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Processing the unthinkable.

I appreciate several of you asking for me to jot down thoughts on any/all of what has been happening around us to start this year out. Trust me, putting words into writing remains a wonderful outlet for me when the time presents itself. However, this iteration will be more of a rambling than anything else.

We’re in the thick of it over here. Our entire family got the latest round of Covid in the middle of the month, only to then hunker down for the first of what looks to be a couple snowstorms hoping we maintain power/heat while these young immune systems try to recover. Every day presents a new curveball we couldn’t possibly have foreseen, and we’re holding on for dear life.

In the very sparing moments of free time outside of current home and work obligations, I have been equally as overwhelmed as everyone else when I open up apps that show nothing but absolute chaos in our world. There are more folks with very ill intentions in positions of power than ever before (at least, we haven’t had this much insight – all at once – into those roles previously). The media is trying to manipulate each of us into picking sides on every possible issue known to man… when several of us are merely trying to get through another week unscathed.

I don’t care for those speaking in absolutes when it comes to potential resolutions or outcomes (though I absolutely appreciate the energy and passion). “I can’t forgive you for voting that way, because it was obvious this would happen.” “By replying the way you did to that person, I have no choice but to cut all ties.” What does this accomplish – because it certainly doesn’t invite a productive conversation to be had, nor does it prompt someone to seriously consider the call to action. 

Light up something and smoke it. Pop a cork and take a sip. Do something that forces you to take a deep breath, slow down, and refocus.

You have every right to be upset with what your phone shows you on a daily basis – we were never meant to mentally and emotionally deal with this kind of weight on the regular. Yes, some people are turning their gaze away from the horror – honestly, everyone processes things differently, and sometimes that’s okay. Just because they aren’t taking time off work to join the local protest doesn’t mean they aren’t committed to doing their part in righting the ship when the next election cycle comes around.

If you are someone who feels guilty for legitimately not being able to take the time to call your local representatives or exercise your right in another way to address the madness – I see you. Focus on providing for your family first, as the ripple effect on those individuals will pay the biggest dividends down the road. If there are families/friends you know that have been impacted by recent events, check in on them and offer an ear to listen to their experience should they feel like sharing.

When the kids are down for the night and you’ve taken a moment to breathe… don’t let the algorithm dictate what you consume. One of the best (and sometimes worst) aspects of smartphones is that you have the ability to seek out any form of media you wish – listen to content from every corner of the aisle, and form your own opinions from data you’ve been able to validate in some way. 

As I remind myself daily – place more focus on what you yourself can control, especially when the way you spend your time impacts each and every person in your daily life. If there are legit opportunities to effectively share your frustrations about how shitty things are after that, take them. Don’t be offended if someone in your circle doesn’t understand the gravity of the situation at first, keep in mind they may have something of equal weight to get off their chest. 

Humanity is not, and will not be, reduced to voting entirely red or blue. Kindness should not be countercultural. Remember who you have in your corner at the most basic level of support, because it has to start and grow from there. This too shall pass, though it likely will require a lot of feelings getting hurt along the way in order to do so. Don’t lose sight of how valuable each and every person is around you, no matter how they came to be in your circle. If you haven’t heard it today – you’re doing great.

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This one hurts to write.

December of 2025 will be the last of my time at The Vintage Whiskey and Cigar Bar and corresponding ventures.

For the last five years, I have poured my heart and soul into hospitality concepts in the Charlotte area under the umbrella of Menagerie Hospitality, as well as GW Hospitality once Dan retired. From Figo36 Modern Italian to The Wine Loft, The Vintage Whiskey and Cigar Bar to Elsewhere Cocktail Bar, creating memorable experiences for guests (and enjoyable workplaces for staff) has been an overwhelming highlight to my professional career.

When this all started, Chelsea and I were newly married in the midst of a pandemic simply trying to navigate the chaos of life around us. Dan and Sean took a chance in late Fall 2020 on a guy with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, and the rest is history. I cannot say enough about past and present staff, vendors, and guests of each establishment – whether those businesses are still in operation today or not, the memories created on each shift will be looked back on fondly for years to come.

