Blog Posts - The Girl In The Band

Vacation Insights

7/15/2018

The D-Man and I returned from a wonderful eight day vacation in Wisconsin last week. He proclaimed it was his best Wisconsin vacation ever and I have to agree, it was wonderful. We balanced time between Summerfest on the Milwaukee lakefront, the music festival I have been attending since I was nine years old (11 days, over 800 bands), a stay in Sheboygan at the Blue Harbor Resort and lazy days in small towns like Port Washington and Cedarburg. The biggest lesson? Vacation is NOT optional! It is a necessity! An eight day break from work, stress and emails brought both of us back more refreshed and ready to face the world! In addition to that important lesson, there were some things I discovered that just made the whole trip that much better!

PROPER SHOES MAKE THE VACATION
I bought these Aerosoles last December in Las Vegas at the Outlet Mall. The shoe store was going out of business and I paid under 10.00 for them. The color was crazy and I really forgot about them until the recent heat wave, but I decided to take them along. The surprising thing was that even though the color is loud as can be, they went with a lot of my shorts and skirts. The best thing was they felt like I was wearing slippers! They really came in handy the day we walked all over the picturesque town of Cedarburg, Wisconsin. The D-Man's phone app said we had walked five miles and my feet felt like we had walked around the block.

LOVE THE ONE YOU ARE WITH
Speaking of Cedarburg, we really enjoyed a couple of afternoons we spent there. I have done wine tasting in Napa Valley and Northern California and yes, the wine is fabulous and it is a great experience! But I also enjoyed the wine tasting we did at the Cedar Creek Winery. I found a Strawberry Blush that is a great summer drink. Right next door was a crepe restaurant that had the best turkey crepes I have ever had in my life! The morale of this story? Anywhere you vacation has great places you can discover and enjoy. It doesn't have to be the "it" place to be a great place.

THE SAME OLD ISN'T THE SAME
I mentioned I have been going to Summerfest since I was nine years old, missing only a couple of years. Every year they improve the stages, the sound and the food. In addition, they add fun activities. Walking around the grounds one day, I saw they were giving free boat rides around the lake in a speed boat. So off the D-Man and I went for a really fun thirty minute ride, where I snapped the picture at the left in the middle of Lake Michigan. It was a lot of fun and a new addition to something I have been going to for most of my life.

So if you haven't taken some time away this summer, take my advice and do it! No matter what your budget or where you live, take the time to recharge! Your co-workers and family will notice the difference.

POUND PUP SURPRISES

5/18/2018

Today is Kody’s birthday. Not the day he was born, but the day, two years ago, that he came to live with me. He came from the Burbank Animal Shelter, with a different name, a sketchy past and scars from a fight with his Pitbull brother.
People always ask, “Is he a rescue?”
I am not fond of the term “Rescue.” We did not go in at night, with riot gear and weapons and pull him out. He was surrendered by his former family to an animal shelter. I chose him to fill the void left by not having a dog and he was grateful to have another chance at a home. He adored me from the day he walked into the house. We spent his first three days painting my home office, him standing under the ladder, staring at me, making sure I was really real.
I know many people are reluctant to go the pound route. Especially for a dog like him, with aggression towards other dogs and already three years old. I am not saint. I had my reservations too. But I can say, after two years, I am grateful every day I took a chance on him.
When you get a pound pup, you rarely know the real day they were born. You usually don’t even know their breed. You get whatever information is available, but that can be very incomplete. Yet, over the last two years, the discoveries of my very own Kody, have been worth any gaps in info.
Here are my three top Pound Pub surprises:

GENECTICS
He is not a Rhodesian Ridgeback, as he was presented to me. (I REALLY wanted a Rhodesian Ridgeback) A DNA test shows he is Weimaraner, Boxer, German Shephard and Pitbull. Which means he has the most exotic eyes, lot of agility, is very protective and is loyal to family. A perfect mix that I didn’t even realize until I brought him home.

