Chad Writes Stuff

Dear Dad... W ell its been almost 11 years since you passed.  It seems a lot has changed since you were here, or at least it seems to me.  The biggest thing I notice is that you are not around for me to call anymore when I have those bad days.  I miss hearing your voice on the other end of the line.  Sometimes you gave advice and other times you just listened.  I always counted on you being there and I kinda miss it every so often. Mom is doing okay.  She misses you the most, although, i would say it is a tie.  She has her health issues, but she she is doing okay. I try to visit her as often as I possibly can. She is getting fragile but still as beautiful as you remember her.  She has a smile that warms the core of my being and our relationship since you passed has become incredibly strong.  If I can't come visit, I try and give her a call weekly just to let her know that I love her.  She is still an avid crossword and now souduku puzzle figure-outer (I just made that word, I know...

So yesterday and the day before, I felt a head cold coming on. It was a hard hitter, but I roughed it out. 2 full days of hard labor, in the form of shoveling and moving dirt by the tons. Having a cold of any sort is draining because your body is working overtime to maintain homeostasis. Doing physical labor, may or may not be good for that end. The definitive results (in my book) are inconclusive. So this morning I woke up and noticed that this cold is working it's way to my chest. Most people would say " you should go to the doctor", however since I have no insurance, I say screw it and will hop on my trusty steed (aka my fuji) and barrel out some miles. Again this may not be adviseable, however, I tend not to listen to advice---call me crazy, but if you don't know by now, I am a bit unconventional. I hope to hack up a lung or two. Maybe see some amazing scenery and just be in this moment, because in reality, it's all we have Until next time...

So i woke up today with the usual zest in my heart and spark in my eye. I was excited for the day and was up, showered, shaved and ready to go by 7am. I didn't have to be at the airport until 10am so i felt great about being ahead of schedule. I brushed my teeth and got my gel ready and thats when i noticed it, the lone gray hair that official says "you are old". I was hoping not to spot one til I was at least 45, but mine came early. Not yet 38 and there in the mirror was the one thing that is a reminder that we all will one day pass from this majestic place. The gray hair symbolizes, to me, the end of my youth and the passage into the adult stage of life. It also represents that I should be at a different place in my life than those around me. I guess this could be as shocking to some as say getting the news that your wife is pregnant, or that your son/daughter is going to graduate college. For those of us that have remained in the single realm of life, it is a s...