It’s over. My years at the Lafayette Club have come to an end, and I’m enjoying three days off before I start my new adventure. I’ll be enjoying three days off every week, in fact, part of the draw of this new journey. Many of you have asked me where I’m going, and I’m not quite ready to publicly list them on this rather personal blog of mine, but I’d be happy to share that information with you privately if you know me well enough to ask. Funny thing about it, when I do mention the name of the restaurant to people in passing or in depth, nearly everybody has heard of it, even though it is in a small town, far away from the hustle of the cities. It receives its reputation from the care and dedication of owners who take pride in their work, and require passion from those who work their line. This will be an experience I will absorb in its entirety, and I hope I am able to impart some of my years of knowledge on those who need it, as well.
Amanda’s third trimester is approaching quickly. The baby is constantly wiggling and turning around in her liquid apartment. It’s 7am, and I just felt her move through mama, which I don’t feel very often, but more and more, I can sense her little legs or arms flailing about, probably in response to Daddy’s masculine baritone voice. The baby’s room is coming together nicely. We’ve decided on a Dr. Seuss theme throughout, and slowly Amanda has been finding deals on EBay on relic Theo LeSeig merchandise and books. This is quite an experience. Our house has transformed so much in the last two+ years, and this one small room means more to me than any other project I’ve taken on, and I can see the future of our loving and laughing family every time we put up a new book or toy on the shelf. I’m also seeing books I haven’t read since I was a kid and it’s pretty cool to read them again.
Yesterday we all went to the cities to Mac's memorial BBQ. I can’t believe it’s been a year since he died. I got to see a few of my friends from prison; the ones who are doing well. It’s a great feeling to see people from such an awful time, doing something with their lives. Mac didn’t make it, but we reminisced of better times, and saw life in each other’s eyes that grows every year. We are the few that made our time away work for us. We all have families, and we all do everything in our power to make this our permanent life. We know what awaits us inside, and we are drawn toward this light, but we know the darkness looms. The time grows longer between every visit with each other, but we know it is because we are doing well that we are obligated to be near our homes.
Time is life’s scarcest commodity. Ten years ago, I used to say, “I can’t believe that was ten years ago!” Everything flies by in the blink of an eye, and living in the moment is more important than ever. This is why I altered my career path; family has become the most important thing. An extra day at home is worth its weight in gold. Try doing that math. 52 extra days a year I can have breakfast with the girls, sleep in, take the dog to the park, take my wife out for coffee, scrub my toilet (the wife would appreciate that I said that even though I won’t actually do that), make artisanal coffee in my syphon brewer, lounge, and create a new world for a baby that will be completely dependent on us. WE need me here more. And here I am. I’m here for you, my ladies.