HOBBIES
Kody hunts gophers. Of course I had no idea. This is a perfect hobby for me, because for about two years before I got him, my yard was like “Caddy Shack.” $500.00 in Gopher Hunter fees and they still returned. Until Kody.
One day I was out in the yard lamenting that I once again, would be looking at another Gopher Bill, when out of desperation, standing over a hole, I said, “Kody, get the gopher!”
This dog had never dug a hole in the yard in the entire time he had been with me. All of the sudden, he became like a cartoon dog, digging to China. Dirt flew behind him and he kept going until I told him to stop.
I moved to another hole. “Kody, get the gopher!”
Dirt flew again.
After a couple of repeats, I got the hose.
With Kody stood at my side, we flooded the holes. A couple of times.
Miraculously, the gophers left and haven’t returned. I think they decided that it was too much hassle, having a flooded home and a dog snout in your face.
Every once and awhile, we walk past a neighbor’s home that has gopher holes. Just to keep his skills sharp, I say, “Kody, get the gopher!”
Then I just watch the dirt fly.

LOVE RULES
Two years ago, Kody could not be near any other dogs. When I had to leave him, he was a shaky mess, insecure and uncomfortable with most people. The D-Man’s sister called him “the scary dog”, because he was pretty much freaked out by everything.
Today, he has a neighbor puppy friend that he has play dates with. When I leave him with the D-Man or his mom when I go out of town, he isn’t thrilled, but he realizes I am coming back and adjusts. He is more confident and secure than I could have ever hoped for.
Of course, it was not just love. We got some professional help. Matt at The Zen Dog in Los Angeles and a class at The Pasadena Humane Society worked out some issues. But so did cuddling on the couch watching HGTV with Kato.
You can get a brand spanking new puppy from a breeder. A pure bred that might be like all the characteristics in the book. You may think that they will love you more because you have them from the beginning.
You will be wrong.
A pound pup understands where they are. They know they have been left behind. They know they may not get a second chance. But when they do!
The love can be endless.
And so can the wonderful surprises!

Lessons From My Mother

5/11/2018

My mother and I did not have a perfect relationship. A lot of mothers and daughters don’t. But there were some very positive aspects to it. My mother brought me up to be an independent, self-sufficient woman. There was no pressure to have grandchildren or get married, only to be able to support myself and be happy.
She also gave some great practical advice on a regular basis. This started when I was so young, I don’t even remember the first time she said some of the things that I have heard in my head all of my life. So as we approach Mother’s Day, I want to share three of my favorites.

YOU DON’T WANT TO BE HAPPY ALL THE TIME
My mother always said that if you were happy all the time, you wouldn’t appreciate being happy. Think about that a minute. Think about all the pain and struggle you have had in your life. Now take away all the strength and wisdom you gained from those times. What kind of person would you be? How great does it feel when you come out of a difficult time or finally reach a goal that you have been trying to hard to achieve? All-the-time happiness can never come close to those feelings of pure exhilaration.

PEOPLE WHO SPEAK BADLY OF YOU ARE JUST JEALOUS
I think my mother genuinely thought I was the smartest, prettiest child in the entire world. In reality, I was not. That didn’t stop her from telling me that daily. When other kids called me names, (Apple Face was a popular one!) or said things about me behind my back, she always told me they were jealous. Jealous because I was smarter, had more friends, was prettier.
I have carried that with me my entire life. Fortunately, I don’t run into it my private life. My friends are the best! Professionally, the corporate head games and position struggles have been a part of every job I have ever had. It can wear you down, unless you take what my mother said to heart. If you are not viewed as a superstar, no one feels the need to take you down.
I even take it one step further and translate it a little differently. I keep the quote, “Lions don’t lose sleep over the opinions of sheep,” taped to my computer screen. It’s amazing how seeing that makes me laugh and just keeping moving on.