The creativity poured into live music sets, menu creations, humidor presentations, brand assets, and so much more… serves as a reminder that when hospitality teams are set up for success, the opportunities are near limitless. At the core of it all, my goal has been to create a haven for industry folk who want to reinvent themselves, reminding them of the reasons why they are so passionate about this line of work. With that theme in mind, the end result also allowed us to start and support our little family that God has blessed us with – there are hardly any roles in hospitality groups that would have that same ability without sacrificing much more in the work/life balance. We have seen employees recover from tough financial situations to end up starting their own businesses, overcome trauma from past work experiences to thriving inside of a supportive structure (and get recognized regionally / nationally for it), heck we’ve even seen a bunch of folks fall in love thanks to our efforts.

Nevertheless, everyone reaches that moment where tougher decisions have to be made. When a precious child asks why I can’t tuck her in bed that night and have to say our prayers over FaceTime instead, it pulls my heartstrings in every possible direction. When life’s curveballs continue to force changes in plans to catch up with dear friends who help keep each other grounded (or even plan the occasional date night), it starts begging the question of whether the time has come to make an adjustment to better my own situation… even if it may mean stepping away from a group that I truly consider my second family, a concept that is my home away from home.

I am grateful that I have found an opportunity to continue developing several of these relationships in a different capacity, which I will share more about later. For now, I simply want to express the gratitude in my heart: to Dan and anyone who has put in time on our teams, to Sean and anyone who has contributed their artistic talents in our spaces, to every single person who saw value in becoming an annual member and frequenting our concepts, to every single vendor who helped bring our ideas to life through their portfolios and contributing visions. I hope each of us will help The Vintage and similar small businesses continue to grow in our own unique ways, and look forward to having some time to catch up with you all outside of the workplace soon.

I hope you all know how hard of a decision this is, that it is one being made in hopes of bettering my family / friendships / faith and so much more while continuing to play some part (though in admission, a much smaller one) in helping these places become the best at what they do. We have accomplished so much together as a community that formed at a moment in time when one was desperately needed, and I will cherish that aspect for the rest of my days. This is simply a change so that I can cherish the timing of seeing these little ones reach new milestones, to take my bride out on the town once more, to throw one back with some friends – which are all overdue.

Until we cut, light, and connect again…

– Ben

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Complete, utter word vomit.

I doubt any of this is going to make sense, but I think it showcases just how bizarre how capable the mind is in wandering all over the spectrum… and I hope it will let my thoughts simmer as I try to continue to be present with my family, my work, and everything else going on in my own life.

Guys, I played music for a school’s first Mass of the year a few days ago. Such joy and excitement on everyone’s faces to be together again… without even the slightest thought of being in danger.

I choked up last night when my oldest choose a book for me to read to her about a character’s first day at school. How, out of all the books, did she pick that one.

The middle child asked to sing lullabies after the longest phase ever of not wanting any of that as part of her bedtime routine. I could barely keep it together for her.

Our youngest started rolling over a couple days ago, and is now laughing at nearly everything his older sisters do – each of these advancements our children make are precious to us, and we try to take as much time as we can to treasure them as they grow.

There are parents who have had those opportunities with their children ripped away in an instant, in a scenario previously only possible in the minds of the worst writers of fiction.

Imagine being a parent expecting to come home, cook dinner, and talk about all the things their child learned that day while at the table together. Instead, they have paparazzi outside their home to catch a glimpse of what used to be – after the worst 24 hours of their lives talking to first responders and the like. They took the beloved “first day” picture this week, and will now have to decide on an picture of their child to use for funeral arrangements. I think most of you know me well enough to know that if this were to be any closer to home than it already is, I would need to be put in a straight jacket – because there is no telling what my response would be to the raw emotion (and I’m already pissed off as is).

No one should ever, ever, be put in this situation. Of course, there are things outside of our control (i.e. natural disasters) where the worst can happen. But this? We have the ability as members of society to make a difference, and yet everyone is so desensitized to this type of incident that many folks are simply going about their lives today. I vividly recall one of my staff members running out the door after getting a phone call so long ago (they grew up around Sandy Hook and knew almost everyone involved), and am appalled that our country has failed to protect some of our most vulnerable all these years later. Flags at half mast for a few days? Cool. Then what?

If your political representatives won’t pick up the phone or respond to your e-mail, make a trip to their office. Knock on the heavy door until security escorts you, and scream at the top of your lungs about how you feel. Show others in your community how much it matters, until something finally clicks in their own heads. There isn’t a single material thing I wouldn’t give up to save the life of a child, and I can only hope that hearts around us can feel warmth once more to share that level of compassion.

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That small town kind of feel.

