Readings and Pet Peeves

I’m nearly done reading The Color Purple.  I thought it was some horrific tale of Black America, one so dire I’ve never seen the movie, but as of right now, it’s just a good book.  I’m hoping the last 80 pages doesn’t drop some horror bomb.  The life led by most people who have ever lived are barely comprehensible in our American hammock of comfort and convenience. I'm either moving onto The Jungle next or War and Peace.

Also reading A Time to Grieve which bills itself as meditations on grief.  Unflinching and direct, probing, it picks at the open wound and validates, instructs and calms with perspective.   It’s a tough but important read.

Nothing bothers me more than getting my car serviced and they don't reset the Maintenance Required soon. Seems like an easy win for the mechanic's shop.

I'm making a concerted effort to 'unsubscribe' to every piece of email I receive that I don't want - It will be interesting to see if it makes a dent in the inbox inflow. I think it will, but it is a daily effort that's for sure keeping up with it.

Ugh, having dropped an important pass in the end zone when I was 17, I hate seeing games lost by an unusual mistake - the missed Tennessee FG against a rival, the missed extra point by Notre Dame.  I like a good game as much as the next guy - I hate a scapegoat more than most.

It’s hard to tell what's real or not anymore on social media apps like TikTok or Instagram, but today I came across one that had Trump and Prince Charles sitting in a manicured and deeply green yard with a band marching and playing Trump’s campaign song, YMCA.  It seemed so fantastical I doubted its reality.  And if it was real, was it to gain favor with pomp and circumstance with an easily flattered man or just a way to have a little fun with everyone in on the joke including Trump?  Got me.  The world is so inside out upside down who knows anymore.

Just driving around Sullivan County doing our survey and septic due diligence on a beautiful Tuesday.

I’d like to say it’s just the kids who feel the nag of the phone after a few minutes away, but it’s me for sure too. I’m probably better at recognizing the notion, but I’m still tugged by it, especially after doom-scrolling for a little while.  I didn’t really know what doom scrolling was/is - I’m told it’s just spending a lot of time on an app, but to me the phrase feels more like when you watch too many videos about Gaza or police encounters, or people stuck in caves while cave diving - I don’t know why watching videos of new bulls being dropped off at a new yard of eager heifers, or families that make music together, or babies and their dogs would be considered ‘doom- scrolling’ - but that’s what my nearly 17 year old is telling me.

I’m astounded at the number of people who don’t have their estates in order. The more I ask, the more I’m astounded.  Smart people, savvy people. I’m asking everyone now - every employee I have, every small business partner I have - do you have a will, and do you have life insurance?  I’ve already gotten 3 men to act and get it together.  A man without a will and some simple term life insurance is a man who really isn’t showing a lot of love to his family - it’s that simple. So it’s my mission now to make sure the people I have contact with have thought this out and gotten it taken care of.  It literally takes 60 minutes.  The shit-show I’m currently involved with has made what was always abundantly clear abundantly urgent.  I’m sure I’ll annoy a lot of people but that’s the cost of doing business with me from now on.

With the killing of the right wing guy, you can see why people want to ban TikTok - it’s just impossible to control the narrative as you can with cable news or newspapers.  As soon as one side deploys their press machinations of some narrative or another, here comes the army of TikTokers with a couple of million views debating and countering the MSM narrative.

Just planned a trip to FCU and OLB and ATH and EWR IAH to see Denver v San Fran.  Airport codes - Rome, Italy - Olbia, Italy - Athens Greece, Houston Texas, Newark.  Airport codes you learn as you plan some travel.  In May 2026 heading to Sardinia for a 6 day motorcycle ride, then 6 days on the Amalfi Coast and then 5 days on a little ship cruising around the Mediterranean with my 28 yr old nephew wingman.    Gonna miss him when he gets a serious girlfriend.

I once mistook the grocery store floor cleaning robot with the grocery store question and answer robot, so stood there posing questions to the floor cleaning one.

Anyone who has ever run a small business understands the ebbs and flows of headache, heartache and the sweet aroma of victory.  Not sure which - the ebbs or the flows - is considered the positive wave, but whichever, that’s what I’m riding right now.  Good team, good land, sunny weather, lower interest rates and some positive mojo momentum.  I think I’m due for a good run of it, if just by the sheer statistical overdue nature of it.  Yes, I’ve been making plenty of money, but that’s only one metric of success - having a little peace and quiet and routine and predictability and fun is another.

Lots of houses coming up. I keep telling new clients 'it's my last 10' - seems like it's true, hopefully it doesn't turn into one of those 'going out of business' sales tools that never actually happens. Seems less true than it did a few months ago, that's for sure. We will have to see how this wash and rinse cycle goes - land is expensive, construction is expensive, economy dicey, little more competition. I always do have an ejection button at the ready - our margins are gross enough (as in gross margins) that I have a lot of wiggle room for a sales negotiation if push comes to shove.