EVERY GROUP OF PEOPLE HAVE BAD PEOPLE AND GOOD PEOPLE
Just a reminder, I grew up in an all-white, predominantly Catholic small town in the Midwest. We were not Catholic. When I was around seven, I had a classmate tell me I would never go to heaven because I was not Catholic. My mother took this news from me and instead of taking the easy route and saying, “All Catholics are bad,” she said, “All races and religions have good people and bad people. She is not a good one.”
Simple right? Not to a small child, hurting from being told she was not one of God’s children and heaven was no longer an option.
She repeated that simple phrase throughout my entire childhood. So I went out in the world, not judging by anything but behavior. Not race, not sexual preference, not religion. In my life, you were judged by who you were. Not what color or religion or who you loved.

Simple lessons, but ones I remember almost every day of my life.

Happy Mother’s Day to those women who shaped our lives. And to those mothers just starting out. Sometimes the simplest lessons are the ones your children will carry with them for their entire lives.

WORK TRAVEL THE SEQUEL

4/13/2018

I just go back from another work trip to New Jersey, which included a side weekend trip to New York City. It is official. I have fallen passionately in love with New York City.
I know we are not going to be a forever kind of thing. My first love is California and I would never leave him for a side fling. But like “The Bridges of Madison County”, I am hoping we can continue to meet at least once a year.
Not only did I get to shop at my favorite Macy’s store, I got to see my celebrity crush Wayne Brady in a great show on Broadway, “Kinky Boots.” Great music, great message and great fun.
I also learned some valuable lessons to add to my work travel fact folder. Here are the newest three:

JOIN THE REWARDS PROGRAMS
Join ALL the rewards programs! I know it sucks keeping track of your membership numbers and passwords, but it does pay off! I arrived in New York City to check into the Radisson Martinique and got a free upgrade to the penthouse floor, a much larger room than expected, a check in three hours early and a late check out three hours after regular time. All because I have a lot of points on my Radisson reward membership! I literally paid for a vacation flight with my Southwest Airlines points, accumulated from all that work travel. So join, join, join.

NEVER BOOK THE LAST FLIGHT OUT
I love Southwest Airlines. Yes, they have late flights and yes, I have missed connections because of this fact, but overall, they are my favorite airline. That being said, flying home out of Newark, I made the not so smart decision to book a flight with a connection to Phoenix that would take me home to Burbank airport. Problem was, the connection was the last flight out of Phoenix to Burbank. Basically, if I missed the connection, I was staying in Phoenix for the night.
Now nothing against Phoenix, but when you have not budgeted for a night in another hotel and you want to get home to your bed and your sweet boys, Kato and Kody, staying in Phoenix is not high on your bucket list.
The other factor I ignored was having only one hour between flights. Boo boo number two.
Of course the Newark flight got delayed by almost 30 minutes. Of course the Phoenix flight was right on time.
Yes, I made it, but the stress of willing all the people who took their time getting their crap out of the storage bins to turn to sand and the reenactment of the OJ Simpson Hertz commercial are two things I can live without again.
This next business trip I am flying direct, but if I have to make a connection again, I am flying out in the morning. If you miss a connection in the morning, there is another flight. Miss it at night and you are looking for a Motel Six instead of relaxing on your comfy couch with a glass of wine and all your back episodes of your favorite show you missed while you were away.

DOWNLOAD, DOWNLOAD, DOWNLOAD
Adding to the fun and games coming home, was a five hour flight on a plane that did not have working internet. No working internet meant no watching live television. No surfing mid-century modern design websites. No Amazon Prime music. Nothing but two magazines that I burned through by hour one.
I had one movie that I downloaded from my DVR to my tablet. It turned out to be two hours when I didn’t have to listen to a kid behind me say, “Mommy, no!” fifteen times in a row. It was a true blessing. Unfortunately, that was it and for the remaining two hours, I just had to suck it up.
This next trip, I have downloaded music and five movies from the DVR. No internet and I will be ready for a full flight of entertainment, not trying to find a way to sit outside the plane on the wing!
I hope these tips help and wishing you happy and safe travels, for business or for pleasure!

