Compromise

Compromise is an interesting topic of discussion.  Sometimes it is a seemingly unachievable task.  When referring to a compromise of two people, it is often seen as a dual of two wills, a battle for who and what is right.  It's one side versus the other with the sales pitch prepared and practiced in order to convey point of view or perspective.

I know in my life and experience there is most often a passionate display of emotion and a driving force deep within to push forward to get what is wanted.  If I'm referring to myself, there is a perceived degree of bullheadedness which I imagine does come across at surface level.

It is compromise, however, that is one of the only forces that creates any sense of harmony in our lives and without sometimes recognizing it, it does happen everyday.  Compromise is a call to leave aside individual differences and opinions and meet at a common ground.  Regardless of how often it takes place each day, there are times it seems there can be no true compromise, then what?  What happens when neither side is willing to bend or to back down?

I've searched the internet for hours, visited with my mentor and people I deeply respect.  The end result, I got 50 different answers.  The most important things I've taken away are these; let go of pride and the desire to always be right, make time for yourself alone and in quiet and, learn how to create a winning situation for others.  In the end, you may find others wanting to do the same for you.

For now it was difficult to decide between an IPA and a dark Ale, so I compromised with a Hopworks Urban Brewery, Cascadian Dark Ale, somewhat like a black IPA.  I love compromise!

Cheers

Balance.....

Do you have that person in your life that keeps you accountable, holds your feet to the fire and keeps you on the right track?  I do and today was my monthly (no apologies here) kick in the ass.  There just really isn't a better way for it to be said.  It certainly isn't encouragement, it's more reflective of the conversation that you love to hate but, it's motivating.

Oh, I got the questions, the good questions.  Have you and Ghandi found what you are looking for?  How are those Tibetan prayer flags treating you? Yes Steve, perspective is great, but it doesn't pay the bills.  It's an interesting position that I currently find myself in, I'm a driven, competitive individual, so, I tend to approach things guns blazing.

Answer, it's all about balance.  As it was so eloquently put, it's that constant nudge that brings you back to center.  You need that in your life and you need that individual that will tell you like it is.  Fortunately or unfortunately, I have several of them.  On that note, I've been getting kicked an awful lot lately.

I ended the evening with friends at Highlands Hollow Brewhouse with some great music, old and new friends and a few really good beers.  Find your balance, find your center and cherish your friends.

Cheers

Idaho, it's good to be home

Vacation is always an adventure and it doesn't have to be extravagant to be enjoyable.  Living the simple life, spending time with family and friends and enjoying good food and great beer is what it's all about.  After 11 days, 8 breweries, 1,250 miles and several 1,000 calories it is nice to be home.  The Basecamp WAS all it was cracked up to be.  I slept like a baby and who knows, I may just go sleep in the driveway again.

First and foremost, I have to give a special kudos to my wife for deep cleaning the house before we left, it is so nice to walk in the door after driving most of the day and having a clean house.  There is nothing worse than unfolding oneself from a vehicle you've been traveling in all day with kids and opening the door to find what looks like nuclear holocaust, only to recall the frantic rush in which you originally left for vacation.  So, for that, I'll raise my glass to my beautiful bride.

I'm fairly certain that we had the wildest spring break weather I can remember.  We left with snowfall, drove to Corvallis with snowfall, arrived to two days of snowfall, (in a place that hasn't seen snow in 3 years) got a couple days of 60 - 70 degrees, rain, snow, clear skies in Bend and all the way home.  I truly love the Northwest in the spring, the weather keeps things interesting.

We only had the opportunity to visit 4 of the 18 breweries now in Bend (which happens to be the highest per capita of any city in the US).  With that being said, I will be back and soon.  Boise has a real treat headed their way in 10 Barrel Brewing Co.   The pub fare was great and the beer, all of which came in under 7% ABV, could have kept me captive for a long period of time.  They will be a great addition to the Boise market.  Bend and the beer revolution taking place there is proof positive that competition makes everyone better.

They say there's no place like home.  For the moment, I'll take it, confident however, I could live in either city I just spent time in.  For now, I'm thankful for what I have and for what I have the opportunity to do.

