dream speech was largely unscripted. Can you imagine the having the ability to rally tens of thousands of people and deliver a speech that will be remembered forever without writing it down? I can't. Here is one of my favorite passages:

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I suggest taking time today and watch a replay of the speech and appreciate Dr King's gift.

Until tomorrow,

Dave

Team 144

A week has now passed since the University of Michigan won the college football national championship.  I lived this team.  Since Michigan was highly ranked all year I was able to watch just about every play this year.  After disappointing losses the past two seasons this year’s team sole purpose was to win the”natty”.  Many of the top players that could have left for the pros after left season came back for one more shot.  The team battled through much adversity this year including their head coach serving two different three game suspensions.  They easily won their games this year with the closest game being in the Rose Bowl against Alabama.  

You could tell the players enjoyed each other and they played like a team.  The 2023 team had stars but no superstars.  It was a team effort with everyone doing their part.  Highlights included huge wins against Penn State and Ohio State in Big Ten play and post season wins against Alabama and Washington.  

There was allegations of sign stealing that could have put a stigma on the season had they not won a their games.  Fortunately they were clearly the best team in the country. Both the offense an defensive were exceptional all season.  Tough is the word I think of when I think of this team.

Aside from winning the championship the highlight of the season was the opportunity to travel to Ann Arbor and see the Indiana game in person.  It had been 20 years since I had been to the big house and it was a thrill.

Team 144 refers to this being the 144th year of Michigan football. This team will go down as the best of them all and help restore Michigan to a top program in the country.  

With success comes change.  Starting quarterback JJ McCarthy announced today he is foregoing his senior year to turn pro.  Head coach Jim Harbaugh will also probably leave for a pro opportunity.  I wish them well and send them off with a big thank you!  This team was incredible and a thrill to watch.

Go Blue!

Until tomorrow….

Dave

Big Year

I need 2024 to be a big year.  I turned 50 in the Fall of 2023 and I decided I need to make the most of every day in the new year.  2023 was rough professionally and consumed most of my time.  I am often in the office early in the morning and late into the evenings.  These hours help me see that I work more than most at my firm and I want to change that in 2024.  My job is demanding but my focus will be on being a better delegator and manager this year.  I will hit my 25 year service anniversary later this month which hard to believe.  That’s it for talking shop.  Since I was last active on this blog I have added a few more things to my bucket list.  I have taken up camping which I really enjoy while still trying to improve my skills.  I don’t sleep well while camping and need to fix that this year.  Back to my bucket list.  I have discovered through you tube that I have an interest in wilderness canoe camping.  The best place to do this in the US is at the boundary waters in northern Minnesota.  Someday I hope to do a multi-day trip in the Fall.  Doubt it will be in 2024 but I will work towards acquiring the skills needed and the physical health required to do a trip like this.  I’ve also decided I want to do a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail.  The time commitment needed to do this hike makes it tough to do while fully employed so I may start with some section hikes.  Fortunately there are trail access points in relatively close proximity to where I live in North Carolina.  I hope to update the blog often this year as I experience new things and undertake new adventures.

Until tomorrow,

Dave

COVID-19

These are unprecedented times.  However for me it’s pretty much business as usual.  Sleep, wake, work and repeat.  Instead of an hour commute I have a one minute walk up the stairs to my corner of the bonus room.  Aside from a few adhoc requests work is still work.  Fortunate we are all healthy and able to work from home.  When do leave the neighborhood things get strange....more to come.  Until tomorrow....

