Go Go Go, Looking Up

Last night I arranged with Katie to come over to their place for a visit.  Elsa was confused why I was corralling her into the truck after dark but once we arrived at the house the confusion was replaced with excitement.  When the door opened it was a dog tidal wave as Bowser and Tank came charging out as the same time as Elsa was trying to charge in.  DJ was also at the door looking very excited, I knelt down and gave him a hug, it was great.

We had a very action packed visit of close to three hours.  Most of it was spent playing with various toys or being led around the house but there were also some very sweet and still moments when DJ brought over his blanket laid on me like a human recliner, covering both of us up while we watched some cartoon.  I also got to see baby Emmy who seems to like spending most of her time sleeping on Katie’s shoulder.  Elsa had 100x more stimulation than she is used to between the dogs and DJ, you could tell she was having fun.

When I headed out DJ wasn’t happy but he didn’t cry which was good.  I told him I would see him again soon, whether that is at my house or theirs doesn’t really matter to me.  It was great to hang with my little buddy and I look forward to doing it more regularly in 2022. I just never get tired of hearing “love you Pop Pop…”

I stumbled across my old Google Photos albums the other day.  In there was the album from the epic Grand Canyon road trip I took with Cindy back in 2013, it was possibly the most memorable of the many adventures we had.  My mind drifted to a comparison of the hike we did to the bottom of the canyon and back up in 9 hours and my current state of being.  Specifically how I felt at the bottom of the canyon, exhausted from the hike thus far, lying on top of a picnic table, looking at the top rim of the canyon, miles above me.

I recall the feeling of knowing that I had to get back to the top, despite feeling like my gas tank was already 3/4 empty.  I wasn’t sure how I was going to make it.  I rested a bit, and then we climbed, slow and steady. At times it was literally focusing on just placing one foot in front of the other for another step.  The end result was accomplishing my goal, doing the hard thing, knowing the power would come, somehow. At the end of 2021 I am at the bottom of that canyon, I have gone through a lot but still looking up at a long climb.  By this time next year I hope to be looking down on where I came from.

Happy New Year to you.  If you have nothing better to do with your life tonight, come watch me get drunk on a live stream.