If you browse the interwebs on your choice of medium nowadays, it can feel downright depressing. It would seem as if “the golden days” (cue 80’s/90’s nostalgic throwbacks) have all but completely vanished in this wave of artificial intelligence, social media filters, and the constant desire to be in front of a screen for a form of instant gratification.

Rewind to Saturday night. We have been blessed to move into a newer development for our first house purchase, and the neighborhood recently finished filling up with homeowners of every race, creed, career etc. to the point where everyone deemed it time to socialize and get to know each other – since most of us were moving in during the cold weather / holiday season. Of course, with how the world is presently, there could be ample reasons to come up with to exclude oneself from such a gathering – but where is the fun in that?

It won’t take much for anyone over the age of 30 to visualize this – elementary age kids racing around the cul-de-sac in a dozen different types of scooters, bicycles, you name it. Parents kicking back in folding chairs with their beverage of choice watching the sun set behind their kids’ laughter (naturally, our toddlers found the closest pile of dirt to play in). Cheers and delightful shouts echoing in our little valley as the self-identified pyro of the group started setting off fireworks once it got dark enough outside.

This scene felt like it was straight out of a somewhat blurry VHS home video from my childhood. The only time someone got on their phone was to skip the random song on a playlist (because naturally, technology has at least brought us the benefit of Bluetooth speakers to have outside), otherwise… actual conversations happening with every walk of life who, by pure chance, now live alongside each other in pursuit of raising families, establishing careers, and finding the ultimate work/life balance. A neighborhood that seems to truly emulate what most of us envision America to be – where every possible demographic can find common ground, even if only in the simple things (sharing recipes, pet sitting, offering to help with each other’s yardwork, you name it).

As the 4th approaches with everything that comes with it, I just figured I’d write down this train of thought as a hopeful reminder to folks that life isn’t as bleak as the media makes it out to be. There are unique opportunities outside our front doors each and every day – IF we are willing to do our part and be open to a new conversation, becoming vulnerable for a moment in hopes of forming a new friendship (or at least, someone in your corner when shit hits the fan at the next HOA meeting). You might be surprised at just how great that breath of fresh air will feel.

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Oh Papa, My Papa.

Allow me to preface this – while I am a practicing Catholic, I am in no way to be seen as a voice of the Church when I state my opinions and/or feelings on these matters. In a similar note, PLEASE do not read articles from major media outlets assuming what they say is true.

There is no denying the influence of the Catholic Church on society (no matter how badly people may desire to have it sidelined) in moments like these when folks from every friend group and social circle inquire about the processes surrounding the papacy. Considering this only happens a couple times a year in each person’s lifetime, it does take some research to recall all of the steps the Church goes through in the selection process after the proper time allotted to grieve / mourn the loss of the predecessor.

Social media (and the internet as a whole) has played a major role in this new dynamic – the clamor is much more evident as major media outlets try to convince everyone of their authority to speak on the matter, and content creators are having a field day comparing the Arizona Cardinals draft picks to the Conclave. There is certainly some moments for humor to be present, but I humbly ask that everyone also consider the gravity of the situation when cracking jokes… at the end of the day, this process will result in the selection of someone who will act as the voice of Christ for the entire world. Whether you “acknowledge the authority” of the papacy, there is no denying the influence this position has on communities in every single continent.

How will Francis be remembered by the various generations who were around the last decade? For some, there remains a sense of animosity – they did not care for his approach to the liturgy, or some of his statements that were seen as more “liberal” / “inclusive” than predecessors. For others, he didn’t do enough in that regard to bring the Church “closer” to what its people need from its leaders in the 21st century. Nevertheless, he was a leader who was not afraid to speak what was on his heart, and to act on it in the midst of criticism – traits that we can only wish that other positions (i.e. certain political offices in the USA) would consider before they act / speak.

At the end of the day, I am grateful for having lived during his time in this ministry. Francis challenged us to reconsider the status quo in many things he said and did – from the clothes he wore, cars he rode in, beds he slept in – the emphasis on curbing our materialism could not be any more clear. He was compassionate to those who haven’t felt that emotion from someone in a leadership role in quite some time, if ever. His wording, while loving, was also stern in challenging those in power throughout the world to focus their work on more important matters, topics that affect the well-being of every soul.