Cheers

Room and board, aka the Basecamp

Get ready Boise

Good to great? Of course.

Up until all hours of the night, I find myself searching YouTube for the most inspiring, most motivational song, performance or auditions, etc.  It's no wonder that shows like America's Got Talent, X Factor or The Voice are so wildly popular.  There is a little bit of hope and dream in all of us that we can be great.

If only we could get on stage and sing like them, command a crowd woo the audience.  Surely the judges would pick us.  We all desire to do amazing things.  What most of us don't realize is that we already are.  Everyone of us has a motivating and inspiring performance inside of us.  It may be our ability to communicate with people, it may be building a house or painting a portrait, but we all have an amazing gift.

As our spring break officially will come to a close, I'm searching for my motivation.  I have many mountains to climb in my new venture and as many of these aspiring artists, my greatest performance is yet to come!

Cheers

An interesting thought

With the recent changes in our lives it's interesting to think that for the first time we've actually come to the realization that we could move anywhere.  There is truly nothing holding us to a place where I've lived all my life.  Let me catch myself in that last sentence.  We have family close, great friends and a wonderful school for our kids, outside of those very wonderful items there is nothing holding us there.

Have you ever considered such a move?  Spin the globe, drop a finger in a given point and say, interesting?  I'm in no way stating that is our plan, set in stone but it's an interesting thought that I've never really allowed myself before.  It places within me thoughts of, what if?  Allows for the dreams of a new adventure and a next chapter and encourages us to think outside of the box yet again.

Tonight, we find ourselves in Bend, Oregon.  Spring break is coming to a close.  Time with family has been so fulfilling.  Despite the hand sanitizer, constant washing of hands and intervenes of vitamin C, I'm now enjoying all the symptoms of the kids.  With that being said, there is only one explanation as to why I came down with the cold, I didn't sample enough of Oregon's phenomenal craft beer.  Fortunately, I have that nice little parting gift in the back of the car.

This evening, we enjoyed one of the forefathers of craft beer in Oregon, Deschutes Brewery.  The recent expansion has more than doubled the capacity of the Downtown Public House, which was much needed. Deschutes has so many recognizable names in Black Butte Porter, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Obsidian Stout, Red Chair NWPA, JubelAle, Abyss, the list could continue.  And so, we toasted the end of a great spring break.

Here's to enjoyment on your spring break vacation and all that it has to offer you.

Cheers

Corvallis

Are you ever just drawn to a certain place that you visit?  You get there, do a little exploration, see what there is to offer and then determine that, maybe, just maybe, you don't want to leave.

Corvallis, Oregon may just be one of those places for me.  There is so much to do in this small university town which doesn't have the feel of the roughly 55,000 population.  It's situated about an hour and a half south of Portland and it is one of the greenest places I've ever been.  The craft beer scene is alive and well here too with 5 brew houses.

The tree lined streets around the university are reflective of the East Coast Ivy League campuses.  The downtown core has that tight-knit feel with its numerous, small, family owned businesses.  In fact, it's rare to see a big box store here or even franchises that I'm so used to seeing, and that is refreshing.

It feels like home.  Sitting here at Block 15 Brewery with the family drinking quite possibly one of the best imperial stouts I've ever had, the Super Nebula, I can see myself living here.  Sure, family has alot to do with it, but this is a great place.

I'm going to enjoy my weekend and have a beer and time with family and I hope you find the time to do the same.

Cheers

Family

Here's a revealing post for the day.  It's in no way intended to throw anyone under the bus, it's intended to be an explanation.  All families have a different dynamic.  Some I've found are very close, my wife's family for example has always spent alot of time with each other, from dinners, annual trips, afternoons, etc.  My family on the other hand, was extremely independent, generally spent time each doing our own things and consequently had less and less in common as we grew older.

So, now that I've set the stage in the most diplomatic form possible (that's a wink and a nudge to both sides of the family) the vacation has begun.  I am not used to having children around me.  Quite frankly, it used to make me uncomfortable.  I didn't feel like I knew what to do around kids (I have had a difficult time learning what to do to entertain my own) and to engage them.

