Candidate Journals

Today was another fun family day at Bank of America Stadium watching the Belk Bowl (USC and UVA)… we got killed by UVA because our team was not playing well at all. It was a blow out of 28 to 0. Ridiculous. Enough about that. I think the thing that most impressed me was the people. Just great people here in the south. Nate and I went to the Men's room during half time. Nate went into a stall to use the bathroom, and had left his USC sweatshirt in the stall. We went all the way back to our seats before he realized he left it. We rushed back to the bathroom, and there it was hanging on the door for us to get back. No one took it. I was very impressed and thought out people in general. Although there are many people that do bad things in this...

It is Friday... good morning... got up and moving. Got Nate to Basketball camp and ran some errands. Then I went and got my Sleep Study equipment. Dentist wants me to do a sleep study to see if I have Sleep-Apna. Not sure but wanted me tested as I grid my teeth and it could be a symptom. It is not healthy if I do and it could improve my sleep. We will see. Got the equipment and will run the test this weekend. Good times. Keep moving!!

It was a very good day. Got to sleep in today. Not usual for me, so excited about that. I got up and got Nate up and moving. He had Basketball camp today. Dropped him off and then started to put away all our holiday decorations. We really do the house up so much to put away. Took several hours. Trish got Nate from camp and then we had lunch. Finished up packing and then did our exercises. We were both really energized for them. Got a bunch done and then we took some time out. I made dinner and everyone ate. Just finished cleaning up from dinner and ready to have a little down time with Nater. Need to rest the mind and body for a little bit, then back at it again tomorrow. Keep moving!!! Take care.

I cannot believe Christmas has past already... this year flew by... we are already pulling out decorations down and getting ready for New Years... crazy. Nate and I got our run in this morning, and finished our daily exercises. We got some extra in today. Good day. Now onto more house cleaning and getting life back to normal. Great time yesterday with Family, and enjoyed a little down time. Ready to move and rock. Good luck to all fellow candidates... keep moving! See you next week.

Here we are... night before Christmas. Beautiful day out. Love being in the south. Nate and I were able to get a run in this morning, and did some jump rope. My Italian wife is cooking a long sauce on the stove, so the whole house smells fantastic. I had to fix some of my outside lights as my daughter ran over some this morning as she attempted to back out of the drive way. Nate and I did our exercises. Sore but good to go. Wife just ran to the grocery store for some last minute things (always happens). My mother/father-in law are on their way, and we will all go to my parents house for Christmas eve dinner. Then back to our house for family gifts on Christmas eve and the kids open their Christmas Pajamas (tradition we have done forever). The off to bed and wait for Santa...

Two days to Christmas... we had our Sunday church today and it was a great message... not to preach, but basically God is Good and he loves us. That was the simple message. No matter what we do, he will  love us as long as we believe and have faith. It is a great message.  A good day for a run, not too cold or too hot. Perfect weather. We got a few things done around the house and got our exercises done. Now we are just hanging as a family and enjoying some down time. It is time to unwind a little bit and relax this evening. I hope everyone takes advantage of the holidays and take some down time. We all need it. Take care. 

My wife and I volunteered to help with Room at the Inn which was sponsored by our church (Pursuit Church) in Denver, NC. This was an incredible experience for me. Basically our church provides 13 homeless men (we called them neighbors) a place to stay for the night. We pick them up at a designated place down in Charlotte and brought them up to the church. We had to make up 13 cots (with mattress), we provided dinner and breakfast in the morning, and our church has two showers for them wash up. We also had cloths for them if needed, and also provided them a lunch and care package when we took them back to Charlotte. The neighbors were incredible people and it was our pleasure to help them. They were all very thankful for a place to stay, especially when the weather has been so cold and rainy. As...

Nice rainy day in Charlotte. I would wish the rain to stop... it does affect your disposition. Try to see past it. Also working to finish off my work for the year. This is the last official week for me, and am off next week. Looking forward to BB requirements and down time. Unfortunately I am missing BB class tonight at LKN, but fortunately my wife and I are volunteering at the church for Rooms at the Inn program where we take care of a group of homeless folks for an evening. Especially with this weather... this is a good night for this. I am excited to do this. I will write a journal tomorrow detailing how it went. Take care. 

