Religion

To the misinformed individual who told me I should stop hanging out with someone because he is Pagan, you obviously don't know me well. I have friends who are Buddhist, Jewish, Pagan, Muslim, Hindu, Wiccan, Sikh, Agnostic and Atheist..plus every flavor of Christian from Catholic to Baptist, Pentecostal, Mormon, Seventh Day Adventist, Methodist, or any other. I respect each individual's chosen path. It's not my job to judge anyone...it's just my job to love them.

Some of my favorite memories...are in cemeteries.

I find cemeteries strangely peaceful.  One of the few places on the planet I can sit, meditate, and feel completely at ease.  I'm sharing some of my favorite pics from Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta.  I visited there with my dear friend, Anne-Marie Trout, last year and fell in love with the peace and beauty in this place.

Hello! Anybody out there?

Good morning, everyone! And by “everyone,” I mean the three people who might still wander onto this blog by accident. I know… I know. I’ve been terrible at keeping this thing updated. Between work and spending time with James, my brain has the attention span of a goldfish with Wi‑Fi. But I’m trying to do better. Really.

So… where do I even start?

Let’s begin with work, because that’s where most of my sanity has gone to die. Work has been absofreaking CRAZY for about 18 months straight. Every time I think I see a little light at the end of the tunnel, someone cheerfully builds a brick wall right in front of it. It’s been nonstop, back‑to‑back projects since October 2010. I love my job, I really do, but 60‑hour work weeks? I’m too old for that nonsense.

Speaking of being old—I turned 51 in November. It didn’t hurt too much. Better than the alternative, right? And honestly, I’m feeling pretty good these days. Since June 2010, I’ve lost 63 pounds. Thirteen of those since January 1st. My goal is another 17 by the end of March, and then another 20 after that. I’m aiming for 230 pounds and—fingers crossed—off my diabetes and blood pressure meds by the end of the year.

I’ve made some big changes to my diet. I’m trying to get most of my nutrition from plants now, with a little fish or chicken on the side. And yes, sometimes a steak or pork loin sneaks onto my plate because I’m human. But meat is now a side dish, not the star of the show. My skin looks better, my energy is up, and if I eat too much meat, I feel like I swallowed a bowling ball.

I flirted with the idea of going full vegan, but let’s be honest—I’m not ready to break up with meat completely. I have, however, mostly ditched dairy. No milk, cheese, or butter since Christmas. I still have the occasional egg with whole‑grain toast and homemade hummus because I’m not a monster.

Oh! And I signed up for organic, locally grown produce delivered every other week. I’m obsessed. The veggies taste like they were picked by woodland elves. After eating this stuff, Safeway produce tastes like disappointment and pesticides. Maybe I’m imagining it… but I don’t think I am.

James and I are doing well overall. He hasn’t worked in almost two years and was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. It’s been rough on him emotionally, but he’s handling it with more grace than I probably would. We’ve applied for disability and are waiting to see what happens.

We’re also debating whether to give up the house and rent for a while. I’m feeling the need to be mobile. If the right job came along, I’d be open to leaving California. It would have to be somewhere that recognizes our marriage… maybe the Netherlands? Teleplan is headquartered there. Who knows. We’re just seeing where life takes us.

Before I wrap this up, here’s a fun family update: I’m about to become a great‑uncle. My nephew Josh and his girlfriend are having a baby boy in March or April. I’m thinking about a trip to North Carolina this spring, so I’ll definitely get some baby time in.

Love you all!

Way too busy...

It has been a couple of months since I've had time to post here.  But, I have to say that the holidays were wonderful this year.  A bit melancholy as they usually are...especially when we have lost loved ones during the previous year.  Yet, we managed to honor those memories and continue our traditions this holiday season by having special time with our family and friends.

I had a last minute trip to Boston on business the Sunday before Christmas.  It was definitely cold there, but I enjoyed getting to travel there.  It had been more than 20 years since I was previously in Boston, but honestly...it hasn't changed all that much.  Still a beautiful city and I got to see some decent snow while I was there.  I got home the Wednesday afternoon before Christmas and managed to finish last minute shopping in time to cook the traditional Christmas dinner.  My mom wasn't able to join us from the east coast this year, but we spoke on the phone.  It's not the same by any means, but just knowing that she was doing well, in good health, and spending Christmas with other family was enough to make it a good holiday.

The new year has brought changes at my company.  Teleplan is being acquired by a company called Gilde from Germany.  We're being told that there are no expected changes to our organization or to our jobs here in Roseville, but it is nerve-wracking as usual when uncertainty enters your world.  I've been through so many reorgs and mergers over the last 10 years and it's difficult when you think your job could be in jeopardy.  Just keep your fingers crossed for us, please!

I'm hoping to finally make a trip home to NC in April.  This trip will also include a 3-day romp through Atlanta to which I haven't been since 1991.  I'm very much looking forward to hunting down some old friends and paying my respects to the grave of my former employer, Rex Nelon.  Also hoping to catch a drag show somewhere while we're there...and when I say 'we', I mean that the lovely and talented Anne-Marie Trout will be meeting me in ATL for some R&R.  As she put it, "I have a feeling that we'll be so drunk one night that we can't feel our feet."

I tend to agree!

Blessings to you all!