Consequently, my idea of vacation is not 4 adults and 5 children in 1,000 square feet for a week.  Well, welcome spring break 2012 because that's exactly what we're doing.  That's right, I'm out of my comfort zone yet again.  So, at the moment, this germophobe, obsessive compulsive, neat freak, inherently selfish individual is at the house by myself watching all 5 kids, half of which are coughing without covering their mouths, by myself on vacation.

This may seem like an average day to some, it may be an expectation to others, but to me, this is huge.  I've always said the worst place to be is comfortable, so I'll embrace my current discomfort, set down the computer and figure out something I've never done and play with 5 kids.  Time to bust out a living room tent.

I wonder if this may be the second reason that beer saved my life?

Cheers

White knuckle

There's nothing quite as enjoyable as a 7 hour drive with a white-knuckle grip on the wheel to challenge your patience to the core.  Three and a half hours of snow-covered roads and three and a half hours of gale-force headwinds.  Fortunately my family travels extremely well.

I certainly enjoy breaking up the trip with a stop at Full Sail Brewery.  After several hours of high desert and sage brush, it's very refreshing to pull around the bend in the Columbia River Gorge and see the brewery poking out of the center of town.  It's become a favorite family stop!

After a fine crafted Cascadian Dark Ale and a bite to eat I find myself pondering againat the ripe old age of 34 that a majority of the failures I've set up my family are inherently done in part by me.  To be short, a majority of the time, it's my own stress, frustration or irritability that are the leading cause of uncomfortable situations.

 I guess I'm still learning to let go of these things.  Yes, I remember my profound moment, at the end of the day everything is ultimately out of my control.

Cheers

Technical difficulties

Experiencing technical difficulties, post to follow.  Apologies

I'll roll the dice......

Well that post changed the tone..........and now it's time to shift gears.  Life may surprise us at times but the nice thing is, WE always have the choice to come back to center.  It is entirely up to us.

I've always determined that you have to celebrate major events in life, good or bad.  There is good in everything if we choose to find it.  With that being said, it's a rare occasion to take my wife and kids out for a really nice dinner.  Usually, the kids get a brewery or a pizza place and most of the time, I get what I expect.  If I'm concerned to the point of riding my kids, then the stage has been set.  From that moment on, they truly can do no right, because I've made the decision that I'm not going to let them.

Time to step out of my shell.  The frozen lake was absolutely beautiful, framed by the snow covered mountains and the sun gently setting on the horizon.  Shore Lodge is a landmark in McCall and to the best of my knowledge, after living my entire life in Idaho, this year is the first time I've ever eaten there.  Yes, I did have my frustrations (you can't break all your habits in one night) however, my children were very well behaved.  My son remembered to put his napkin on his lap, my daughter used her please and thank you (granted that was post spitting out food into her cloth napkin), but they were very good kids.  In fact, I'm pretty certain that none of the other patrons of the restaurant knew that there was a 3 and 6 year old present.

Normally I would add a beer to the post at this point, and I will, but it's in a little different form.  Oh yes, we celebrated, but it was with a chocolate stout cake with cream cheese frosting and a Jameson whiskey glaze, because the kids could share a little nibble too.  For the record, the dessert would have been perfect with SRB, Chunder Stout in the cake.  The main point here is this, the evening was different because I changed my expectations!  I didn't set the evening up for failure and I gave the kids a chance.  You'll be amazed what you can experience when you aren't always bound by unreal expectations.

Cheers

"Across the lake" a view from Shore Lodge

The two most beautiful girls I know

A long, short story

I debated on sharing this information as I didn't want it to be received as having any ulterior motive.  This IS a success story and I'll own that statement.

5 years ago I purchased a property in Boise's historic North End, near Hyde Park.  It had always been a dream of mine to rehab and live in a historic home, so, the journey began.