It is mid-week for a week that seems to be lasting forever. I have two more days of work and than I am off the remainder of the year. Hooray! Of course I have a bunch of items to do before Friday afternoon, so I need to hop to it. Anyway, good day. Thankful for that and excited about the remainder of the week. Nate and I did a bunch of exercises today. I think we are starting to hit our stride. It was a little hard to get into the swing of the cycle again, but it is coming better now. Of course we have Christmas coming, but this is the time to keep going strong while no school and no work. Excited. We just finished eating and getting things done around the house. Getting ready for another day tomorrow. Good night.

Well.. today was interesting. I got in the middle of a he-said, she-said situation at work between a software development partner and a customer. It really was not pretty and there were many ways to react. I decided to take the high road and just stick to the facts of the situation, and provide an "enhanced" message showing all sides of the equation and not pointing any fingers directly... maybe a couple indirectly, but it was subtle and nothing that was too critical to the arguments. I believe I took the right path, but we will see how this plays out. It is interesting what lies before us each day, I just thank God that I have breathe in my lungs and making the most of the day. We get too tied up in the everyday living that we sometimes forget how precious life is and how fast it disappears. My...

It is Sunday... we went to church this morning. I love our church. We go to Pursuit Church in Denver. Pastor Jordon just knows how to inspire us and his message is always impactful. This week is about digging deep inside ourselves to really understand to identify our sins (big or small) and make corrections in our lives to be better. You cannot change the past, but you can learn from it. It was exactly what I needed this week.  Nate and I spent the afternoon getting our exercises and requirements completed for today, and then I made dinner and he had basketball league. It has been a fantastic Sunday, and I am ready for the week.  Take care everyone. 

Great Saturday. Got up early and got a couple things done at house... then went to help with Family Class and Little Tiger Class. I like to teach the kids. I need to work on shadowing for the younger kids and doing everything backwards... but I will get better with Practice. Then we went to Saturday Black Belt class and it was really good. We reviewed a bunch of kicks, poomsaes, and self defenses. It was a very large class which is great to see how many BBs we have at King Tiger. Then Nate and I went to help my mom and dad with some decorations. It really helped with my Christmas spirit to help them. We then came home, finished our exercises for the night, and had some Tacos for dinner. It is great to do this cycle with Nate again. It is great bonding time. Now we are...

Had a pretty rough day at work, but TKD class today really helped me refocus and get back into a better mind set. This is important to me. It was great to work with Tiger and learn some of the self defenses. I find that he is very knowledgeable about the skills and a great mentor (not my official mentor -- which is Master Marcus). However he is pretty good in explaining the moves. I like him. Got some exercises in, but Nate and I are pretty tired so we did not get as much done today as we hoped, but we will make it up this weekend. I am tracking everything in a spreadsheet until we get access to edit the system. We got our books today so we will transfer everything into the book as well. I am looking forward to Saturday BB class. See everyone tomorrow. Take care.

Pretty good day. Kids had three hour delay so got a little extra sleep this morning. Needed it a bit. I am definitely not in the shape I was. Lots of work ahead of me, but feeling stronger each day. Push ups and sit ups are getting easier already. Pull ups is a different story... but working on it. It has been challenging running with all the ice and snow. As soon as I hit a wet patch I stop and walk softly as I don't want to hit black ice... too early for a dumb injury. Being cautious. But it slows me down and keeps me from staying on pace. Making it work. I like the daily practice on skills. It is good discipline. Making progress. Looking forward to tomorrow's classes. 

