1. Cool stuff that happened this past week…
This past week, Lana and I celebrated our first anniversary (it was June 3rd, but we celebrated it last Friday), and we celebrated Father’s Day. Several cool things stood out…
-We ate at The Marble Room (one of Cleveland’s best steakhouses) where our meal and service were both excellent, but their celebratory feature really caught our attention… cotton candy! To celebrate special occasions for guests, they bring out freshly spun cotton candy, which is on a stand and lit from the inside. It looks super cool, was really unique, and it tasted great. I hadn’t had cotton candy in decades, and would never have ordered it, but it was a special treat and was a fun touch on the evening. See the pic below.
-With our kids scattered about this summer, we did not have plans for all of us to get together for Father’s Day. But Sunday morning, I started getting texts that turned into all of us gathering for dinner. That was a really nice surprise. It is ALWAYS fun when we can have the whole crew in one place.
-At breakfast last Saturday, I saw a waffle go by. I mentioned how good that looked and how long it had been since I have had one. Well… Lana made me the best waffle (along with an egg casserole) on Father’s Day morning. It was complete with maple syrup, whipped cream, and strawberries. Soooooo good! See a pic of that below.
-I also received some other gifts from the kids and Lana. All of them were great, but there were two that I’ll share here. The one, from my son Kyle, was a tandem bicycle. It is AWESOME! He knew I was interested in getting one, went out, and found this one (see pic below). Another gift from the kids was some metal artwork in the form of a ski boat pulling a skier. I’ve seen a lot of these pieces, but never this one. See that pic below also. Great gifts… great company… and a GREAT Father’s day. Just thought I’d share a few nuggets (and pics) from last weekend.
2. Person I am keeping an eye on…
This week I listened to the Joe Rogan podcast with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Most of us have an idea of what this man is like, but most of it comes from hearsay and misinformation. He is loaded with powerful and impactful information. I have since listened to him on the Jordan Peterson podcast and am currently listening to a 2-part, 4-hour long interview on the Megyn Kelly Show. You won’t see him on mainstream media, as he continues to be censored. A recent L.A. Times column article was titled Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is a threat to your health – and our democracy. He is definitely a threat… not to your health or our democracy… but to the pharmaceutical companies and the corrupt governmental agencies that are essentially controlled by big pharma. He is worth listening to, and I strongly encourage you to listen to at least one of these podcasts (I think the Joe Rogan interview is probably the best– if you have Spotify, click here). The truth is the truth… and he shares many truths.
3. A quick perspective on the Titanic submarine catastrophe…
Five people are dead after the submarine, Titan, imploded. I’ve already seen memes and videos making fun of the captain, passengers, and the submarine itself. It is easy to be critical in hindsight, but I am reminding myself that these are five people that are now dead, and their families are surely struggling. It is also important to remember that they were explorers and adventurers… which always comes with risk. If we want to see what others can’t see, go where others won’t go, and experience things that most people will never experience, we have to take risks. Some of the most respected adventurers and explorers in history were likely moments away from failure… which would have brought ridicule and criticism. I am choosing to respect the fact that they chose to be adventurous and to remember that had they returned, people would have gathered around them to get a taste of what they saw and experienced. I am also choosing to remember that they lost their lives and that there are family and friends mourning this loss. Mistakes were made, better decisions could have been made, and there is a lot to be critical of, so I am not giving everyone involved a complete pass here. But I am choosing to look at it with empathy, understanding, and as a learning experience, and with the respect I would hope to receive when making questionable decisions.