Several months into demolition and construction the water main below the home broke, pumping 700,00 gallons of water into the ground beneath the home.  Just for the record, yes that's a lot of water, the equivalent of 12 swimming pools.  Unfortunately, the only way we knew was when we got our water bill which was $17.48 one month and $3,420.00 the following.

Good thing we have insurance, right!  I notified my insurance company and after 5 months of non-action, we were forced to retain an attorney to help protect our rights as insured homeowners.  There are a number of details amidst the four years that this drug on, all of which combine to make possibly one of the most bizarre stories I've heard.  The house sunk into the ground a foot and the foundation and supporting wall of the structure actually split from floor to roof line, the property was condemned by the city, our insurance dropped us due to "increased risk of loss" I assume that would be due to the fact the claim was never paid to repair the property, our bank went out of business and notified us they would have to start foreclosure, in spite of the fact that we had never missed and/or been late on a payment as they could not extend our construction loan.

In the end, we spent our life savings and then some attempting to defend ourselves for something that was not our fault.  The ultimate result, we will lose most of our earthly possessions, we will not recoup even 5% of our personal cost, our credit is ruined and we may potentially lose our current residence.  With that being said, what we have gained is the ability to work together, to rely on each other and the knowledge that we did nothing wrong.  We can hold our head high and we have a greater perspective on what's really important in life.

This is the last time I plan on telling this story, it's over, it's behind us, the outcome has been decided.  I wanted to share it for several reasons.  First, I could walk away bitter, defeated and depressed.  What good would that do anyone?  Life is short, it's a gift and it is what you make of it and that is the way I intend to move on.  Second, I hate rumors, so, I will tell you the truth!  Third, I want to thank the people who were so meaningful in helping us along the way.  What each of you did, made the difference to us and that has all the difference in the world.

Now, I plan on finding an amazing bottle of craft beer and living a new adventure with my family.  I can't wait for what's to come!

Cheers

A special thanks to the Farm Bureau for the addition of this beautiful hole in the ground in Boise's historic North End

Curve Ball

Sometimes, despite what you think you may know, despite what you think you may be learning, life throws you a curve.  It catches you off guard, as if to say, I want you to be a little bit more uncomfortable.

This post may be nothing more than short and to the point.  I am reminded of something I said early on.  I am thankful for the journey and for the experience.  We have to live a life of no regrets, only looking forward, but learning from the past.

I am thankful for meaningful people in my life who have helped me more than they can ever imagine.  I am thankful for friends, excited for tremendous new business possibilities and ready to face challenges head on.

Life is an adventure, no matter how it's served.  Stay positive in whatever life sends your way and YOU will make it too.

Cheers

Celebrate

Todays post is dedicated to my beautiful wife.  One year ago today, she got the opportunity to do something she had always wanted to do, more than climbing the corporate ladder, competing for bragging rights or a company car.  She was gifted the chance to be a stay at home mom.  For years we had talked about it, attempted to plan towards it, ultimately, we came to realize that plans don't often understand that life changes we have did not have control.

Some of the best, most amazing things that have happened in our lives, those that have given us the deepest meaning and most satisfaction are completely, 100% out of our control.  It has been a massive change, I am certain that there were very romantic views of what being at home would be like.  The reality on the surface is, however, far different.

I/we was extremely driven, mainly financially and goal focused, with that being said I have felt very fortunate to have this very unique opportunity.  I can't possibly imagine a more rewarding experience and I can see the positive changes in my kids everyday.  Melissa, you truly are a wonderful wife and mother.

We enjoyed a little celebratory break and had an evening out at Brewforia.  Exciting to try more of the new local craft beer (or soon to be local) in 10 Barrel Brewing's, India Session Ale.  Delicious!

Cheers

My beautiful bride

Cheers

Do you remember a time in your life when you succeeded, when you truly experienced a moment of success.  To some it may have been a huge accomplishment or a very minor task that you achieved, but to you, it was success.

Few things can lift your spirits quite like the thrill of an achievement, no matter how big or how small.  Today, I enjoyed that moment.  After stepping out of a paying job 3 months ago, today I got the phone call.  My first paying job in my new career.