We are day 4 into the pre-cycle and I am definitely feeling it. It is a good feeling, and not as bad as last time starting. But I am a bit out of shape. Working hard up front to get back into shape for this cycle. We have plenty new to learn and want to get back to where I was. Took some down time between the cycles and I feel it. The snow days have helped us a bit, so I will take them. I am really excited about this cycle. We have a great testing group this time again... and I am excited to see how this cycle goes. I do think it helps going through this once already. You at least know how things go a bit, understanding that every cycle is unique in its own way... but the regiment and knowledge from before will help us. I...

This has been a fantastic journey these last 4 months. It has been challenging but rewarding. I am mentally and physically stronger than I have ever been. I have found this experience has positively affected me at home, work, and at King Tiger. I am ready for testing, and want to show what I have learned. Now I just have to execute. See you all tonight. Take care.

It was a long and busy weekend, but we got a bunch of exercises in and feeling better about the new self-defenses (High White and Yellow). I really do like learning new items, so it was a good challenge. They are very different from the old but they are growing on me. Wasn't sure when we first did them but as you practice, you can see how they can be applied. Also worked more on staff and stick forms, and getting the last minute kinks out... all good though. Got a chance to do some self defense on someone my own size... been practicing on Nate too much. So both black belt classes gave me a chance to practice on adults. Good times. Getting close and getting ready. I am excited. Good night.

It has been a great weekend. Physical and Written Test was yesterday. I beat all my times and stats for the physical test. I was really happy with the mile. Went from 9.36 to 8.09. Shaved about 1.5 minutes off my time. Not bad for a mile. Nate and both did very well on the written test as well -- 99%. We both studied hard for it, so glad to see it paid off. Now, to finish out the cycle strong. Keep up with exercises and drive it through. It was a really nice weekend outside. Caught up on some mileage and our new shrubs got some great sun. We are practicing our belt level requirements hard and getting ready for the next four weeks. I am excited and anxious at the same time. I will be ready! Now, I am going to go back watch the second half of the...

Nate and I did our final review of all the written test questions and we both feel ready to go! Tomorrow is the day. Including the physical test. We did our exercises today with that "1 minute" round in mind, and getting ready to beat our times and numbers. Looking forward to tomorrow. Keeping focus and eye on the prize. I am ready to go. See everyone bright and early. Going to go get some sleep. Good night.

Nate and I have been and continue to be pretty well on track for the BBC. There are a couple of items we are a little behind, but very manageable. Only 10-20 off or so. I have a spreadsheet that I continue to track our progress along with this system. The reason I use the spreadsheet is that I am tracking with an end date of April 6th... I want to give us a week before our final testing to just practice and focus on the testing, and not worry about trying to finish requirements. The only item I am watching is my mentee sessions. Amanda and I are working on the schedule to ensure we get the remaining 4 sessions in over the next few weeks. I was sick and then she was sick, which put us behind. But we will get it done. Nate and I have been prepping...

Time to make the donuts... back to work. It was a dreary Monday morning. Got the kids off to work, and spent the entire day with my team working on planning for 2nd quarter 2018. Good day, but we have more work than we have man power, so now to negotiate on what we will or will not accomplish in the coming months. Good times. Got to go to Monday family class and also mentee Instructor Amanda. It was a good night. Spent some time with studying with Nate. We are feeling pretty good about our physical and written test this weekend. Still more studying, but pretty good so far. Putting in our stats tonight to get a read on where we stand. Couple items we need to catch up on, but all very doable. The key is to stay current and get at least the minimums done, and done well....

It was a great day despite losing an hour this morning - that was terrible. I just spent some quality time with my family. It was just a fun day of hanging out at home. Nate and I got our exercises done, completed one of our essays, and studied for the test. We made a game out of the questions to make it fun to study. I like to learn, but making it interesting is more fun. Got to spend time with my wife and daughter Lexi as well. I think the biggest challenge today was the weather. Just ugly outside... but great for my new shrub. Lots of rain water. This is going to be an interesting week. Several days of testing at King Tiger Lake Norman so less classes, but we will be there as much as we can this week. I am finally feeling much better and ready...

