Final Day of Preparation for Gratitude Book Tour

It's a good thing I have a day off from my day job today.  Besides morning Pickleball and evening tennis, I'm making sure everything on the to do is handled for the official launch of "Live Long and Prosper."  I'm starting with a small gathering of family and friends on Sunday.  This is a great opportunity to thank the folks who encouraged me to keep going during some tough times.  

If you are the praying type, I'm asking you to please keep me and my family in your prayers during this critical time in our lives.  I realize I'm walking a tight rope here sharing my life with you while also honoring family confidentiality.  Part of the reason for keeping this first launch party off the grid is to allow my family privacy.  There will be many opportunities to engage publicly in the near future.  May 1 is when the fundraising begins at my day job for Children's Miracle Network.  Stay tuned for updates.  I hope our paths cross soon.  Have a great day.

Where's the Beef?

 

Our family is testing the idea of local grass fed beef this week.  We are splitting a cow with a couple of other families who desire beef raised on grass that is also antibiotic-hormone free.  Roehrkassemeat has been on our town square since 1937.  This is our first time going big with a custom order.  We don't really know the best way to have our meat cut so my wife is stopping in this morning for guidance.  Stay tuned.  Have a great day.

Sleeping in the Blue Zone

 I made a last minute call to add a sleep section in "Live Long and Prosper" after overcoming my own self doubts.  Part of me felt like I didn't have enough data to offer anything of value.  The good news is I'm getting better at sleeping and the results are the best ever.  Last night was all "blue zone" meaning I hit the targets in every category.  

In the mental recovery category, I measured an all-time high of 92%.  This is because I recorded one hour and 44 minutes of REM sleep.  This is partly due to reaching five cycles of sleep during the night.  This is much needed because I'm going through another time in my life when I need all the help I can get.  When I'm in the "red zone" I know without having to see the feedback from my smart watch.  The red zone indicates when I blow it in a category.  While it may be true we don't control how long we are in the REM stage or in deep sleep, it is true we can set ourselves up for success by setting up good sleep habits.  

One thing I know for sure is I'm going to be one the first people standing in line to order a smart ring from Samsung when this product is released most likely in the summer.  Let me know how you're doing with your sleep.  Make sure you have a way to accurately measure the quality of your sleep if you're seeking a way to improve.  There is nothing better when it comes to human performance than sleeping consistently in the blue zone.  Have a great day.

Birkat Hamazon

 My Jewish friend, Boris, told me he is often asked to lead Birkat Hamazon.  He is a direct descendant of Aaron, the brother of Moses.  Since the Jewish population accounts for only .2% of the world population, and members of the Cohanim are estimated to be about 5% of the Jewish population, it is extremely rare to meet someone like my friend, Boris.  

DNA tests confirm that 98% of Jewish men who self-identify as Cohanim carry the Cohanim Modal Haplotype (CMN).  This Y-chromosome traces back 3,000 years all the way to Aaron.  I find this fascinating.  

If you made it this far in today's story, maybe you're asking, "What is Birkat Hamazon?"  The simple answer is "Grace after meals."  Moses knew that when people have full bellies it's really easy to get complacent.  It's easy to forget about God.  The Cohanim were asked to be in charge of the prayers because they were part of the only tribe that was able to avoid temptation when Moses was on the mountain receiving the 10 Commandments.  The tribe of Levi where the Cohanim come from is the only tribe that did not receive land.  They have a higher calling – to help their people never forget God's grace, especially in good times.  

The world seems to be upside down.  We need more people like my friend, Boris, who are willing to pray for a healthy planet, loving parents and family, and a sufficient livelihood.  My prayer is that God hears the prayers of the Jewish people and that one day they will be free from religious persecution.  Have a great day.

Tennis Begins at 8am Today

 My tennis team is getting close to the end of regular season play with a team match in Waterloo today.  My singles match has been defaulted by our opponents due to a lack of players so I'm changing gears and heading to indoor tennis drills at 8am.  The other side also conceded the #3 doubles match for the same reason which means we need at least one more win to capture an important victory in pursuit of bragging rights for top team in Iowa.  That's why I'm drilling before joining my team in Waterloo as a spectator.  This group of players is inspiring me to be my best.

Good luck to my teammates today.  Have a great day.

Getting Ready for Miracles in May

 Doors are opening.  I can't wait.  Deep down inside I have a feeling I need to pace myself, however, the excitement I feel is making my heart skip a beat.  The original friends and family "Live Long and Prosper" launch party scheduled for St. Patrick's Day was scrubbed when I got word my mother's older brother passed away in Arizona.  There will be a small gathering at a friend's house to thank my friends and family for all their support during my book writing journey.  Once the celebration concludes the real work begins on May 1.  That's when the fund raising goes into high gear for the sick kids at University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital.

There is a tentative meeting scheduled for May 1 at City Hall to propose four outdoor Pickleball courts for our community.  My hope is that enough committee members are available to hear our pleas.  The community is garnering grass roots support for the idea.  We now have 72 people in our newly established Iowa County Pickleball Club.  The volunteers who run the club have already ordered special shirts.  You've heard of the "men in black."  Well, these volunteers are "the women in black."  When they get moving, I'm certain the men in the community will follow.  They know how to get things done.  If all goes well I will count our shared success as the first miracle in May.  Stay tuned.  Have a great day.

I Found My Pickleball Passion in Eau Claire, Wisconsin

My tennis friends may think I'm abandoning them when they read today's story.  That's probably because there seems to be some kind of division between tennis players and pickleball players.  I see things differently.  For me, there's plenty of room to get along for those who play tennis exclusively, pickleball only or hybrid players like me who enjoy both sports.

The learning curve for tennis is much longer.  In fact, I didn't weaponize my tennis backhand until about six weeks ago when Jim, my captain for all my teams in multiple age groups, worked one-on-one with me to implement some minor changes that changed everything.

Maybe you're asking, "why does someone who grew up playing tennis want to play pickleball?"  The answer is simple..."I love my wife and I'm looking for activities we can do together."  Tennis is her spectator sport.  Give her a good book and she's quite comfortable cheering us on from the sidelines.  Pickleball is different.  My wife, like our daughter who played high school tennis with her first cousin, Amy, has an amazing backhand.  Unlike me who needed 49 years to master the backhand on the tennis courts, my wife started hitting great pickleball backhands on day one.  We discovered this in Eau Claire, Wisconsin where I was on a day job assignment.  

There is something else unique to pickleball.  It's community.  My friend, Jodi, one of the newly appointed pickleball leaders in our hometown, introduced our club's first FaceBook page yesterday.  Click here for the link.  She states, "Pickleball is for everyone from grandparents to the young... Pickleball is community."

Ask any of the 62 FaceBook followers who joined the group on the first day yesterday why they are jumping on the Pickleball Express Train, and they will tell you it's all about coming together for fun, exercise and quality time.  

I'm thankful for the visionaries I met in Eau Claire who showed me what's possible when you come together.  Our group will be showing up at City Hall on May 1 to ask for outdoor Pickleball courts at our community center located next door to our home.  Stay tuned.  Have a great day.