The conclusion of one of his last writings summarizes the general thought well. From “Dilexit Nos” that he penned last fall: “I ask our Lord Jesus Christ to grant that his Sacred Heart may continue to pour forth the streams of living water that can heal the hurt we have caused, strengthen our ability to love and serve others, and inspire us to journey together towards a just, solidary and fraternal world. Until that day when we will rejoice in celebrating together the banquet of the heavenly kingdom in the presence of the risen Lord, who harmonizes all our differences in the light that radiates perpetually from his open heart. May he be blessed forever.”

My prayers are with the group of individuals tasked this next week with appointing our next leader – I trust that the Holy Spirit will guide their thoughts, words, and actions along the way. If you are concerned about the potential outcome of this process, take comfort in knowing that Christ is King – He knows what is best for us to encounter and overcome, no matter the blessing or obstacle that presents itself to us each day. As many learned with Francis – if you pray for patience, you will be given an opportunity to be patient. If you pray for the faith to grow in others, you will be given the chance to do just that with your own words and deeds. You and I are just as essential to helping others grow closer to Jesus as the new Vicar of Christ will be.

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A note to my children.

One day, you’ll be old enough to browse the internet and find all the random musings your father has ever published for everyone to find. Be sure to check the dates on some of these, because I am certain my memory will start to fade as I tell you stories that may or may not align with the chronological order they happened in. Full disclosure – there is likely some content online that will embarrass you (no one said I was a great musician, I just enjoy it to no end – and good grief, my stints as a guest on podcasts never cease to entertain), but hopefully it will make for some quality conversations with your mom and myself as the years go on.

I constantly try to remember to take the time to be present with you in these early years – and though I should probably be sleeping the same time you are, I can’t help but take that time to contemplate about how else I can be making your lives better with my decisions (that is, of course, while helping your mother with the laundry and dishes). As you will quickly learn, some aspects of living are simply beyond our control with the hands we are dealt by our society – but I am relieved to be surrounded by so many friends and family who are discontent with the status quo and determined to help things improve by the time comes for you to venture out on your own as adults.

You have an incredible extended family (including some honorary aunts and uncles) to rely on, and my prayer is that you never take it for granted. Both sides of our family have an immense amount of love to share, and you have been showered with it in your early years – for which your mother and I will forever be grateful. As we prepare to welcome your baby brother into the world in a couple weeks, the weight of balancing work with home can be heavy at times – but our support system around us has been instrumental to help us in whatever way we need. All that to say, don’t hesitate to ask for help – no matter how heavy or light the burden may feel.

My thoughts are all over the place these days, but it seems vital to be sharing them in moments like this. I often let the chaos of life interrupt the frequency of my posts, and that seems to be okay with most of the folks who surround me. I can only hope that, with our time together, you will feel just as confident in sharing your thoughts and feelings in your own unique ways as you grow (even if they currently resemble emotional meltdowns typically reserved for your teenage years).

May our shared laughter, songs, and dances throughout the weeks continue to uplift your spirits and empower you to share your gifts with everyone we come to know in our lives. I hope that your mother and I continue to make you proud in building this family and life together, and that we remind each other to frequently take the time to appreciate the many blessings we have been given.

Love, Daddy.

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Just hang the damn ornaments.

Those who know me well enough are WELL aware of my disgust for those around us who start playing Christmas music on November 1st. There are so many other events in November we have to get out of the way first – All Saints Day, All Souls Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving… alas, the consumer greed kicks in no matter what I say. Add in the fact that so many of you throw the stuff out a day or two after Christmas (when we should be celebrating THROUGH January 6th, but I digress), and you can pick up what I’m putting down.

This past weekend, I found myself faced with a small conundrum. With a rare day off, there was an opportunity to be quite productive in the new home since we have been living out of boxes for the last few weeks. However, my lovely red-headed daughters had very different plans – as they were determined to set out our Christmas decorations to compliment the neighbors who had already done so.

Naturally, the idea seemed rather offensive to me at the surface level. How could my own offspring suggest such an atrocious idea? *Dad mode kicks in* Because they see sparkles, glitter, and all the pretty lights, you dumb dumb. Just because logic and reason works in your favor at the age of 36 doesn’t mean an intelligent 3 year old will grasp the concept of patience being a virtue in this instance (let alone my bride, who quickly sided with her daughter in hopes this meant trips to Hobby Lobby and other specialty stores for even more decorations).

As parents, we learn quickly to pick our battles wisely. While I could certainly stand my ground (as I began to) on principles I have held near and dear… those principles were also being applied in very different phases of life. Who says you can’t assemble that deck box in the garage while the girls unwrap ornaments? Who says you can’t go hunting through a dozen tubs for the constantly missing TV remote while they find the perfect place to position the wooden reindeer in the living room?