Nate and I went to Lowes today and got our shrubs. We found Boxwood. It is a good hardy shrub. We have several in the back yard already, so once we have cared for them, we can plant them in the Spring. I really like this challenge. It gives us a chance to really care for something, and watch it grow. I am always amazed to see the plants we have planted over the years and see how they have grown. We have planted many trees in our backyard, and now they provide shade for us as they have grown tremendously over the years. It is a great thing. I am also excited to watch Nate go through this process as well. Happy caring for your shrubs. 

I really like my neighborhood. We have the best neighbors in our area of the development. I live at the bottom of a loop in the development, and we have neighbors on either side and across the street. Everyone just takes care of one another. We literally share anything needed. My wife pings the neighbors when we run out of something, like the other night we needed brown sugar for some cookies, and sure enough a neighbor had some. Then we buy some more and give it back. We all do it and help each other. This is something I never experienced living in NJ. I lived in the same apartment for five years and never even learned my neighbors names. We would say hi and be nice, but that is about it. This is my I like it down here. My one neighbor even lets me borrow his truck when...

Today was a pretty good day. Had a few challenges at work, but I got a bunch of items resolved and got ready for next week. I have several presentations that I need to give, and I wanted to make sure I was ready. Nate and I went to kickboxing class with Master Marcus today, and we also stayed for Black Belt class. We got a bunch of practice with Staff forms. It was great. I also got to work on some of the poomsaes as well. We got home, had dinner and hung out a bit. We have our prior foster dog in the house this weekend, so we have two German Shepards with us, so took them both for a long walk. They are pack dogs, so they walk well together. Spent some time with my wife before she headed to work, and now I am writing this. Looking...

I have added my extra credits for the Master Cann and Master Woo Poomsae and Sparring Seminars that happened a few weeks ago to todays (Wednesday, February 21st) system record. Thank you again Master Evins for the credits. I thought the seminar was fantastic, and hope that we get another opportunity to do that again. In terms of the poomsaes, I learned that have plenty of room to improve my technique, and need to continue to work hard to make myself better. I think the biggest area I need to improve is my side kicks. They showed me (pretty quickly) how I need to kick straighter out, and hold a better "upright" position after the kick to gain better control. They also showed how I need to stretch more. I have really started to stretch more and do my side kicks better. It is a work in progress, but it is...

Today was a really good Monday, no work today! I got to spend the day with Nate. He did not have school today. We got up, did our normal morning routine, and really just hung out, had breakfast, and watched a little bit of TV. Then we got started with some exercises. Our goal was to work on some self-defense since it is the one item we are a little behind on. I was also happy to spend some time with him. We also worked on some Lego building today. Him and I really have not had much time for that lately with school and Black Belt work, so it was nice to have a chance to do some building together. Then we had lunch and got back to exercises. We also ran a bunch today. We met up with our mentees at King Tiger, and did a mentee session today....

Today was a really good day. Started my morning with helping with family class at the Lake Norman school. Instructor Lloyd was leading class today, and I always enjoy class with him. He mixes it up and does some things a little different. He is great at explaining why we do things and the practical use of the move, position, kick, or strike. Then I got a chance to help with the Little Tigers class. I have never helped with them before. I was a really great experience to assist with little ones. It also reminded me when Nate was little, but he is not little any more. Nate was at Junior Instructor camp. He was great to really take some time and work on the basics with them. I got a chance to work with a few of the kids. It was a great way to start my day. Then...

Today was a great day. Nate and I got up this morning and headed to King Tiger to help with the 8:45 family class. Great way to start the day. It is awesome to see how much our school continues to grow. It was a pretty big class. Got to work on some sparring combinations, poomsaes, and self-defenses with some yellow and green belts. Then I went to a "celebration of life" for my aunt, who recently passed away. She had an incredible and full life. It was great to hear all the stories and remember her as I remember her. It is a reminder that life is short and we need to live every minute of it. Then I headed to the Poomsae and Sparring Seminar being held at Master Evin's school. It was fantastic. I learned a ton about how we need to be doing the poomsaes (positions, stances, blocks, and strikes), and I learned...

