In Birmingham, They Love the Governor, Bo’s First Pitch, A Tesla Rental Car, Live and Learn
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." - Mahatma Gandhi
Good morning from Montgomery, Alabama! We arrived in Birmingham at about 3:00 yesterday, where they love the governor. We picked up our Tesla rental car and drove an hour to our Air B and B. It’s the first time I’ve driven a go-cart that distance. It will throw your head back, and a Tesla is not a car; it’s an iPad on wheels.
Our Air B and B is excellent; it’s a 3-bedroom ranch with two baths; my cousin arrived about 5:00, we took an Uber to the ballpark to avoid messing with parking, we arrived and met Jocie and Gavin, and then the man of the hour came strolling up, Mr. Bo Beans himself, he was surprised to see some of his favorite humans, we all got hugs. Then, we headed into the park to watch our son hit some dingers. The team was a little off their game; they lost, but we had a great time, and the crowd entered the game.
We got home at about 10:00, and watched a campy movie on Tubi before retiring; we are in the Central Time zone, which caused me some consternation on a couple of meetings I had set up, thinking I was going to be in the Eastern Time zone. Time zones are fun. I slept in, as I usually do after a travel day; something about plans, trains, and automobiles wears on this aging body, but we are up, coffee in hand, and ready to take on this Friday.
I have a couple of appointments this afternoon; the beauty of my job is I can work anywhere. I’ll tidy up my email this morning, run some errands, and then return to finish strong. We have another game tonight; I think Nick will hit a dinger or two, and we can look forward to Bo’s big day tomorrow. We got word that Mr. Bo Beans will be throwing out the first pitch to tomorrow night's game; that’s pretty big stuff for a two-year-old. Imagine being two and having five thousand people cheering you on as you make the first pitch to a baseball game.
Yesterday was the first time we had flown an airline other than Southwest in over ten years. Their application is not as friendly as Southwest's, their boarding practice is different, there is a little more legroom on a United flight, and the plan was much smaller, but we got a direct flight from Denver to Birmingham. We refuse to do layovers, pay a little more, and switch airlines to make our travel more sensible.
We flew out of Concourse B, and as we rode up the escalator, we noticed an Elway's bar to our left; we ordered eggs benedict and chatted with the folks around the bar. The food was great, the conversation was too, and soon, we were on our way to see our grandson. The Wi-Fi was not working, but when we landed, I could clean up my email from my phone; there were no fires; our team is doing a great job staying on top of our client's needs.
In checking the news, I saw that some trials are happening involving a former president. If you can’t beat them, sue them. There is unrest on many college campuses, the kids are tired of war, and I can’t say I blame them; I think anytime we get into a discussion about the Middle East, it’s nuanced, and for every point, there is a counterpoint, I don’t know what the solution is, but it seems the one side has secured revenge for the attack on Oct 7th, it might be time to stop the killing and begin repairing the wounds. I’m saddened that our tax dollars are being used to fund another war; imagine using the funds for peace and a concentration on our infrastructure.
On my right wrist are written the letters R F N. It’s a constant reminder of how we have chosen to live our lives. It would be hypocritical not to live in the moment, and I wish I had been given this tattoo when I was born; it would have forced me to remember this adage every moment of every day. I can’t emphasize the importance of savoring every moment; we are only here for a short time, and we never know when this time will be extinguished and our lives will become a memory. A human dies twice, once when they pass and another time the last time their name is mentioned. Most graves are no longer visited, so making your mark when conscious is essential. Join us in living R F N.
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." - Mahatma Gandhi