I guess what I’m trying to get at here is this – the lesson I learned this weekend is to not let the list of action items you have get in the way of making precious memories with your little ones. Of course, the list of things I need to tackle is never-ending… but they won’t be this little for very long, and I will treasure the looks on their faces when they saw the finished product of a decorated tree for the rest of my life.

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You all keep asking for it…

I don’t know why I keep being asked for my opinions on various political / societal matters, but you get what you ask for.

When people mention a “trickle-down” effect nowadays, they clearly aren’t referring to decisions around money, but rather the impact attitudes at the federal level begin to influence those below them. I have never seen such divisiveness when it comes to local and state elections, and the fact that people stoop to these levels saddens me deeply. The content being put on TV and socials for us to consume regarding each candidate is downright crude, the quality memes – while humorous – do not make up for the fact that it all sucks, and the first Tuesday in November couldn’t come fast enough.

When I talk with people living outside the U.S., it becomes bluntly obvious that the reason for our current chaotic state is because we the people have been complacent and allowed those in power to not only remain in their cozy offices, but enabled them to control the markets and stumble into truly murky waters of what politicians should / shouldn’t do in their spare time (let alone what they do when they’re actually at work). The colonists who founded our country got pissed at the Brits for taxes ranging 5-7%… now go check your IRS paperwork from last year and see what you gave Uncle Sam. Why aren’t we having a modern day tea party reaction to what our government is doing to us?

Most of you should know by now that I despise both of the camps that control this nonsense equally. They are BOTH controlled by people with more money than they know what to do with, whose agendas could not look any more different from the average American. They trot out candidates in the name of democracy, only to then undermine the very idea of democracy throughout the process. Third-party efforts continue to be scrutinized by everyone (and sued to oblivion when they actually pose a threat), even though most are sincere efforts to try and point out the flaws of the two that the majority of our voting population blindly clings to every cycle. Do your neighbors a favor and change your party affiliation on record, because they will keep the status quo as long as 80% of the country identifies with the elephant or donkey. A single party needs just 5% of our nation’s support to guarantee federal funding for future cycles – surely we can agree that would be a good thing to have.

Each of us has love for our community, and there are a variety of ways to show that love – some volunteer their time, some donate funds they can spare, some do a generous combination of both… it all comes from a place deep down of wanting to see things get better for our city / state / country. Please keep that in mind when you jump to respond to the latest viral video about something a candidate may or may not have done 20 years ago (which at this point, how do we even tell if the stories are generated by AI or are actually real). No matter where you live in the United States, put your time and talents where your mouth is if you are truly fed up with the system – don’t sit back and expect a red or blue “wave” in an election cycle to fix anything. Scream the phrase Term Limits until you lose your voice, because without those in place no substantial change will ever take place.

Perhaps, just maybe, if we had servants of the people who returned to the task of caring for those who elect them (and having that desire to care for them be the main reason they run for office)… we would all feel a bit better about where we live than we currently do.

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Why do we expect perfection?

Sorry not sorry, but this is going to be an odd combination of thoughts that have kept me pre-occupied while driving the last couple weeks. The drama that people have created around Olympic opening ceremonies, the turmoil around the disaster of a political season this is, the continued post-pandemic chaos where people are still ridiculed for wearing masks in public… why are we constantly trying to be at odds with one another?

Are these issues well-founded… or is everyone just looking for a reason to be upset with each other? For crying out loud, the Olympic ceremonies haven’t been “normal” in decades. An artistic expression that some may find interesting, some may find beautiful, and some won’t understand – wander into any art gallery these days, and that’s exactly what you’ll find. Does it detract from the goal of celebrating these athletes and what they have worked so hard for? Certainly. However, none of us volunteered to serve on the Paris 2024 Planning Committee – so it really isn’t our place to make this kind of judgment… especially when our children are at risk of losing funding for the programs at school that could help them achieve similar extracurricular goals if they so chose to pursue them. Why don’t you direct your focus there instead?

The subject line implies my thought process over the last few days… why would anyone run for political office at this critical point of our society? Some journalist is going to pull up a story from college about how the candidate did a keg stand freshman year of college, and someone will read their spin on the story and decide something about it was offensive. Instead of focusing on the issues at hand and getting their message out to potentially undecided voters, the campaign has to focus the majority of their time on damage control with something that hasn’t impacted anyone’s lives (and won’t impact anyone) – ever.

