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Where time goes…

Well, well, well…

My last post was on May 14, 2013. That was 3 years before kids, 1 year into marriage, two dwellings, and 2 jobs ago. A decade has passed, and here I am, reopening this time-capsule of a blog. As I write this, my 7-year-old daughter is deep into a “Bluey” marathon in my office, and my wife of 11 years is peacefully sleeping in our bedroom. (It’s 9:30PM, I love her so, so much) Today is January 3, 2023, and I’m struck by this world I am seeing 10 years ago… no seriously – take a look at my earlier posts.

Now at 36, being a father, the whole “I am the main character” narrative just doesn’t fit my life anymore. My legacy, currently bundled in blankets on the office floor, has reshaped my purpose. I’ve settled in all the best ways possible, feeling undeniably lucky. Time, has changed for me: Not seeing a close friend for weeks is fairly common. We’re all entangled in the joys and responsibilities of kids, communities, and extended families. But for all the blessings I count, my current season is that of sadness as we mourn the loss of Lauren’s brother Dan, and all the tragic consequences that follow.

Life, in its brutal honesty, has been an unexpected teacher. It’s added numerous ‘how to’s to my repertoire, lessons I never anticipated learning:

  • How to deal with being laid off
  • How to start a business
  • How to deal with anxiety
  • How to work in a family business
  • How to embrace fatherhood
  • How to acquire, then sell a company
  • How to exit a family business
  • How to manage anxiety…
  • How to grow professionally in a tech start-up
  • How to raise an only child
  • How to wash your hands… like your life depends on it
  • How to sell your house… then how to buy a house… while everyone is washing their hands like their lives depend on it
  • How to sell your parents house (Shoutout to Professor Emily Kerous)
  • How your siblings and friends will add 10X more How To’s to this list…
  • How to miss a brother over the holidays…

This might sound bleak, but woven within these lessons are threads of sadness, fear, happiness, and growth. I often catch myself in moments of disbelief, asking friends and colleagues, “Where did the time go?” or marveling at how fast dates seem to fly by. But when you open a decade-old time capsule, like a post about visiting Gatlinburg, it’s astonishing what you learn about your current self. So, where does time go? I’m on a quest to figure that out. But if therapy has taught me anything, it’s to take a deep breath, try not to overthink, and live in the present.

I’d love to say this post kickstarts a grand series of regular updates. Maybe it will, or maybe it won’t. For now, I just wanted to check in, share that the ‘how to’ list is ever-growing, and express my hope to find a voice that will narrate where time goes in the next decade.

All the best, Andy.

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Our Honeymoon

Lauren and I had an awesome wedding (pics on their way!) but after the wedding we went on our little adventure. For the first time the US government let me play ambassador to the tiny Island of Jamaica, or anywhere really. Some of the pictures are from the resort but what Laur and I found the most compelling was the scenes from the bus ride to and from Sandals Negril. Take a look!

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Walking the French Quarter- Photos

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From St. Louis to New Orleans

After a 10 hour trek south through Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and finally to Louisiana I have made it! I snapped a bunch of pictures at the arch and then had to pop pictures while driving through the south as momentum was on my side. I was gonna get a video of me ordering Wendy’s but they saw the license plate and sent the dogs. (JK)

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New Orleans Trip

Image

A distant glow from a distant place.

It is hard to believe that two and a half years of selling ads for the most premere nursing home trade magazine has just ended Thursday this week. Men and women take these hits everyday and blowing off steam in a transition time requires big moves. 

I for one threw around the idea of traveling during this time. I made this decision on Monday this week and thought it had a 80% chance of falling through. Here I am now, writing this blog from St. Louis, Missouri on the first leg of my photo tour around New Orleans, more specifically Venice, Louisiana.

I chose Venice for two good reasons:

1. Its at the very end of the Mississippi River (I am not kidding) 

2. It was completely destroyed during Katrina, hit incredibly hard by the oil spill and I would like to shoot their progress so far in the recovery- they may be all done by now. 

I hope that throughout my trip I will stop and take many pictures of fantastic things, but if all I get is a couple of road shots, then I still can say that I kept to my word and did what I said I was gonna do. 

This shot above was taken just off I-55 with a slow shutter. Its the eastern glow of what I guess is Chicago in the night sky. More to come…. 

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Letters from the front…

Dearest Lauren,

It’s been many months since we last spoke and yet in my mind we have been together constantly. There is a lot of talk from the Ol’ General that we may see some more action in the next couple of days. The Zombies are strong bastards but we are stronger. Our cause is just and our resolve is really, really strong.

Danny Joe lost his leg to a zombie bite. I had to shoot him in the head. Tell Teresa that Jimmy wont make it for Christmas ‘cuz he found a new girl. She’s a zombie named Midge, and he says she “loves him right.” We all agree, she can cook a mean Beefaroni and she has some good off-color jokes that make us happy.

Just know that when I look up to the sky I see clouds as gray as the gray area of Jimmy’s zombie relationship. But through it, I see stars, the same you see. They twinkle at me, as if to send me simple messages: “your fly is down” or “eat your veggies,” and they remind me of our love.

I wish you could be here, but the truth is, you’re a woman and capable of such little feats. You would really just hold us back.

I love you,

Andy

PS: Just shot Midge. Jimmy’s not happy. I thought she was attacking me but she actually really wanted me to try some gum and was just trying to put it in my mouth for me.

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Diet questions with SENSA…

Jenny Says: Thank you for your interest in SENSA! Before you go, we’d like to offer you 60% off shipping and handling! ONLY pay $1.95 S/H to try SENSA FREE for 30 days. CLICK HERE to start your free trial.

Andy: Will this kill me?

Jenny Says: We’re so confident you’ll lose weight with SENSA that we give you a full 30-day satisfaction guarantee. So CLICK HERE to take advantage of this CHAT-ONLY offer- Hurry–it’s only available for a limited time!

Andy: So, your going to let me die?

Jenny Says: CLICK HERE to take advantage of this CHAT ONLY offer, it may not be available tomorrow!

Andy: But if I don’t eat enough calories I will surely die.

Jenny Says: With SENSA, you can eat all the foods you love and still lose weight! Because there are no food restrictions, you don’t have to deal with any intense food cravings or feelings of deprivation.

Andy: But I am being deprived of food…

Andy: Therefore I am dying

Jenny Says: You are probably thinking, “Can SENSA really help me lose weight?” Well, SENSA has an average weight loss of 30.5 pounds in 6 months. CLICK HERE to read about just a few of the thousands of people who have already lost millions of pounds with SENSA.

Andy: So you’re saying this will kill me?

Jenny Says: Now, it’s your turn to lose weight with SENSA! CLICK HERE to get started.

Andy: Okay.

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Edited some photos with Lauren!