Parc Soleil

I thought I would take the opportunity to review the Parc Soleil resort in Orlando.  We spent a week here over Thanksgiving and had a great time.  As I have written before, Orlando is one of my favorite places and somewhere we have visited many times.  This was not a Disney vacation though we did spend two days at the parks.  In addition to celebrating Thanksgiving with my extended family it was also my parent's 50th wedding anniversary.  We arrived the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and stayed in a two bedroom, two bath suite.  We were on the 10th floor overlooking the pool.  I liked this view though other members of my family had a view of the adjoining lake which also provided a view of Disney and the nightly fireworks.  I think we would have been happy with either view.  The room was very nice and comfortable.  It offered plenty of room for the three of us.  Everyone in our group was happy with the accommodations.  Though the weather wasn't perfect we did spend several days at the pool.  My parents rented a private cabana which served as a nice please to keep our stuff, eat lunch, and hang out.  The pool area had a slide and several hot tubes.  The entertainment team offered daily games for adults and kids and one day there was live music.  There was also an activity center geared to kids where they could go play video games and other fun things.  Overall there was a lot to do at the resort and our time there flew by.  I also wanted to mention the food.  Most days were started at the Marketplace where they served Starbucks coffee and offered many quick breakfast options.  Lunch was usually by the pool delivered by the great wait staff.  We did have several dinners, including Thanksgiving, in the Soleil Cafe.  This was a casual eatery but the food was consistently good.  Parc Soleil is part of the Hilton Grand Vacations system.  It was very convenient to Disney and other Orlando attractions.  I would highly recommend the resort if you find yourself in Orlando and want an alternative to the large chain resorts.  I look forward to going back within the next year.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Coming Soon...

I am hoping to do some new and exciting things with the blog soon.  I  would like to get on a regular publishing schedule again with some content that may expand my audience.  Please stay tuned.

Dave

2015

A belated Happy New Year to everyone.  2014 could not come to an end fast enough.  There were some good moments but it will be remembered as a year of loss and tough times.  When I started the blog a year ago I had hoped to make 2014 the best year ever.  Well it wasn't but I have same hope for 2015.  So much of life is out of our hands but one thing we can control is to try to make of most of every moment of every day.  That is my goal for this year.  Focus on what matters and enjoy life.  I am not going to have any resolutions for 2015 as I did for 2014.  If you remember I swore off french fries.  I can report that I really did go all year without one.  We are now a week into 2015 and I still haven't had a fry but I can't wait to have one.  I look forward to writing about 2015 as I take it one day at a time.

Until tomorrow,

Dave

Shelling

Sanibel Island is known as one of the best shelling destinations in the country.  What is shelling you ask?  Well it is pretty self explanatory.  It is the act of collecting shells.  Sounds easy right?  Well I learned on our trip that it is not as easy as it sounds.  It was obvious from the first time I stepped on the beach in Sanibel that there were a lot of shells around.  As you looked closer most were broken or not very pretty.  I wondered where all the conch like shells were.  After talking to a local we learned the best strategy is to wade waist deep into the water at low tide and dig down into the sand.  Experienced shellers have a screen bucket with a long handle attached that they use to dig and shift.  Well I didn't have that so I got very wet and actually ended up finding some good ones by feeling around with my feet.  My daughter actually had some success just looking along the shore and I credit our friend Dick for helping train her eye while we've looked for shark teeth along the North Carolina coast. I'm not sure shelling will become a new hobby but I know if we ever return to Sanibel I will be prepared.

Until tomorrow,

Dave

Roseate Spoonbilll

I mentioned in my previous post that we visited Sanibel Island, FL over Christmas.  One of the highlights of the trip was seeing new varieties of birds.  I've written before about my fondness for birds and seeing new types.  While in Florida I saw one of my favorites.  The Roseate Spoonbill.  Before this trip I had never seen one in person, but I became familiar with them while playing bird bingo.  This is a version of bingo that has birds on the cards instead of letters and was a gift to my daughter from my mom.  While playing countless games the spoonbill stuck out to me.  In Florida we took a guided tour of the Ding Daring Wildlife Refuge.  While on the tour vehicle we stopped to observe a flock of white pelicans sitting on a sandbar during low tide in a mangrove filled estuary.  When out of the sky came two beautiful pink and white birds.  Before the guide could even say what they were I mouthed "rosette spoonbill."  They were beautiful and looked just like the appeared on the bird bingo card just a bit smaller than I anticipated.  After they landed they stood among the pelicans with their light pink feathers popping against the white background.  So it was the small things like this that made the trip so special.  It also got me thinking that if I ever own a boat or beach house I think Roseate Spoonbill may make a great name.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Sanibel Island

