Damn COVID, Finding Gifts and Opportunities in Everything

“If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.”
— George S. Patton Jr.

Good morning; I hope your weekend was filled with some relaxation and fun.  Ours was another epic time in the mountain community of Conifer, Colorado.   We got up yesterday; the kids headed back to Denver; we puttered around the house before heading to our Sunday brunch place for some food. We met Bay, saw some friends, met a 13-year-old wonder-kid who has not been told work is terrible; he was busting his ass, it was rather refreshing.  It reminded me of young Anson while working at the Parker Pantry.

We left there and got our toes “did,” then headed to a gathering in Pine, CO, for our friends Dave and Nicole.  They are to marry in a few weeks; it was a celebration of their love and friendship.  There were about 40 or so close friends, live music of course and some fantastic food.  We stuck around for a bit before heading home. Finally, we got home, and I made parmesan panko-crusted cod with homemade tartar sauce; my wife made a delicious skirt steak salad.

It was an early evening for all; we went to bed early, got a great night’s sleep in return.  Bay just headed back to the condo; my wife is getting up, the pup is sitting and watching the sunrise. It’s a beautiful day up here, sunny, a little smokey, but you can see Denver. So that’s our smoke check. Can we see Denver?  I got some bad news yesterday; I was asked to speak at a Leadership Development Day in Indy on November 4th, 2021.  We had 12 speakers; it was going to be a fantastic event with great content. Unfortunately, our host has been watching the trends; COVID is starting to impact many occasions, he pulled the plug, and I don’t blame him; there seems to be another surge of this damn virus.

At our gathering yesterday, one of the guests, a good friend, had on a mask.  I asked where her husband was; he was home with COVID, thus her wearing a mask. At lunch Bay got a call from her grandparents; they just returned from Boston with another couple, they too got COVID.  All are vaccinated, doing well, no significant issues, but they are positive after getting the poke.

My friend Josh just sent me a text, he and his wife were going to head out and hang with us in a couple of weeks, but due to COVID and the hurricane, his schedule got moved back, they won’t be able to visit.  His words, “damn COVID.” So we’re heading to Red Rocks tonight to see the Black Crowes, trying to pack as much in as we can, I think live shows will be going away again.  Outside shows, I believe, will continue, but inside might have to be put on hold.

Wide Spread Panic had to cancel a few shows; their lead got COVID after getting vaccinated, as did KISS; they pulled a few shows when Paul Stanley got the virus; he was also vaccinated.  He shared he was doing fine; I think we will have to learn to live with this virus.   I now wonder how many times I’ve had this little bugger. I know we had it once, we got tested, we had the antibodies, some say that we didn’t need to get vaccinated due to our having the virus.  But we did; one of our friends, a young person, was not going to get it but got their first shot last week; I think more and more people will eventually get stuck.

We are a day away from winding down our presence in Afghanistan; I’m sure the Taliban will have a party when our last service member departs.  It’s pretty interesting to see a group of 8th-century warlords defeats the greatest military in the history of humanity.  I’m sad for our country; the gift and opportunity might be to focus more on the plight of our citizens than meddle in the lives of others. 

I’ve got a project I’ll knock out this morning, helping a friend with some properties in Florida.  If you are buying property on a coast, understand your insurance rates will be a little higher.  The hurricane that hit New Orleans will be another dagger in the heart of sensible insurance rates; I forecast a continued harden market for the foreseeable future.  Rates will continue to go up based on perceived financial instability, increased storms, and civil unrest.  Imagine insuring a police department today; societal shifts can move markets.

I had a meeting at 8:00 my time; it was a demo for some new software we are thinking about implementing into our process.  I have some other work to do, so I’ve asked my team to record it so I can watch it later today and give my input on the effectiveness of the tool.  If this were pre-COVID, they would have come to the office and demoed the product; now, we have the luxury of having everything recorded.  There are gifts and opportunities everywhere if you take the time to look for goodness.

I know it’s not a great time in the history of humanity.  We have some issues, but I still believe this is the most magical time in the history of humankind.  It’s easy to bitch, moan, and complain, but some of us are still smiling, pointing out the wonderment of our world, and you too can look at the positive and find joy in every situation or event. So smile, we’ve got this.

“If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.”
— George S. Patton Jr.