It has been a very long work day. I am at a customer visit for work, and I am really trying to take the time to view things from their perspective. I know that sometimes we view things in our own eyes and might not take the time to understand the other side of the conversation. I am truly working to see their side of the coin, but sometimes I just cannot see their position. So, I remain calm and patient, and try to walk through it with them. It is just interesting how people view things so very differently. Sometimes that difference can also spark creativity and become something fantastic, just not today. :-) I am excited because I come home tomorrow and I am hoping to get back in time for Tae Kwon Do class. Although I have been doing exercises and running while I am away, it is...

As Fridays go, it has been pretty good. Got the kids off in the morning and got started on work. Working from home today, so easy commute. Finished up work and picked up Nate from bus stop, which I really like to do when I am home. Don't always get to do it. Nate and I went to get our hair cut (Barbers at Birkdale). Then we went start over to King Tiger and ran there. It was just easier than going home and then coming back to Black Belt class. So, we ran, got some exercises in, and got some Mentoring from Master Marcus. Got ready for Black Belt class and had a great class. Got a chance to make up kick combinations for the class. It was challenging to put a combination together that made sense and kept us moving forward in the lines. It was fun. Finished class...

Well... I just watched the Eagles win. It was great to watch the "underdog" win. I do not want to use this journal to talk about football teams and players. However, I look at this particular Superbowl as a life experience. If you work hard, stay calm, and stay focused... you can do anything. This is the same in Tae Kwon Do. I believe I have said this before, but Tae Kwon Do has absolutely changed my life over the years. I know I have come a long away from my days as a white belt, and I am truly blessed to be part of the King Tiger family. I am doing things now that I could have only imaged many years ago. Tae Kwon Do has given me the focus and strength I need to be successful in everything I do... home, work, and just plain daily events. I think the other lesson learned...

It is the middle of the week, and I feel like I have gotten a bunch done already, both for work and for BBC. Nate and I have been working pretty hard to get a bunch of requirements worked on. The plan is to continue working through our essays as well. Unfortunately, I need to travel for work next week and will not have as much class time as I usually get, so getting as much in this week as possible. I am really looking forward to the service project this weekend. It should be a great experience. There is no better feeling than helping others in need. I also think it a great opportunity to spend some time with our fellow black belt candidates as well. Get to know the people we are training with better.

Today is Monday and I could easily fall into the typical Monday mood... but I am really trying to stay positive on this gloomy (weather) day. It has already been an interesting day at work, found out that some decisions were made around our business that affect the team, and I am not sure the decisions were made with all the right facts. That could be a problem, but trying to keep myself and my team in a positive mood. My plan is to grab the day and make it a productive day. No time like the present. I hope others do the same. Enjoy your Monday!

It was a pretty good week. Had a business trip to San Francisco, CA. Met with a client out there and had to provide a business proposal. It went well and we are moving forward. Good things. Had a great day today. Did the Kickboxing class with Master Marcus, and did Black Belt class as well. We worked on staff and sticks. Great way to end the day. We are ready for our official pre-test run tomorrow, since the sidewalks were still a mess last weekend. Looking forward to it. This weekend is about working on some essays and  exercises. Hope everyone enjoys some outside time. Should be nice this weekend.

Got up this morning and started the morning with a good breakfast with kids. Then Nate and I did some workout. We then started to clean up his Legos and Nerf stuff. Got the room back to normal, and then off to run. I spent the afternoon cleaning up the garage and getting some shelves installed. We took some breaks to do some exercises throughout the day. Nate then had Basketball at Huntersville Elementary with Dream Big, and he had a blast. Came home to find my daughter had started dinner which was a surprise. We had dinner and finished the evening with the last of our exercising. Then, the plan is some TV and off to bed. This will probably be the first full week these kids will have since the holidays. Crazy.