THE TRUTH ABOUT WORK TRAVEL

3/30/2018

As I get ready for my fourth work trip so far this year, I was thinking back on a conversation I had recently with a client.

“You are so lucky to get to travel for work! That is my total fantasy! It must be so great!”

I stopped myself from rolling my eyes.

By no means am I a road warrior. I have a couple of friends who basically have jobs that mean they are traveling almost every Sunday thru Thursday, but over the last year, my work travel has increased to almost one trip a month. I am no stranger to this work travel thing, having done my fair share of trainings, going to alternate offices in other parts of the country and attending conferences. So for those of you who spend the majority of your time in one place, dreaming about that traveling gypsy dream job, here is the truth about work travel:

FLYING SUCKS
Unless you are Kid Rock and you have your own private plane, there is nothing fun anymore about flying. My last trip, I flew American Airlines from a one day client visit in North Carolina. My first flight landed in Phoenix and I was more than ready to get on my flight back to Burbank airport. It had already been a long day. I became concerned when the boarding information at my gate never came up. The plane arrived, but there was still no hint that they were going to be flying to Burbank any time soon. That is when they announced they needed 30 people to volunteer to be bumped off the flight because, WAIT FOR IT…….The flight was going to be too heavy.

I had just started the South Beach Diet, so I wanted to let them know I was down about five pounds and would that help? I have been flying since I was 9 years old and I have to tell you, this was a first.

We proceeded to play “The Price Is Right” for the next two hours, as they continued to raise the flight voucher amounts to get people to stay overnight. If they would have rented us a bus and driven us to Burbank, we might have made it sooner. They finally topped out at $1400.00 in travel credit and we got to head out. Had I not had a full day of meetings the next day that couldn’t be rescheduled, I might have considered taking the bump. The other detriment was the thought of flying the same airline again made me sick to my stomach. Spending ten hours in planes and airports because American Airlines was carrying something in the cargo section that was more important than passengers who plaid for their tickets will do that to you.

UNLIMITED EXPENSES ARE AS RARE AS SOMEONE ON HOUSE HUNTERS WHO WANTS A CLOSED FLOOR PLAN
Where you stay, how it gets paid and how much gets paid, really varies, depending on who you work for. I have worked for a real range, from one company that didn’t have an issue with paying $200.00 for an employee who threw up in a cab because they were drunk to the employer who seriously couldn’t understand why breakfast had to cost more than $5.00.

In general, you do get to stay at nicer hotels, but that isn’t always the case. Sometimes you even have to share a room with a co-worker, which being an only child who never had a roommate, is the thing I hate the most.

It is also not unusual for the expectation to be YOU front the expenses and then fill out an expense report. One company I worked for had a policy of making you wait for almost a month to be reimbursed. My policy became not traveling anymore without a cash travel advance and I eventually left the company.

IT ISN’T ALL BAD
The biggest plus, is you do get to travel to places you may have never gotten to see. It still isn’t a vacation, because you do actually WORK when you travel. Doing training, working a conference, client visits, can be more intense and exhausting then being at the office. Late nights out club hopping in a new city isn’t conducive to getting up at 700 am to do an 800 am training, but there is some off time and I have gotten to explore some cool cities. The best part is if you can combine it with a little weekend time. You still have the cost of your hotel and meals, but you save the airfare and that can be a big part of that getaway expense.

Not to mention not getting on ANOTHER plane to have a little down time!

A WEEKEND WINE CABINET

2/25/2018

One of my main goals this year, is to continue to get rid of "stuff". You know, all those things you don't really need that take up space, but you keep thinking, "Well, if there was a Zombie Apocalypse this would really come in handy!"

My little wine refrigerator has been taking up valuable counter space since I got it. I love the look of a built in wine refrigerator, but really don't have it in the budget. My solution? Take the door off one of my kitchen cabinets and put in in there.
The actual project took about an hour this weekend, but what took three hours of pre-work was getting rid of enough stuff and re-organizing things I really do use to free up a cabinet.

