June 7, 2024, Friday night, 10:44pm, pacific standard time, apartment in Dana Point,California,USA. Full work day. Lots of meetings. Which is annoying on Friday. Preliminary financials came out today. Our area did pretty good. This afternoon I picked my daughter up from school. She had a party in the afternoon so wasn’t hungry. I ended up ordering beer, salad and pizza for dinner from 3 different places. My daughter stayed in her room and her mom went to dinner in Trabuco Canyon. I hung out with the dog and watched a show called Tires on Netflix.

June 6, 2024, Thursday night, 8:46pm, pacific standard time, apartment in Dana Point, California, USA. I have been thinking about Utah a lot lately. Fond memories of a simpler time. Or at least it seemed simpler. Regardless, it makes me happy to remember certain things. Like Thursday nights. I used to love Thursday’s in utah. It was the precursor to the weekend. Fridays were easy work days back then, practically a day off with little challenge. So Thursday’s were carefree and happy. Anything could happen Thursday night. I would grab beer and a burger on my way home and watch sports until it was time for bed. Now Fridays are just another day. Thursday’s just another night.

June 5, 2024, Wednesday morning, 6:53am, pacific standard time, hotel room in Bakersfield, California,USA. Looking back at old posts from two years ago I mentioned taking a lower paying job and supplementing my income with PRN chaplain work. The full-time job never materialized so the plan was abandoned. But, I wonder where I would be had it worked out? Would I be happy? or at least happier? This job has been a blessing and i have enjoyed it in many ways. But it is also a grind that is wearing me out. I want to work two more years and make it to my daughters high school graduation. After that I would like to explore other opportunities, maybe find a novel approach like I considered two years ago.

June 4, 2024, Tuesday morning, 7:07am, pacific standard time, apartment in Aliso Viejo, California,USA. Today I am remembering my dad, it is his birthday. He would be 83 this year. I am also thinking of mom. Today was their wedding anniversary. There are also thoughts of 1996. That year I was 24, a seminarian, and just starting my required unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at St. Mark’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. But mostly I am remembering 2003. My first summer as a Hospice Chaplain in Ogden, Utah. This morning has been special. I have been able to completely immerse myself remembering that time. I recall how everything felt new, yet familiar. There was so much promise of the future. I was fixated on getting to the one year anniversary of moving to Valencia, California. I wanted the college football season to start so I could grab a coffee and cinnamon roll from Maverik and drive to Wendover, Nevada to bet on games. That summer it was just me and my dog, Tucker, living in Layton, working during the week then driving to Wyoming to spend the weekend with family. I hope for the remainder of this summer I can be lost in that memory. I am exhausted from focusing on current circumstances. I need a fresh perspective that can only come from being lost in the past.

June 3, 2024, Monday night, 7:44pm, pacific standard time, apartment in Dana Point,California, USA. Went to the dentist this afternoon to get fitted for a crown on my upper left tooth. A filling broke and instead of replacing it they are putting on a crown. This will be my fifth. I am not a fan of crowns. I doubt they are necessary, they cost five times as much as a filling and I have to wear a temp crown for three weeks that doesn’t fit well and won’t let me chew on that side of my mouth. Nothing is enjoyable to eat when you can’t chew how you usually do.

June 1,2, Saturday, Sunday afternoon, 1:31, pacific standard time, apartment in Aliso Viejo, California,USA. Yesterday the family went to the butterfly sanctuary in Palos Verdes. I stayed home with the dog and watched an episode of American Rust on Amazon Prime. In the afternoon I met a friend for drinks at Las Brisas in Laguna Beach. When I got home o had frozen pizza LL for dinner and watched some hockey and diners drive ins and dives. This morning I took the Blue Lantern walk, got a haircut, worked out then took the dog on a full walk past the middle school and dog park. The fields were packed with people when we passed by. Looked like there was a big soccer tournament going on.

May 31, 2024, Friday night, 11:23pm, pacific standard time, apartment in Dana Point, California, USA. I just Woke up and remembered I hadn’t entered a post today. Mostly a work day. Gym in the morning, took my daughter to school. Then took the dog to the groomer, picked her up, dropped her off at Aliso Viejo, then picked my daughter up from school. This evening I stayed a bit and put together a new gaming/computer chair for my daughter then came home to Dana point, made frozen pizza for dinner and watched The Office until going to bed.

May 30, 2024, Thursday morning, 7:31am, pacific standard time, hotel room in San Bernardino, California,USA. I am in a rare good mood where the universe is in total balance. I slept until 5:35am then went downstairs and walked on the treadmill for an hour. Memories of Wyoming, Utah, California and Arizona flooded my mind. I feel content with my place in the world. I think it was a blessing to stay here last night and to drive to Palm desert yesterday. I am in a familiar place but without obligations to visit branches this week. that gives me just enough nostalgia without having to step away entirely.

May 29, 2024, Wednesday night, 8:43pm, pacific standard time, hotel in San Bernardino, California,USA. Today was the monthly operating review. It went well but I when I finished I left the presentation on an addendum slide. That ended up being the most awkward part of the meeting. The region president was on the call and asked questions about data points that had nothing to do with the meeting. Lesson learned; never leave information on slides not related to the story. It seems like easy advice but I have been burned by it a couple times. I need to control what they see and think and not leave unfinished thoughts visible. After the meeting I drove to palm desert and got groceries then came back to stay in San Bernardino. A friend came over this evening and we hung out for a while. It was nice to have company rather than being alone.

May 28, 2024, Tuesday evening, 6:20pm, pacific standard time, apartment in Dana Point,California,USA. Dropped my daughter off at tennis this evening. It is her first lesson. Hopefully she likes it. She hasn’t really played before so it will be a new experience. Today I took her to school and picked her up. In between I worked from home, mostly on my PowerPoint presentation for tomorrow’s monthly operating review. I will feel less stressed once it is over.