Hello everyone. I added my Kukkiwon Cup credits to my 1/18/2018 tracking stats. I really liked the Kukkiwon event. I really like to spar, which is my favorite part. Poomsaes and Breaking are good too, but sparring is what I enjoy most. It was a great experience. The group of gentlemen (four) I was paired up with were all great folks from different schools throughout North Carolina. It was great to talk and hear their experience. Most of them are like me -- doing this with their children. It was also great to hear how Tae Kwon Do has changed their lives. I know it has changed mine. I am in a much better place both physically and mentally. The sparring match went pretty well. Although I did not win, I feel like it was the best match I have competed in as of yet. I controlled the situation and was...

Well... I am stuck in Cary, NC. I had to travel here for work, and now I am stuck here to the snow. I hope that I can get back home tomorrow. Not terrible, but would much rather be home. Catching up on work and getting training done. Should warm up tomorrow, so we will see if I can get back to Huntersville. Everyone stay safe and off the roads. It is too dangerous to travel if you do not need to. Take care.

Hello everyone. My wife and I took our daughter back to school today. She starts class back up tomorrow. This trip really reminded me that although she is legally an adult (18)... she is still very much a child/teenager. She still very much still needs us for financial and moral support. My daughter is very book smart, but her "life-skills" are sometimes lacking. I just find it fascinating how she view things in life, and how little she really knows about what is ahead of her in the coming years. But, I am positive I was no different. I am still learning as time passes. I am extremely excited for her and her future. I cannot wait to see the directions she takes. But, we will always be here to support her... but hopefully we can lose the financial support some day. :-) Nate spend most of the day at King...

It was a good day. Got up this morning and went to church with the family. Great way to start the morning. Made lunch and spent some time with my daughter as she leaves to go back to college tomorrow. Nate and I got our run it and worked through our daily exercises. We are both making progress, but concentrated on poomsaes and self defenses. Plus going through our core knowledge for the pre-test written exam. Less than a week. Want to be prepared. Nate had basketball camp and then headed home to make breakfast for dinner... my favorite. I could eat breakfast for every meal. We finished our exercises and had a Nerf war upstairs. Finished up... put Nate to bed and had some work to finish up for tomorrow. Now I am writing this. Going to finish up and head to bed.

Today, work was mostly about talking with my team on the events over the last few days and continuing to keep them motivated and moving on things. Not a bad day, just long with phone calls and questions. Plus I am still swimming emails... I usually do not do much work over the weekends, but this might be the exception to get caught up. Nate and I went to Black Belt class and it was good. I found myself getting a few poomsaes confused when we were practicing even though we continue to do them at home. I honestly feel comfortable that repetition is getting sunk into my brain, but still making a few minor errors. Got a week to get those bugs out. It was a good class and continue to practice Bo Cho items as well. Came home from class to Olive Garden. My wife had gone an picked up take-out. Then...

It has been an interesting few days. They made some announcements at my work which affect my division and I was told that the person I report to right now will no longer be in charge. They also announced that they are building out the division to include more functions, which is perfect and overdue. However, they have not announced who might replace him or what specific functions will be brought together. Now, there is a ton a speculation going on who and what, but no more communication. Of course, I have a team of people and I need to keep them motivated. I have literally spent the last few days running around talking to everyone to gather any facts or information. I have some intelligence, but nothing concrete. Bottom-line... this is a case of wait and see. It might even be an opportunity for me, who knows. We still have work...

Overall, not a terrible Monday. Normal morning... and I actually got a few items on my work to-do list done, which does not always happen when start with reading email... so I decided to start on some tasks and do email later. Much more productive. I truly believe that people email to just email something... I would say on average only about 10% of emails I receive matter. I could probably say the same for the emails I send as well. It is a little crazy. Will people just pick up the phone and call me. It will truly save time and energy. I really did not make any specific New Years Resolution, but I think I might try and not send as many emails and communicate in other ways (phone or in-person). Anyway... kids got out of school early (Lincoln Charter) for the potential weather which was just rain. It is...