Check out the pictures and more details on my Home Ideas tab. My proudest moment? Looking at the empty cabinet and realizing I don't miss a thing! But I do hope those Zombies don't show up...

Olympic Lessons

2/16/2018

I have to admit, there is a part of me that never really got this whole Olympic thing. It seemed like a whole lot of work for just one moment in time. Even my under ten logical mind didn’t make sense of it. I asked my father once, “Why do they practice all their lives for just one day?”

My dad answered simply, “Because It is the Olympics.”

In my mind, it seemed kind of silly. All that for something you hang around your neck?

The last week was a long one. Filled with negativity about my job, having not been working this week at my personal best and hearing the horrific news of yet another tragedy in Florida, I felt like I needed some good news when I turned on the television.

I found it. From Shaun White’s face when he realized, that yes, he was baaaack, to the beautiful grace of Chloe Kim, I finally saw why people like to watch snowboarding. I even thought I might give it a try myself, until I heard about what Shaun White was coming back from. An injury that resulted in 62 stiches on his face. Maybe I will give it a shot with VR glasses someday!

Tonight was men’s figure skating and my new favorite Olympian, Adam Rippon, took the ice. Here is a guy who knew going into the contest that he did not have the technical ability to be on the medal podium. The quadruple jumps that are required to win are not in his repertoire. At age 28, it was his first Olympics. Most people don’t do figure skating at the Olympics at the ripe old age of 28, but there he was, knowing he wasn’t going to be first. Or second. Or third. But he was going to live the moment that he had trained for his entire life.

And live it, he did! His programs were filled with energy and joy. No pressure to be number one, none of the angst and stress that the top contenders felt, he went for and lived in the present, comfortable in what he had and who he was. We can all make note and work toward doing that a little more.

If Adam wasn’t enough to lift my spirits, there was Brian Orser, now a skating coach who trained Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan, and Javier Fernandez, of Spain, who took the Gold and Bronze medals tonight.
Brian was a men’s Canadian Olympic skater who always seemed to just miss being in the top spot. He settled for silver behind American Scott Hamilton in 1984. Then there was the heartache of missing out on gold by one-tenth of a point to Brian Boitano in the epic Battle of the Brians at the 1988 Calgary Games. Yet instead of being bitter or saying, “My best is behind me,” he continues to make the sport he loves great instead of doing some cheesy reality show.

Live in the present, leave the bitterness behind and know there is always more to accomplish in the future. Some great lessons that helped me make my week a little better.

I think I am finally starting to get this Olympic thing.

Lisa In New York

1/19/2018

When I found out a work trip was going to take me to New Jersey and that I was going to be less than an hour out of New York City, I was super excited. I have only been to New York City one other time, a wonderful trip with a group of girlfriends and I have wanted to return for years.

I did not plan to go alone. The D-Man was less than thrilled with New York City in January, so I invited a girlfriend who had been with me on my first trip. Finding out that one of my favorites, Bette Midler, was ending her Broadway run in “Hello Dolly”, the very weekend I would be in town, I got tickets, found a great hotel room and got ready for a great NYC adventure. I also called a friend who had moved out east a few years back and we arranged to meet for lunch on Saturday.

Unfortunately, the girlfriend who was flying out to meet me got the flu and I got a tearful phone call from her Thursday morning telling me she wouldn’t be able to make it.

Sitting on an extra theater ticket and an extra bed in my hotel room, my east coast friend arranged to come out Friday night to see the show and we moved Saturday lunch to Saturday breakfast.

That still left me alone for most of Saturday and Sunday morning. In a city I loved, but had only visited once and over ten years ago. Even a natural born loner like me was a little hesitant. It was, after all, big, bad New York City!

What was a girl to do?

There are not too many activities that I haven’t done alone. Eating alone? Countless times. Concerts alone? Been there, done that and literally bought a t-shirt or two! Movies? One activity I sometimes prefer going alone to, especially if I don’t know anyone else who wants to see the movie.

I have traveled for both band and work for so many years, that being out and about by myself is almost second nature. Of course growing up an only child certainly hasn’t hurt. But could I handle New York City?