Call it an endorphin rush or whatever you will, but for the moment, I felt invincible.  I felt like every potential client I talked to, I was confident of a successful outcome.  Today, was fun.

I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate than a beer with a buddy for his birthday and for todays success.  I really enjoy the tap selection and pub fare at, R&R Public House.  To celebrate the occasion we enjoyed Grand Teton Brewing's, Double Black Lager and some great conversation, attempting to solve the worlds problems or.........just live our lives in the best way we know how.

Happy birthday to my buddy Ryan and to many here's more successes.

Cheers

Wax on, wax off

There is an Asian Proverb that reads something like this, "He that does not reflect is a ruined man."

I used to think that kids were incredibly indecisive, not entirely sure what they want or don't want, where or when they want to go somewhere/do something or not go somewhere/do something.  In the end, at least with my kids, they end up enjoying immensely what they originally didn't want to do.

I've since reassessed my way of thinking and have determined that adults are just as bad, if not worse than kids in this way of thinking.  Now, I'm quite certain that there are those that don't waiver, they stick to a plan, a schedule and nothing short of nuclear holocaust can change that plan, but, be serious.  How often and how easy is it to back out of something?  Why is that?

Enter again the Asian Proverb.  Maybe, just maybe, you don't reflect often enough to know what you want.  Now, with that being said, that train of thought can go too far.  Secluding yourself to the point of becoming a hermit is just as unhealthy.  That's my reflection for the day.

With that being said, I pulled a beer out of the back of my fridge, I guess you could say it's been secluded.  It's not necessarily a beer you would consider cellaring, and truth be told, I didn't.  I forgot about it in the fridge.  Time, however, was on my side.  My 2007 bottle of Elysian Brewing Company's, Perseus Porter was not a ruined man.

I'm going to continue in reflection over this rich, dark, creamy porter.  No surprise it was an award winner!

Cheers

Firepit

I can sit here and stew over what to write.  I can mull over and over in my head what I've learned, what would be relevant and what has actual meaning to others.  This evening, however, for me, it's the firepit an amazing dinner, a conversation with a buddy, a few great beers and some ski and mountain bike films.

I believe I could quantify this evening in the ultimate relaxation category.  That's right, here at home, no cabin, no mountains and no gently falling snow.  Right here at the house, in the midst of normalcy.  It truly can be done.  Granted, the firepit, food, beer, etc. did help.

It's nice to know that there is and can be another world right outside the backdoor.  I believe I've said this before, but, the best investment that I've ever made is my firepit.  There's just nothing quite like the dancing of a fire.  The quiet sway and flicker tend to lull you into relaxation and take you away to a different place.

Eric and I are enjoying our first bottle of Pyramid Breweries, Discord, their attempt at a Dark IPA.  Now, I'm a big, bold flavor type of person, but this is very drinkable.  It has that subtle dark IPA taste, a little hoppy and a great firepit drinker.

The simple life is good.  Step outside your backdoor, away from the clutter, enjoy the firepit.

Cheers

Stay the course...

I'm not really sure if this post is more for your benefit or mine but I've got a pretty good idea that I will be reading it again myself.

I realize that I could post and repost a number of things solely about craft beer, brewing equipment or beer reviews, and someday, my website will be full of useful information about beer.  But, that is not what I intended this blog to be about.  If I stray from my objective, I will become no more than a yes man, conforming to an expectation.  The intended purpose of this blog is to chronicle my journey, a journey that started with a decision to follow my passion.

For the first time in my adult life, I feel that I have the opportunity to truly speak my mind, unbound by corporate policies, should's and shouldnt's.  I get to share my thoughts, which is so much easier to do in written form than spoken word.  I will not conform.  My goal is to share with you my life, hopefully a life less ordinary.  There won't always be action, adventure, humor or balance.  If that is what you are looking for, turn on the television and find a reality show.

My commitment will be to to learn, to grow, to listen and to be transparent, everyday.  I will not quit.

Thank you to all who have given your feedback and comments, they are greatly appreciated.  I hope that you enjoy the bits and pieces of my life that I share daily.   I've never attempted something like this before and I want it to be useful and something that you find of value on a daily basis.

