How are you doing?

Wednesday, October 14, 2026 12:15am:

The tank is officially empty. It was a long day with a full-day leadership meeting, followed by what unexpectedly turned into a triple-header hockey night at Heatwave Arena.

A friend asked me to sub for his team right before my own team’s scheduled double-header. My first reaction was that it probably wasn’t a great idea, so I asked him to keep looking. Unfortunately, he couldn’t find anyone else, and I couldn’t let the teams take a forfeit, so I jumped in. It was a little warm and definitely exhausting, but we held our own and I’d call it a pretty successful night overall. I’m sure I’ll be feeling it tomorrow.

To top it off, I had way too much caffeine before bed last night. The dreams were completely ridiculous, and I woke up multiple times throughout the night. Between the lackluster sleep and the three hockey games, I’m absolutely done.

Tuesday, October 13, 2026 12:45am:

Was in a Monday blues kind of mood today. Spent a lot of the morning just trying to keep things together. I guess I have to accept that these days can happen.

Monday, October 12, 2026 1:00am:

Cody asked me to sub for my first hockey games in awhile today. Have been resting while traveling since the knee injury. It actually went okay.. I’m feeling naturally tired but not in much pain. Small steps.. wish they weren’t so slow.

Sunday, October 11, 2026 10:45am:

I picked up a ticket to see Weird Al in Toledo – i bought it all the way back in December 2025, and just put it on my calendar since it was so far away.. time goes by so fast. I made the drive and experienced another event that would have been with Diana.. we’ve seen him together a few times. I met a lovely older couple that hadn’t been to one of his shows, and the opener was actually an act Diana and I enjoyed from America’s Got Talent, so it was a bonus act I hadn’t realized was part of the concert.

It was a good time. It’s evenings like this that I wish some things in life had gone differently. I know I am lucky in some other ways.. some moments are just continuously heartbreaking.

Saturday, October 10, 2026 2:00am:

Hoping for that spark of motivation to get a little productivity going this weekend.

It’s been a pretty decent week back, winding down from those two weeks of travel. I enjoyed the visits with friends and work education, but also felt the fatigue of being away from home so much.

Hoping for some balance.. the next race weekend is almost here and I have some catching up to do.

Friday, October 9, 2026 1:30am:

It was productive on the work and personal side today. Still so much to do, but it’s nice when I can find the energy to put my head down and get things done.

It’s not an entirely quiet weekend coming up, as I’m driving to a concert in Toledo, but there will be some available time to get some tasks worked on.

Hoping for a low stress Friday.

Thursday, October 8, 2026 1:30am:

The last two days at work have been an annual event we call TechX – it’s basically a small on site conference that the company sponsors internally for its employees, and works out to be a good social and educational experience without sending people out of town. It was good, and it was nice to meet some associates I had never known before. I worked our culture council table today, and it was nice catching up with one of our leads. Overall it made me grateful of the work culture that’s kept me there for 31 years, and I appreciate that reminder as I ponder the future.

Wednesday, October 7, 2026 1:00am:

Feeling especially grateful today. The last two weeks were a whirlwind. I spent 13 of 14 days away from home, and slept just once in my own bed. Before leaving, I wondered whether it would all feel worth it in the end, and it absolutely did.

There was so much to learn during the business portions of the trip, along with meaningful networking and plenty of valuable conversations and idea sharing.

But what stands out most is being able to see so many friends in such a short span of time and spend time with them at their homes.

I may not have been home myself, but I got to experience a sense of home with some of the chosen family members in my life, and that felt incredibly special.

Now, it’s time to settle back into the rhythm of everyday life, but I’m so thankful I had the opportunity to do all of it.

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