Sports with children are fun. I introduced E to disc golf on the course I used to play multiple times a week. It has changed, as have I. He had a great time, as did I. We ate melty Twix bars between the nines front and back.
Tennis lessons are a high point in his week. I sat in the gazebo writing documents as he practiced in the sun. Pickleball was happening amongst men my age on the adjacent court. They didn’t need a fourth, but I was ready to volunteer as tribute if the time came.
Running at night is different. I bought a headlamp and blinky clips to make myself visible. The mounting heat of “spring” days and pre-commitment to morning drop off routines have made nighttime the best fit. It’s fun.
Feeling unable to step away from my desk during the day is also contributing to the running at night. We wrapped up the biggest internal event of the year a few weeks ago. I thought that’d be a release valve, but it hasn’t been. Hiring two engineering managers takes a lot of focus and subconscious. I’m mentally prepping myself for completed hiring also not providing a release valve. Onboarding well is just as important. Keeping everything going that is already going fits in there, too.
Our patio project completed. I couldn’t be more pleased with the new space. The eye-sore of its former life as a pond has been completely terraformed into an intentional space for dining, fire-pitting, and playing around. Sitting under the shade of our 2022 project, looking out on the result of our 2024 project provides a lesson in incremental improvement. A home is built over years. Quite challenging in the age of instant gratification.
The project finished just in time for Emily’s birthday celebration. She knew the party was happening, but she didn’t know who was coming. It felt like a reunion that spans the last 15 years of our lives. Being surrounded by people you love and love you back is what it’s all about.
I spent a healthy portion of the party behind the flattop. Oklahoma Onion Smashburgers and Crème Brûlée Donuts were the two courses. The compliments on both made my day. I derive a lot of joy and satisfaction from seeing folks I care about enjoy something I prepared on purpose.
I’ve noticed that I make way more small talk than I used to, and it doesn’t bother me. I sat in the sauna with a random guy and we talked all about the west coast, European travel, raising young boys, and beyond. I only ended the conversation because I was hitting my limit in the heat.
Continuing with Nike Run Club has been great. 6 runs, totaling 3 hours in training, and 13.4 miles this past week. I’ve been running without music, which is different for me. It seems like my breathing and heart rate are both calmer in the absence of music.
Rode out a giant storm at Mirror Twin after Sunday church. There’s no better metaphor for the multiplicity of benefits derived from acknowledging the external turbulence while embracing the internal quiet on a Sunday afternoon with people you love. Brunch pizza from Rolling Oven ain’t bad, either.
5 months of no alcohol. I don’t miss it. I did imbibe what I’ll call a “fingernail” of super high end scotch during a particularly meaningful moment at my friend’s birthday a few weeks back. That’s a relationship to alcohol that works for me. A younger legalist version of me would have reset the counter. Today’s version of me recognizes the spirit of my intentions, rather than the letter of someone else’s interpretations. There’s more gray in the world. And in my beard.