Cheers

Event No. 1

Event number one is in the books.  I thoroughly enjoyed helping Adam Haynes with the grand opening of  Rolling H Cycles in downtown Nampa.  It's truly satisfying to see someone who is passionate about what they are doing and willing to step out of their comfort zone and do it.

Adam has a real love for cycling and it shows in his shop, attention to detail and interaction with his customers and friends.  The open house had roughly 100 people from all walks of life come through over the course of the evening to enjoy the great selection of everything from mountain bikes to vintage bikes.

We were very fortunate to have a new local beer on tap for the event in Crooked Fence Brewing's, 3 Picket Porter.  It turned out to be the perfect beer for the occasion for a number of reasons.  First, a porter is not necessarily the average beer drinkers first choice and I think it contributed to people stepping outside of their comfort zone.  Second, I would call it a very drinkable beer as it is very balanced and mellow for the enjoyment of both the rookie and the connoisseur.  Third, it allowed us to introduce a new local beer to the Nampa market.

Thank you both for the opportunity to share your great products with the community in this true lifestyle marketing event.  Be sure to stop by both Rolling H Cycles in Downtown Nampa and Crooked Fence Brewing in Garden City or as Andy so eloquently stated, the City of Gardens.

Cheers

A day to remember...

It's not often enough that I get a date with my daughter, let alone a of couple days.  So, that's what I decided to do.  Two days at the cabin with just the two of us.  I think it's important to spend time with your children one on one, uninterrupted.  Kids are always battling for their parents attention, talking over one another, and generally the more persistent one wins out.  I'm sure it's entirely unintentional on the parents part, possibly irritation or laziness, but nevertheless, it happens.

One rule.  Her choice!  That goes for food, activities, anything.  As a girl after her daddy's own heart, her first choice for our full day was skiing.  I can say this, patience is a virtue.  It's not the easiest thing in the world to teach an almost 4 year old how to ski, although, pizza (wedge) and french fries (parallel) seems to work pretty well.  It was, however, an amazing bonding time.

A quick lunch and it was down to the lake with our sleds.  It amazes me how much time kids can play in the snow.  Generally, I assume, completely oblivious to the frigid wind, numbing fingers and green eleven coming out of the nose.  Pulling her up the hill and sending her back down, time after time, her laughter was contagious.  We were the only two out and even if we weren't, we were the only two that mattered to each other at that moment.

Back to the cabin, log on the fire and on goes the Blu-ray.  She loves the series on Planet Earth and picked a disc on Yellowstone and Grand Teton before we left.  For those about to turn up your nose at the thought of a documentary, I suggest you watch one on a Blu-ray, you'll be blown away.  I really love to see her learn and ask questions about the outdoors.

Sitting on the couch, unprovoked, she moved her blanket, climbed over to my side and gave me the biggest bear hug I believe I've ever had from my daughter.  She gave me a kiss and whispered in my ear, "I love you so much daddy."

Sitting here in complete quiet, a pint of SRB, Chunder Stout at my side, it's so simple.  They don't want much, today didn't cost a dime.

  "Don't look at your children as a paper awaiting your pen, but a book awaiting your study."

- Unknown

Cheers

Reality check.....

Unfortunately, the quiet and calm of a cabin, the relaxation of the crackling fire and the awakening and adventure of a Cat Ski trip don't translate to the real issues of everyday life.  It's one thing to be able to find clarity in a situation such as that, it's entirely different to find that same clarity in the stresses of everyday life.

That's right, my Tibetan prayer flags don't do me a bit of good when the kids are fighting, when my wife and I have a disagreement, my snowshoes don't solve the problem and when the bills are piling up the only thing the crackle of the fire can do is, well, you get the picture.

So where is the true sense of balance?  I certainly haven't found it yet.  I have certainly used this time to center myself and be more aware of life.   So, my search will continue, and with any luck, begin to have a better understanding of myself, my life, my family and my purpose.

