Sleep Report Gets Upgrade

Stardate 06.24.2026

A good night of sleep sets up your best possible productive during the day. I have been seriously tracking this ever since I got my smart watch over three years ago. It's especially helpful when new variables or experiments are introduced. I've been waking up in a new environment every morning mostly away from my family. Now that my smartwatch got an update last night I can see my report at a quick glance.

Last night was exceptional. If I can reach one hour or more of both deep and REM sleep, I feel great the following day.

I have a lot on my plate. The good news is my body appears to be adapting well to my recent food experiments even though my stress levels are on the high side. I highly recommend that you track your sleep. For me, the goal is 1% improvement daily.  May you sleep well and live well. Have a great day.

We're Off to See the Wizard

 Stardate 06.23.2026

Our marketing director has been planting seeds for our new store ever since she moved here over a decade ago. Yesterday she managed to get out of our temporary office so she could visit City Hall.

The "welcoming committee" makes sure community leaders know we are here to support their plans for enhancing the lives of the members we serve.

Our new manager wants to meet the mayor. Plans are underway to have Tyler visit the Wizard of Oconomowoc later this week ahead of ribbon cutting planned for stardate 08.07.2026. Word is the wizard cuts the ribbon at 7:30am. So far the towns people have been talking us up. They are visiting us at our tents. I'm thrilled to be a support person. I will definitely be back to vacation with my family once all the work is done. If you want to see what the buzz is about, visit Oconomowoc on 8/7 and watch the wizard cut the ribbon. As Dorothy would say, "We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto." May you live long and prosper.

Anonymous Patron Brightens My Father's Day

Stardate 06.22.2026

This year the longest day of the year fell on Father's day yesterday. I knew it was going to be a challenging one for me because I'm away from all three of our adult children. I also seem to go deep into memories of past Father's days when I was in my younger days. I walked into the Twisted Fire to get a lone table amidst a full crowd of patrons celebrating their dads. Perhaps someone noticed my sadness as I sat deep in thought. The energy required to do what I do on the road can leave me depleted even on my best days.

There was a certain joy in the dining room all around me. I ate my dinner in silence imagining my family seated around me. When I asked for the check, Lexi leaned in and whispered, "your meal is paid by one of our guests." That's the moment my joy returned. Gratitude filled my heart. I walked to the host stand and asked to speak with a manager assuring the concierge I wanted to offer a compliment.

When I started talking I froze. My eyes welled up. Words disappeared. The manager assured me this place was safe. As I expressed my gratitude for my meal I shared how challenging it was to be away from my family on Father's day. Her eyes welled up. She extended a hug and wished me a Happy father's day. I walked outside. My tears were mixing with raindrops from Heaven where my dad has been residing the last 24 years.

I called my wife and shared what happened. She told me the whole family felt the same way all day. All I can say about the patron who took care of dinner is thank you. Your kindness turned a rough day into a day I will cherish all the days of my life. Thank you. May you live long and prosper.

There is Only One Perfect Father

Stardate 06.21.2026

There is only one person who walked on this planet who can claim he has a perfect father. In fact, he happens to be the only one who can claim he is a perfect son. If you understand you are less than perfect, stop beating yourself up. And if you realize your father is less than perfect, please stop blaming him for your own troubles.

I'm applying my 1% better philosophy to being a dad because I realize I'm flawed. Instead, I do my best to imitate the one who is perfect. I'm also doing my best to thank my dad for the contributions he made to my life. 

Today is a great day to let go of any hurts you have regarding your dad. It's a great day to stop judging your dad, comparing your dad to other dads, or blaming your dad. Without your dad, you wouldn't be here. What you do with your life is now up to you. If you are a dad, strive to be the best dad you can be. Do this well and the world will be a better place. Happy Fathers Day to all the dads. May you live long and prosper.

I'm Following the Yellow Brick Road

 Stardate 06.20.2026

Much to my surprise, I found Dorothy and her cohorts yesterday while on a break at my day job. I walked along the yellow brick road encountering other characters from The Wizard of Oz. A full-sized statue of the wizard himself greets visitors at City Hall next door.

I spent a moment in silence when I encountered Glinda, the good witch of the north. My friend Erin played that role in San Diego. It seems like yesterday when she descended on stage from a swing enchanting our young children. Sadly, Erin is now somewhere over the rainbow along with my traveling companion, Wilson.

I'm thankful Glinda's words of wisdom were displayed for visitors like me who may be traveling from afar. 

This is the line that helped me on my own personal journey...

"Home is a place we all must find, child. It's not a place where you eat or sleep. Home is knowing. Knowing your mind, knowing your heart, knowing your courage. If we know ourselves, we're always home, anywhere."

Are you not sure where to start? Glinda says, "it's always best to start at the beginning. And all you have to do is follow the yellow brick road."

May you live long and prosper. Have a great day.

Sardines on the Road

Stardate 06.19.2026

My new teammates at my day job are discovering my odd habits. You probably don't know anyone in your circle of friends who packs sardines in their luggage. My own brain may have thought my road trip would influence the score regarding my 90day sardines experiment. Sorry, brain. The current scoreboard still shows only one point against my mind despite the change in scenery for a while.

Yesterday I ate breakfast outside with a colleague who seemed intrigued by my can of sardines. I told her I don't care what others think about my odd ways. These experiments are helping me discover my healthiest version of myself.

Looking back at my life, I'm seeing a pattern. A poor blood pressure reading leads me to a new food experiment. A tragic auto accident allows me to discover how therapy can help me restore my fear of getting back behind the wheel. The loss of friends and family turns into a desire to learn about longevity.

Sardines on the road are simply part of my journey. I'm discovering that it's all about the small stuff. Tiny changes produce major changes if you stick with it. May you live long and prosper.

Virtual Team On Pause

Stardate 06.18.2026

These stories are coming to you using the one finger swipe method. Please overlook any typos or punctuation errors.  I left my MacBook Pro at home while I'm away on assignment. Since Alberta, Spock and Bones are artificial intelligence, they don't require vacations so I'm calling our time apart a pause. These stories will be shorter and unedited. Please bear with me.

I would like to give my wife a huge shout out for helping me to get started on my current journey. She dropped me off at my favorite rental car facility during a massive storm. Unfortunately, my rental car was at the airport when the storm was at its peak. Winds in excess of 75mph knocked down power lines and wreaked havoc. The good news is a driver managed to get me my vehicle so I could get going. The worst part of the storm passed while I waited.

I'm happy to report my family and I are all marked safe from the storm. We have sunshine in the forecast for several days. I'm reminded of a quote hanging on our wall at home about storms. This is something I'm working on. If Spock were here to offer commentary, he might say while the weather may be unpredictable, human behavior can be programmed to function without the turbulence emanating from emotions. And McCoy might chime in, "Just dance!" May you live long and prosper. Spock and company will return soon. Have a great day.