Today started off very slow and a little later than normal. I actually slept in which is pretty rare in our house. It was good and bad. Good sleep, but that meant less time to get everything done. We got up and went to church. Good sermon - it was about giving ourselves to God. I truly believe we need to give back to our society and community. In our house, we try to give back as much as we can. My wife does it everyday as a nurse. It is something we instill into our children as well. There are so many without in our own country and even in our own community, that we have to help. It is great to see our children ask how we can help. After church, then Nate and I got right into exercises and our daily run. Good day. We really spent time...

Started my day at King Tiger (Lake Norman). I really enjoy the Saturday morning classes. Big class with many new faces. I got in some exercises. Then headed to Master Evins' school for Bo Cho Dan class, and got to practice some more. I felt like to did pretty well, but still need more practice. Spent the early afternoon continuing exercises with Nate, and then we went to Lowes to get some stuff. Came home, knocked a few items off my to-do list, and cooked dinner for the family. Steaks on the grill... I realize it is still very cold out... but I will work through it for steaks. Had dinner and met up with some good friends this evening. Great day, and looking forward to tomorrow.

Although this was a short week for me, it felt like a normal full week. I am thankful that it is Friday. Nate and I both have to keep up the momentum on the training, but I am looking forward to a little bit of down time. My wife and I are going out with some great friends Saturday night, so that should be fun. Not sure where yet, just it usually involves some adult beverages. I was in black belt class today when I realized how far I have come in Tae Kwon Do, and how much I have learned. We spent a portion of the class reviewing solid belts, and I did pretty well. It is amazing that I have worked through each of those belts over the years and had to learn more and more each time... much of it has retained in my both my mind and body. I...

Today was a very long day. Started with early morning exercises, got the kids out and off to school, and then started my work day. Now, my commute today was about 10 feet to our home office, so I cannot complain too much. No traffic today. Full day of work stuff... many emails, phone calls, and fire drills (typical day). Got what I wanted accomplished to do at work, so all in all -- good day. Then went to Novant Health Wellness center this afternoon to get my father setup with on a physical fitness program. He is a cancer survivor -- and is cancer free and recovering. However, we has lost a ton of weight and actually needs to gain weight -- but the good kind (muscle mass). This is the same program that we went through before all his treatments and surgeries to make sure he was strong enough to handle it. It is...

Today was my first day back to work since holiday break. Starting with "hump" day... not a bad way to start the week. Not real overwhelming as I work remotely when I am not traveling. I travel a fair amount for my job, so it is good not be away this week. I am trying very hard to keep my travel to a minimum during this testing cycle. Unfortunate for my team at work as I will be delegating more travel to them. :-)  Nate did another day of exercises and it is going pretty well. I believe my biggest challenge is with pull-ups. I bought a pull up bar for the house (one of those that hooks onto the door jam), and so Nate and I can practice. They are definitely going to be what I need work on the most in the coming weeks to improve. If anyone has...

It is a cold day... 21 degrees at 9:00am this morning. Picked up Nate at King Tiger Lock-In and he had an awesome time. Thank you King Tiger for hosting. He came home and crashed in bed. Busy morning already. Came home to a house of teenagers (daughter(s) friends). I also have two daughters (Kara and Lexi). Kara is 18 and home from college (University of South Carolina) and Lexi is 16 (Junior in high school -- Lincoln Charter). They both had friends over. My wife and I made breakfast for about 15 teenagers. They ate a bunch, but we had a bunch left over, so we packed it up and I took the left overs down to the Presbyterian/Novant Emergency Room (ER) where my wife works (off exit 23 on 77). We cleaned up from breakfast, saw the group of teenagers off, and started to get the house back in...

I decided to take some time this morning and reflect back on my year. It has been pretty interesting year for me. I started a new job in April of 2017. It has been a challenge but something I wanted to do. It is really the dream job for me and I continue to be excited. I get to do something I love doing, even if it means I am away more than before. But my children are older, so I think the impact is less than when they were younger. I also make sure that when I am home, I dedicate time and attention to them. The same really applies to my wife and home life as well. When I am home, I work hard to pick up the slack and even do extra knowing that I will be away again soon and will not be there to help. My wife...