It has been way too long since I did a blog post.  I thought a year ago I would do daily updates for a year and call it quits.  I did great for the first quarter of 2014 but my daily posts didn't last long after that.  For 2015 I am going to be a bit more realistic.  I will keep the blog alive but not try to post something everyday.  Just when something is worth posting about.  Starting tomorrow I will write a few blogs about my recent trip to Sanibel Island.  After spending a week there I grew very fond of the place and had some great experiences.  For those not familiar with Sanibel is sits just west  of Fort Myers, FL.  It is a known for its shelling but there is a lot more than that to do.  I will cover several of these things over the next week or so.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Do the right thing

This week I faced a moral dilemma.  I didn't realize it was one until after it was over, but for the past few days I've been thinking about it.  On the way to grab lunch at work on Wednesday I stepped outside of my building and heard a women yelling.  I walked further and saw a young man walking quickly away from a distressed women, probably his girlfriend.  She was apologizing and asking him to come back.  They may have been homeless or mentally challenged or both I couldn't tell.  As the girl started to run after her boyfriend she dropped a big folder she was carrying and the contents spilled on the sidewalk.  I kept walking and as I passed her a women came and asked if she was OK and offered to help.  Why didn't I stop?  That is my nature but I honestly didn't even consider helping her.  I guess I didn't want to interfere with an obvious domestic situation.  It would have been so easy to stop and help he pick up her stuff and I regret not doing it.  From now on I won't keep walking when someone needs help.  I have people stop me all the time asking for money and I refuse but that is different.  This women in that moment was lost and alone and needed a hand.  I didn't offer her mine but I will in the future.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

And it begins….

Last night marked the beginning of the 2014/15 football season.  Really it was the first night of college football but the NFL starts for real next week.  It is a time of year that I look forward.  I am a football fan and can enjoy a game even when one of my teams are not involved.  One thing I am not though is a football fanatic.  I enjoy but do not obsess over the game.  I prefer to watch a game at home instead of in the stands.  I also like football season because I know autumn is right around the corner.  A cool fall day with a good game on the TV sounds pretty good right now.  I don't think the teams I pull for will be great this year and it is kind of nice to not go into a season with big expectations.  I will be disappointed when they lose but it will not linger very long.  I will be disappointed if my fantasy team has an off year.  Our annual draft if next week and I've already started preparing.  So from now until February there will be football on TV and that is a good thing for the casual fan like me.  I remember blogging the night of the super bowl and it is hard to believe that was seven months ago.  Time does fly by and I'm hoping this autumn will slow down a little and it can be enjoyed.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Monument Valley

I think most people have a bucket list of places they want to visit.  Hawaii and the Grand Canyon are probably common ones, but my must see place is a little different.  It is monument valley park in Utah.  For years I have been fascinated by the landscape in the park.  Of course I've only seen pictures and videos but every time I see one of those spires rising out of the red tinted desert I feel drawn there.  There is that famous scene in Forrest Gump when he decides to "just go running"  Years into his run they show him in the park on a long stretch of road with several of the monuments in the background.  This is the location in the movie where he decides to go home.  I can't remember if this is where interest in the park first started but it sure is a spectacular background for that scene.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKKmzmeU5-0

One of these years we will get out there to experience it in person.  While we are we can see a couple other amazing places.  Arches park is an incredible looking place full of many natural rock arches.  Also it is not far from the four corners monument where Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico all come together.  It would be cool to be in four states at one time.  Each time I fly to San Francisco I come close to flying over this area but I look forward to the day that I can see it from ground level.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