After a great show Friday night, Saturday morning breakfast at Tavern on the Green in Central Park, and a lot of laughter with a friend I hadn’t seen in years, I started my solo NYC time.

It was cold, but I had a pretty warm coat, hat and gloves. I noticed that New Yorkers do not carry big purses when they are walking the street, so I changed out my bulky bag for a much sleeker black one. I wanted to look like a native, partially so I didn’t get robbed, but because I wanted to feel the vibe of really being in the city. New Yorkers also don’t pay much attention to street lights, but by mid-day, I felt like I had lived there for years.

I was staying on Broadway and West 54th, so I decided to walk to Rockefeller Center. I was amazed how easily I found it, not using navigation and not even asking anyone at my hotel. I did decide to do a tourist thing and I headed up to Top of the Rock Observation Deck. It was spectacular and I got to see Central Park from above the skyscrapers.

I spent the rest of the day walking the city. I had some great clam chowder in a restaurant in Times Square. Shopped at THE Macy’s in Herald Square and mostly enjoyed the crisp weather and the energy around me.

I returned to my hotel, a little cold and tired. I went to the lounge and sat in a corner window seat, overlooking the city, having some wine and pizza.

The next morning, before heading to the airport, I had a Greek omelet and bagels at a great little dinner just around the corner from where I was staying. No one looked at me and said, “You aren’t from here, are you?”

I checked Zillow on the ride to the airport and tried to figure out where in my budget I could find 1.2 million for something on West 58th.

Yes, I had enjoyed New York City, all alone. Maybe enjoyed it more being alone.

Just another life surprise.

When I was at The Top of The Rock, I went in the gift shop looking for a souvenir. My eye caught a children’s book they were selling. It was titled “Lisa In New York.”

I bought it immediately and wrote the date in the front cover. Lisa in New York indeed!

HOLIDAY LESSONS 2017

12/21/2017

I have not experienced my usual feeling of being totally overwhelmed this season of joy.
A work schedule that was light, after being slammed for months and no money worries, has really made this holiday season relatively stress free. Except for the candle wax on the newly painted living room wall and the realization that I have no available extension cord at this time of year to plug the blow dryer in to fix the problem. Google “getting wax off a wall” if you have questions.
The cards have been sent, the gifts are wrapped, the house is relatively clean and decorated and there is still three days until Christmas Eve.
I have had dinners with friends, had a fun weekend in Las Vegas with the D-Man, and attended Peabo Bryson’s “Colors of Christmas” concert in Cerritos with special guests, two of my favorites, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. A great night of Christmas music that I think I will be making a tradition. Also enjoyed a nice company Christmas party in Santa Monica, right on the beach.
Great stuff and a lot of good memories.
But I am always learning and trying to figure out how to make the next year even better. So here are my Christmas lessons from this year.

TAKE PICTURES OF THE HOUSE
I re-decorated the house three times. Yes, when you aren’t as busy, you get more picky, but I also couldn’t remember what I did last year. The pictures I took were minimal, so remembering where everything went was a problem. I also bought some new decorations at those fab after Christmas sales, but I forgot what I got and by the time I pulled it out, I didn’t know where to put it. Sometimes I think documentation truly is the secret of life.

BUYING CLOTHES ONLINE DOESN”T WORK
Electronics are electronics. Even jewelry usually looks like it does online. Clothes are tough. Almost every piece of clothing I bought online, I returned. I need to touch clothing and when I don’t like how it feels, I can’t give it as a gift. I would have been better off taking a couple of days to shop for the shirts and sweaters I was going to give. Despite not being able to do it in my pajamas, it would have been a time saver.

