What I'm Up To - Vol. 51
Here’s what I’ve bee up to since Vol. 50…
1. “My Mom’s Car Got Stolen”
Wendy texted me this and we started scrambling for who would pick up Grandma Linda and our youngest from school. A few minutes later, she texted, “NVM - she found it.”
Linda drove her brand new CRV to Walmart. When she came out, it was gone. A kind employee walked the entire lot with her before they called the police. Officers arrived and while reviewing video footage saw Linda walking from the Goodwill parking lot, not the Walmart lot. Mystery solved. The officers were really nice and drove her to her car. Grandma Linda cracks up whenever she tells the story and refers to herself as a “senile old lady.” Here’s to happy endings.
2. 5,000 Miles
That’s about how many airline miles I logged in September. Pre-pandemic, I’m not sure I would have noticed. Wendy joined me for a work and play extended weekend in NYC. Of the many highlights, here are a few standouts. We visited the 9/11 Memorial on the 20th anniversary. We rented bikes and explored Governor’s Island, which opened to the public after we moved to Austin. We dined at a couple of old favs (La Bonbonierre and Il Buco) and noshed on some great sushi at Domo Domo. We also caught the Mets-Yankees game with my old friend, Andy.
The TriNet PeopleForce event was 100% virtual due to COVID, but their team pulled out all the stops. I’ve never been a part of a more esteemed line-up. Headliners included Michelle Obama, Admiral William McRaven, Annie Leibovitz, and Bobbi Brown to name a few. Because they staggered our appearances over four days, I only got to meet one other speaker, Seth Mattison. Turns out, he actually lives in Austin. We have a coffee date booked.
I also flew with a colleague to Portland for a couple of days with our publisher, Todd Sattersten of The Bard Press. We worked out deadlines for our next two books, which I’ll share in January if we remain on track. A bizarre highlight was watching Monday Night Football. Todd is a hard-core Packers fan. When I mentioned they were playing on MNF, we canceled dinner plans and ordered pizza at his home. If you haven’t watched ESPN’s alternative broadcast with Peyton and Eli Manning, it’s must-see TV. They down the game as only MVP quarterbacks can and rib each other non-stop. As a bonus, they zoom in a guest for each quarter. The game we watched included Nick Saban and Rob Gronkowski.
3. Three Quick Wins
My friend, Andrew Jackson, drove down from Lubbock with another pal for a weekend of dove-hunting at our ranch. It was so good to see AJ. The birds didn’t cooperate, so we shot some clays and drank bourbon. We’ll meet up again in November when we head to Nebraska for some pheasant hunting.
I met Chef Michael Fojtasek of Olamaie (a multiple James Beard Finalist!!) for a game at the newly revamped Butler Pitch & Putt. Michael is part of the golf course’s new ownership group, and they even serve his legendary Little Ola’s Biscuits. Turns out we became Barton Hills neighbors last year and he has game on the links as well as the kitchen.
Finally, I got an email from Ford saying that my Bronco (originally expected in Dec/Jan) has been manufactured, shipped and delivered to our local dealer. So excited to get my first set of new wheels in over a decade! It’s funny, I have a handful of friends that may be more excited than me. One even rode his bike by my house over the weekend hoping to check it out in the driveway.
4. “Thanks Pahdnah!!!”
Those were Dave Jenks’ last words to me, sent via text from his ICU bed. Dave and I worked together for close to a decade and co-authored three best-selling books with Gary. He was one of the most brilliant minds in our industry, no question. And he dedicated his life to training, coaching, and living life with passion. He loved golf, mountain biking, and read widely and voraciously.
Dave loved to be the one with the answer. He wasn’t always right, although he often was, and he didn’t hold opinions lightly. He’d defend his point of view until proven otherwise. He had near-perfect recall for facts and figures. Combined with Gary’s knowledge, insights and conviction, our writing sessions were a crucible where weak concepts melted away and strong ideas were forged. You can read his final Facebook post here.
5. Reading and Watching
It was a busy month. The only notable read was The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin, book one of the Broken Earth series. Good original Sci-Fi, if that’s your bag. I also read Derek Sivers' Hell Yeah or No, and a couple of novels. After much delay, I started the behemoth Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. I’ll report back in a few months.
Wendy and I enjoyed Fantastic Fungi and Chef’s Table BBQ (both on Netflix.) After watching the episode on Tootsie Tomanetz, the grill master at Snow’s BBQ, we vowed to take a road trip there. As much as I want to eat her barbecue brisket, I want to see those hands in real life! We also loved Pig with Nicolas Cage. Finally, and hilariously, we finished season 5 of Rick and Morty, easily the most twisted comedy on TV.
While Wendy and her partners hosted 300+ leaders at Her Best Life, I took in Kate with Mary Elizabeth Winstead. (It’s one of the many John Wick wannabes, but I thought it was good fun.) In honor of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, I watched the excellent Apple TV+ documentary 9/11: Inside the President’s War Room and then rewatched Zero Dark Thirty for closure.
Finally, here is Bobby McFerrin using the audience as an instrument (3 min) to show the power of the pentatonic scale. It’s beautiful and up-lifting.
That’s it for this month! Please reply back and let me know what you’re up to!
In the meantime, be well, do good deeds, and eat tacos!
Jay