I’m Back, Covid Test, Living Through the Blues, In Sickness, and Health

“I no longer believed in the idea of soul mates or love at first sight. But I was beginning to believe that if you were lucky, you might meet someone who was exactly right for you a very few times in your life. Not because he was perfect, or because you were, but because your combined flaws were arranged in a way that allowed two separate beings to hinge together.”
— Lisa Kleypas

Good morning, did you miss me? I missed you. It’s been a busy few days; I’ll try and catch you up; it’s 5;05 a.m. on Tuesday morning, coffee in hand, Nicorette gum in my cheek, fireplace burning, PVHT outside checking on the property.  My wife is sleeping, and we have a couple of guests from out of town in our wing.

Happy Tuesday, sorry I’ve been a little misdirected and not made soup for four days; I’m back, and I have an explanation.   I had a friend spend the night on Thursday of last week; we were up a little later than usual; I slept in and then had a call at 7:00 on Friday.

I spent Friday with my wife and Bay working, hiking; I did score a haircut on Friday, and then we all came home and hung out.

On Saturday, we got up and headed to Pine for our friends Dave and Nicole’s wedding.  It was our first mountain wedding; it was beautiful and was held at a mountain home.  The reception was outside; we had live music, some danced, some sang, it was a celebration.  Our friend Kris was the master of ceremony, and I think we all shed a tear or two.  At one point in the night, I noticed a special needs person.  He was maybe 40, his mother had a cane, they were just getting by, but Kris, now Pastor Kris, got up and helped walk them to their table; it was a great show of compassion for a stranger.

We bought our mountain home in July of 2018. Although we have been blessed to find some amazing friends, it was humbling to be invited to the wedding and site with about 100 people that we knew about 80% of attendees.  The ones we didn’t know, we got to meet.  The people in this community are all over the socioeconomic board; you never know someone’s background and all come at you with a heart of kindness.

About 20 of us were lucky to be invited to a resort about a mile from the wedding site. So we went back and chatted with our friends before hitting the bed about ten.  We got up, had some breakfast, mimosas, and then headed to help with the final teardown of the wedding spot. Finally, we headed home and relaxed on Sunday, getting ready for a busy week.

We woke up yesterday both with colds; my wife got it worse than I.  We grabbed our trusty Muscenix, we are rarely sick, but both felt a little odd.  I know what you are thinking, they got the VID, but neither of us lost taste or smell.  We are scheduled to fly back to Indy tomorrow; we will get a rapid test just to confirm we are safe to be around our airline passengers, family, friends, and others.

I’ve got my board meeting today; I’m going to Zoom for safety; my symptoms are runny nose, low energy, but I’m up at 5:00, so I think I’m fine. I have a busy few days back in Indy. First, I’ll track down my parents and kids and make sure I get some family time. Finally, I have an event on Thursday where I get to see many of my Indianapolis friends.  If either test positive, we have decided to cancel our trip home.  We took some vows earlier this year; we spoke about sickness and health; we’re inseparable.

I’m typically a happy fellow, but lately, I’ve been struggling with a little bit of the downs. So mentally not as sharp, but I’m looking at this time to find a gift and opportunity. Even now, as I write these words, I’m struggling to find something to share, some bit of positivity. So maybe my message today is that sometimes life is not a smooth sail through open waters but a smashing of the waves to help you get back on track.  I don’t know how much is tied to my physical health, but I’m on day four of the blahs.

My wife is my rock; she can sense when I’m not on my game. So she’s there to lean on and talk through anything that has me troubled. However, I did get a fantastic night of sleep and must say that my mind has improved; I battle this about every 3 or 4 months; it’s as if my shiny happy armor has been pierced.   But I know, this too shall pass; I’m blessed beyond measure and am lucky to live the life I live.

I must remember that not all days are going to be good.  We must experience some pain and angst to appreciate the joyful, happy times.  I would not say I’m depressed, just not on my game.  So if you are a little down these days or maybe today, I’m with you in the train car of sad people, but I’ve got a wry smile which means I’m coming back to my old self.  It’s been a time of reflection and self-doubt, but I know life is filled with more light than darkness.

I honestly did try to write each morning, but my words were flat; I had no words to share, nothing but just the blues, and maybe I should write the blues, but that is not my form of music.  I’m more of a folk-rock, happy and you know it kind of writer.  A personal tip, if I don’t write in the morning, one of two things has happened.  I’ve stayed up too late and had to get moving, or I’m feeling a little blue.  I pen these thoughts 99% of days; this four-day hiatus has been my longest in ten years, but never fear, the soup will be cooking the rest of the week, I’ve got to be up early to catch a plane tomorrow, as of now, I think I’ll be fine, I’ll know later today my health status.  We are choosing to be safe, not for us, but the rest of society. I ask you to do the same.

“I no longer believed in the idea of soul mates or love at first sight. But I was beginning to believe that if you were lucky, you might meet someone who was exactly right for you a very few times in your life. Not because he was perfect, or because you were, but because your combined flaws were arranged in a way that allowed two separate beings to hinge together.”
— Lisa Kleypas