We seem to have our minds made up that it is the responsibility of athletes, celebrities, political figures, and the like… to achieve perfection in whatever it is they do. Newsflash – we are human. It is in our nature to make mistakes (just ask Adam and Eve), and it is part of our DNA no matter how much you try to ignore that. We wonder why the pool of options of who to vote for is so abysmal, but we also TERRORIZE whoever steps up and volunteers. Look at how badly past Presidents and high-ranking officials have aged in the past 20 years – we as a society put them through hell and still expect smiling faces, perfect pronunciation, and immaculate decision-making whenever they are in public. It simply can’t happen, but we lean into major media outlets to tell us how we should feel about those mistakes and weird looks, and it creates more of a hellscape in social media AND our actual, very real daily lives when it doesn’t have to.

Children used to dream of becoming professional athletes, and often still do – but now have to decide if paparazzi following their every move is worth the contract they are in pursuit of. We see these insane numbers in the NBA / NFL / MLB, only to then calculate they get about 50% of the number after taxes and fees, have to pay an absurd amount for security to keep themselves and their families safe from the scrutiny (and to those of you sending death threats to people’s homes after they miss a field goal… please get yourself some help)… it makes no sense. Why would anyone volunteer to be the face of any major organization when the backlash has become this fierce? Self-harm and the taking of own lives continues to be a major issue in our society, but we get mocked by others when we try to suggest that pursuing mental health should be a priority for everyone (and that those resources need to be more readily available) – especially for those in precarious positions.

If you got this far in my rambling, I appreciate you. I know you tend to scroll past when I suggest that you vote anything other than Republican or Democrat… but if you continue to believe that one side is better than the other, we are going to be doing this same song and dance in four years – unless a civil war breaks out before then. There are SO MANY OTHER THINGS that deserve our time and attention: the fact that several people can’t get jobs right now because corporations have made the process inaccessible, the fact that there are neighbors of yours who will have to choose tonight between paying a past due bill or feeding their family, the fact that technological advances are crippling our ability to remain decent human beings with purpose… I can go on and on. Come grab a drink and smoke with me sometime on the porch and talk about it if you’d like – but please, stop wasting time spewing nonsense on platforms (keep in mind, this is also a reminder to myself) when we have so many other good things to be doing with our time and talents.

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This is 36.

I emotionally collapse when my daughter asks “do you HAVE to go to work today”? 

When I plug into my work, it brings me incredible amounts of joy – to see the fruits of labor immediately, unlike other industries or career paths. The ideal guest experience is the ultimate pursuit, and getting to craft concepts to that end since the pandemic has truly been a blessing.

I have never felt more politically homeless in my life. Every suggested option for local, state, or federal is brought to us from the depths of Hell.

I often get frustrated with myself for not going to the gym more often, and even more frustrated looking at the time spent during the week searching for times when I could have gone.

I’m reaching the point where alcohol doesn’t do my aching mind or body any favors – but there are other things out there that do, and I’m incredibly grateful for them.

There are days I still refresh the bank app hoping to see an unexpected large sum be deposited into the bank account – yet I have no idea where it would be coming from, because winning the lottery requires playing it more often.

I am very optimistic about the future of the Church, both here and abroad, largely due to the levels of vocations AND laity commitments to bettering our situations no matter what the circumstances may be.

I stood up the “wrong way” this morning and now my back will ache the rest of the day. Getting adjusted at the chiropractor is now considered the ultimate self-care.

I know I’m old when… I have no shirts to wear, because I hate taking the time to iron them – but remain pissed off at my favorite dry cleaners for nearly doubling their prices.

I also know I’m old when all the mainstream music being made today absolutely sucks, yet every playlist pre-2010 has nothing but bangers.

Playing music continues to be the ultimate outlet for stress, pain, joy, you name it – I’m so glad I have kept up with it, even if I don’t get to practice as often, and “practice” these days looks like accompanying Elizabeth as she sings lullabies to everyone.

Regardless of how gloomy our political and societal outlook is, I somehow continue to remain hopeful that with each smile and conversation… I can try to make the day a little bit better for each person I interact with. If we all aimed to do that with our actions and responses this week, I’m pretty confident the impact would be overwhelmingly noticeable.

My thoughts go all over the place, all day every day. Not sure I would have it any other way. This is 36.