MACY’S HAS REAL ISSUES
I was a Macy’s girl for many years. When my financial meltdown happened, I became a Ross girl. This Christmas, I went back to where I had been banned (yes, they were part of my bankruptcy, but all has been forgiven and the red card is back in my wallet). The product quality at Macy’s is still great and I love to be able to give designer names to folks at Christmas. The prices are even great when they have those famous Macy sales.
But they have real issues.
Shopping online with them on Black Friday was a nightmare. They had technical issues which basically ended up with me receiving a double order of numerous items. They tried something called “Macy’s Money”, but having used “Kohl’s Cash”, they need to take some lessons from their competitor around how to process it.
The most significant thing, is their absolute lack of service. The incompetence and lack of knowledge of their phone agents cannot be rivaled. Add to that, the in store staff, who have an “I don’t listen and I don’t care” attitude and they are seriously making me change my shopping religion. They do a great Thanksgiving Parade. Maybe next year they can get the rest of their stuff together or they will be joining the May Company and other department stores that no longer exist.

FUN IS FUN
A very simple idea, but I really enjoyed enjoying myself. So much of my life has been about work and making some memories this year was the best.
Not to mention, I think I have found a new holiday tradition!
So my main lesson? ENJOY, ENJOY, ENJOY!

Thoughts While Drinking A Cranberry Peach Bellini

10/22/2017

With Aaron Rodgers out for most of the rest of the season and my beloved Packers struggling without their MVP, I have had to come up with different Sunday drinks to keep from crying during what use to be one of my favorite pastimes, watching football.

My new favorite is a Cranberry Peach Bellini. After working all week, I am all about the easy when it comes to Sunday afternoons. No elaborate cooking or drink making and the Cranberry Peach Bellini is as easy as opening up the bottle of Ocean Spray Mocktails and one of those little mini champagne bottles. Half and half in a glass and I am ready to see if the Packers can somehow salvage the season.

Another sports team that is having a super year is, of course, the Los Angeles Dodgers, now on their way to the World Series. I moved to California twenty-nine years ago. I was reminded of this, because it is the last time the Dodgers were in the World Series. I remember seeing Kirk Gibson hit that home run in a bar in Los Angeles and having the place go absolutely wild.

I was born in San Diego, during a time my parents were living in California. Growing up, I heard countless stories about the good times in Cali. My parents moved back to Wisconsin when I was a toddler after my father got laid off. He told me many times, if he had it to do over, he would not have gone back. He often referred to their time in California as the happiest time in his life and in their marriage.

It is no surprise then that it was always where I felt I would end up some day.

Twenty-nine years ago, I was not sure I had made the right decision. Although I didn’t come out alone, the guy I was living with, was working as a sound man and traveling all the time. The stress of trying to get settled in a new city made the cracks in our relationship widen to a hole the size of the Grand Canyon and I knew it was a matter of time until we were over.

I was working in retail, in a store that sold sports paraphernalia. I had met a couple of people who are still close friends today, but at the time, I felt homesick, lonely and generally displaced. Trying to get something going with music wasn’t happening, I did not want to spend the rest of my life working in retail and I was starting to feel like I had made the biggest mistake of my life.

The home baseball team in the World Series provided a little diversion. Of course it was great for business and I still remember unpacking boxes of new Dodger shirts every day. We had the games on in the store and other mall staff and customers would come in to watch. It made a job I really disliked a little more fun, even though I had never been much of a baseball fan. I was thinking about that time in my life while I was drinking my CPB this morning. What did John Lennon say? “Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans.”

Many things I had hoped for at that point in my life, never came to be. Yet so many things that I never even knew to hope for have. Twenty-nine years ago, I had no idea what I was capable of doing and how strong I would become. The career I have in software right now, didn’t even exist and who knew I would actually one day build a deck?

I have heard people say that the best years of their lives are behind them. That they give up ten years off the end of their life to relive one year from their past. Frankly, I can’t imagine that. I wouldn’t even know which year to pick! There were some that definitely wouldn’t make the cut, but all of them had great times, laughter and things I accomplished that I couldn’t imagine.

As I finish writing this and you finish reading this, let us raise our Cranberry Peach Bellinis in a toast. To the Los Angeles Dodgers, my struggling Packers and to what comes next. Whatever that might be!