Hi, I’m glad you’re here

Today we celebrate America's 250th. For Amy and I that means a trip to Ambrose and Aara's lake house for a barbeque, a dip in the lake, quite possibly some wakeboarding, fireworks, and an all around good time with friends. This is as American as you can get. I have a great blue and white checkered shirt, but nothing red to pair with it. Perhaps Amy has a handkerchief I can use as an ascot...

How I’m feeling

I'm mostly feeling healthy. When I first got the news, I was getting over one of those colds that just wouldn't disappear. For the next few days, I was wondering if everything was cancer related. But I felt much better yesterday and got a good workout in. Spirits have improved over the last couple of days. We can beat this.

Something I'm Thankful For

I'll try not to only make this section about my wife Amy, but right now, I'm super thankful for her. I couldn't imagine a better person to be my side through this. In addition to the love and support she's providing, she's super smart about this kind of stuff. A career in pharma advertising, with deep experience on medical research, developing educational materials, understanding novel treatments and clinical trials, and much more. She will help me ask the right questions and get the best care, all while being my rock.

This is also happening to her, and I'm mindful of that. We're having multiple, long hugs each day and they're very cathartic. I'm also super thankful that she came home early from her trip to Iceland to be with me. It's the sort of thing that she would obviously do, but I'm grateful that it wasn't a question, and that it was obvious. It wasn't something I had to ask for. She needed to be here, almost as much as I needed her here. That's love, and I'm grateful for that.

A Memory

October 17th, 2015. The day Amy and I got married was the one of the best day's of my life. Sharing the love and commitment we were making to each other with all of our family and friends present, while not unique, was a feeling that felt so unique. To be so in the present, while at the same time reflecting on your past and your future, connected to the one you love.

It was the culmination of all the work that went into it, as well as our recent move to Austin. Life was changing in new and exciting ways.

Karen did a touching job officiating our ceremony, with Amy being walked down the aisle by Martha and Carla. I walked my Mom down the aisle, and my Dad was represented by a white rose. We threw a pretty good party with food trucks, a mariachi band, Breakfast at Tiffany's, good dancing, bad dancing, and a special toast to Yoko Ono. The next day it continued with gospel brunch, followed by a pool party. All of it was something we shared just with each other, yet also with everyone we loved.

Something I'm Looking Forward To

The 2030 World Cup. I've been absolutely absorbed in this World Cup, and I as I look forward, getting to the next one is a tangible milestone - the sort of thing that will hopefully bring me back to this moment, and have me reflect on what it took to get there. Amy previously planned a vacation for us to Morocco that she'd love to dust off, and she loves crowds, so....

Something I Recommend

We've recently gotten into the Apple Show "Star City". It's a spinoff from, "For All Mankind", a show that we couldn't get into. It takes place in a parallel universe in which Russia got to the moon first. Set in Russia, it puts you into their late 60s surveillance state. High drama, good acting, well made, trust me. And you don’t need to watch “For All Mankind” to get it.

What I Ate

Last night I cooked up an elevated version of Linguine Carbonara for Amy and I. Guanciale, Parmesan, Pecorino, fresh peppercorns, egg yolks. It was delicious - if you try it, just follow a normal Spaghetti Carbonara recipe, but use slightly larger noodles, cut the guanciale into cubes that are a little thicker than your instincts suggest, and reserve some of the fat to add to the sauce. Otherwise, pretty simple.

Random Thoughts

It's not lost on me that today is a Saturday. At some point today, I will break into singing Chicago's "Saturday, in the Park, I think it was the 4th of July". It's a completely perplexing line of music that I've overanalyzed more than most. I would understand it if they said that it was the 4th of July in the park, and that they thought it was a Saturday. But to remember that it was a Saturday, but not be certain that it was the 4th of July? Were they in America? Why were people singing Italian Songs? Do people dance in parks in America? What has he been waiting such a long time for? If you have any theories, please get it touch. Now.