Everyday is a journey and an adventure, wherever you are.  Every experience is an opportunity for growth.  If you pick and choose what you want to accept and what you want to avoid you are only limiting the person you can become.  Today, for the first time, I can say that I see it as such.

I've got a long way to go………

Cheers

Redwood Forest

Step out...

Sunday March 4th has been a long time coming.  The skis were waxed and ready to go back in October.  We've watched virtually every Warren Miller ski film under the sun and our choice of skiable terrain had grown increasingly steeper and more technical for the last two years.  We even brought a special bottle to commemorate the occasion.

After a short night, celebrating the next days adventures toasting Boogoop, an amazing Buckwheat Ale prepared in collaboration with Mikkeller and Three Floyds, and an early morning, we were up before daybreak and on our way.  Nature served up her cup of coffee as a brisk morning air to get the blood pumping and after a short drive, we were on the hill to enjoy one of the most beautiful sunrises I can recall.

Excitement was in the air, I pictured the turns in a deep white quilt of snow, hucking cliffs and performing aerials.  Then it happened, four little words that jerked me out of my dream, "here's your avalanche beacon."  My what?  Well duh, sure I knew it ahead of time but there is nothing like hearing it after you've boarded a Cat and are headed into the backcountry and have nothing you can do about it.

So, there I was, gripped and puckered, face turning a ghostly white and listening how I may meet my demise in the hours ahead.  That's when it hit me.  We are so often gripped by fear that we don't allow ourselves to continue into what may be one of our most amazing adventures.  I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I was scared to death to leave the "comfort" of a 17 year career for something unproven and unplanned.

As the Cat pulled to the top of our first run, I looked out the window into the vast expanse.  Untouched, unblemished as far as the eye could see, a playground to be explored and, for the second time in the recent past, I stepped out……….

You can't erase the past.....

I've found myself scrolling through my phone and my list of "contacts" lately.  It's been weighing on my mind to sit down one on one with everyone in my database.  Granted, that will take some time, but thus far, it's been extremely enlightening and not to mention, enjoyable.

In my life I've had, constant friends, friends who I've lost contact with, fairweather friends, clients and clients who have become friends.  I truly feel that I have lived a blessed life to this point and feel fortunate to have great people around me.  It is, however, quite sobering to find a recurring theme in some of my acquaintances.

With that being said I will add that life is truly short.  In your lifetime, you will be fortunate to be able to count the number of true friends on one hand.  If you have the good fortune of many great people in your life, don't take it for granted.  I know that in my life I've neglected alot of those relationships.  I have personally placed focus on material things, financial gain and leveraging relationships to better improve my personal position.  At the end of the day, it is a pretty gripping reminder of a somewhat hollow life that I'm happy to look in the back.

But, before I do, I'll say it again.  I refuse to live a life of regrets.  I will learn from my mistakes and I will grow through them.  I'm thankful for the support I have around me and the many wonderful people I've had the good fortune of meeting.

To that end, thank you for your friendship and to a good friend who had the guts to tell me, I enjoyed sharing a pint of O'Dell Brewing Company's, Red Ale.

My toast, "You can't erase the past, but you can learn from it, it's your choice."

Cheers

Goodbye old friend...

It happens to all of us at some point in time.  Life doesn't go on forever.  Sooner or later you have to say goodbye to an old friend.  Well, today was that day for me, a somber and somewhat melancholy occasion.

Fond memories rush back to the forefront of my mind at the remembrance of our first encounter.  We spent many hours together, both alone and with others.  There is just something about an old friend, words aren't even necessary when you are together.

She was iconic, classy and a superb display of a time gone by.  She grabbed peoples attention, reminded us all of a better time.  A trip to the ski hill, time with grandpa and grandma or a weekend of camping.  Sure I've had newer, lighter, probably sexier.  I just haven't had any that held my heart like my 1992 Toyota Landcruiser.  She was beautiful.

So tonight, I'll have a toast, alone, in remembrance of my favorite vehicle I've ever owned.  The only bottle worthy of such occasion is my remaining bottle of 2008 Deschutes Abyss.  A unique beverage to toast a truly unique friend.

Cheers

She was a sexy beast