The Commute

Forty miles round trip.  Five days a week for twelve years.  That is my commute from home to work.  Partially on the interstate, partially on country roads, and partially on urban streets.  It is not a bad drive except for when there is an accident on the highway.  On a good day it will take me forty minutes from door to door.  The worst day was well over two hours.  Though my route hasn't changed much over the years the scenery sure has.  Charlotte is expanding outwards and much development has taken place over the years.  I've seen a lot of accidents over the years and have actually been involved in a few.  Three of the four accidents I've been involved in have occurred to or from my way to work.  One was a hit and run which is accompanied by a funny story that I will save for a later day.  When we moved to Charlotte we bought on the north side of town so my wife would be closer to school.  I gladly took on a longer commute to live in a nice neighborhood.  I have no complaints but it is amazing to think I spend about two hours of the eighteen or so that I am awake each day going to or from the office.  I could do it in my sleep but everyday is a new adventure so who knows what I will see tomorrow.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Mingling

This evening I attended a work function in honor of the corporate CFO being in town.  It is events like this that I both look forward to as well as despise.  It consists of an hour and a half of cocktails and finger foods with 100 other accounting and finance professionals.  Sounds like a party right?  Like I said I look forward to these because it does give me a chance to meet people I deal with usually over the phone as well as do some networking with senior leaders.  That is the good.  The bad is that these small talk sessions can be painfully awkward.  Not the small talk as I can talk to anyone about anything but the introductions.  We all wear name tags which helps but like any party small circles of people form and you have to find the way into one of these circles to be able to start mingling.  I usually try to find one person I know and have them bring me in.  The other tough part if when you can tell someone has had enough of talking with you and they look an opportunity to move to the next person.  Truthfully I am probably sick of talking to them as well but it means I need to go find someone else to chat up.  I wouldn't call to night a huge success but it wasn't a swing and miss either.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

The Pond

I may have talked briefly about the pond in my back yard in a previous post.  I thought today I would talk about it in a little more in depth.  Though not technically my pond, I've long considered it part of my property.  It is really shared by all the residents who live around it and it is maintained by the homeowners association.  The nice thing about my pond compared to others in the neighborhood is that mine has no obvious public access.  So it really is a hidden treasure.  The pond at one time must have been stocked with fish as it is full of bluegill, bass, and carp.  Aside from the fish the pond has many turtles, frogs, and other aquatic life.  The copious amount of fish attracts many birds with my favorite being the great blue heron. Since the day we've moved in at least one heron shows up to try to catch a fish for a meal.  Herons are majestic birds and I can sit there for a long time watching them stalk their prey. Hawks are also often around and if they have no luck fishing they try to catch the song birds that hang out year round.  The pond is also the winter home three pairs of the ducks.  My favorite is the pair of hooded mergansers.  It is a happy day each winter when they show up as I know they have come from their summer house to winter with us.  They stay a few months and then at the first hint of warm weather they are off for another summer vacation.  I know it won't be long before we move to a new home but it will be very hard to give up my pond.  It is a special place.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Out-Buildings

No not out houses, but out buildings.  I recently wrote about my desire to have land of my own someday.  Of course that land would have to several out buildings.  By definition I would think an out building would be any structure not attached to the primarily home.  When I think of out buildings I think of run down barns or coops on farms that are used to store whatever needs storing. It is fun to drive through the country and see these structures and wonder what they looked like when they were new and what in world could be in them now.  As picker, metal detector, and collector I would love to explore in and around them.  I hope the land I buy someday will have some of these building for me to explore and restore as my vision of my land would have at least one out building that can be lived in.  A getaway or place for friends to stay.  Again maybe someday.

Until tomorrow,

Dave

Friday night lights

I had the opportunity to attend the first football game of the season at my daughter's schools last night.  I am a big football fan and always enjoy watching a game at any level.  We went to a few last year and sadly out team lost in blowout fashion each time.  Last night was different.  Though the level of competition was lower the team played great and had a commanding lead when we left in the third quarter.  The school has a small student base so having enough kids to field a competitive varsity team is an accomplishment in itself.  But I could tell by watching last night that the program has made real strides thanks to good coaching and a large investment in facilities.  I hope they have a successful season and continue to improve.  We will cheer for them whenever we can.  Another thing I took from the game last that is that football games really act at a big social for the fans.  Adults were catching up with their friends that they hadn't seen over the summer.  Kids were chasing each other up and down the hill.  It was a fun experience for everyone.

Until tomorrow,
Dave