The Courage to be a Dreamer

Zig Ziglar said, “A lot of people have gone farther than they thought they could because someone else thought they could.” 

Grampa was that “someone” for me.  He taught me to have the courage to believe I can accomplish anything I can dream up. 

I made note of that Zig Ziglar quote and how it related to my relationship with my grampa many months ago and came across it as I was searching for things to share with you today.  It’s as fitting now as it has ever been as speaking to you today may be the hardest thing I’ve ever done. 

One day back in November of last year, grampa told me about a man he met who was travelling from somewhere farther towards the east coast and going all the way to Missouri on horseback.  Knowing my love and passion for both travel and riding, he had worked out a complete plan on how I could do the same thing.  Travel on horseback, find farm houses or people in towns who would let me stay with them each night, or even sleep under the stars.  There was no question in his mind that I could do it.  The only detail he forgot was I have no way to get the horse. 

That’s just the thing though.  He believed in me.  Always.  He thought I could do anything.  In every adventure, goal, dream, or crazy scheme I came up with, he was always proud and always behind me. 

He was like that with everyone.  He would invest himself in anyone who was willing to learn.  If there’s something you wanted to do or learn, but didn’t know how, he would never turn down the opportunity to work with you.

He taught me to drive the backhoe, blow out the lines in trailers, work on the engine of my old boat, pack wheel bearings, and even redirect a sewer line.  That was the great thing about him.  Even though I was a girl, he never denied me the opportunity to try anything.  He let me try everything I was willing to try.  Truth be told, I never cared about how to move a sewer line and really didn’t care to cut into that nasty thing.  It was more about the opportunity to be with him.

One of the most important nuggets of wisdom grampa ever shared with me was, “You just have to keep on dreaming.”

Grampa had a lot of dreams and adventures in his life.  Those were my favorite stories to hear. 

I think he really enjoyed the fact that I have a kind of wild and free spirit about me and am always up for a new adventure.  The last couple of years, I’ve been extra jam-packing my world with adventures to come back and report to him. 

I’ve flown across the country, gone on backpacking trips, gone hang gliding, ridden horses across the desert, ties sleds to four wheelers, completed a triathlon, and even built a log cabin in my living room.  And through all of it, all I could think was… “I can’t wait to tell grampa about this!”  And in times when I wasn’t sure I could do it, I’d always remind myself that grampa would believe I could.

Over the past few years, because of grampa, I’ve learned the value of having dreams and focusing on making those dreams come true. 

He bought the campground where he and grama have made their home for the past 39 years when it was an absolute pit.  From what I hear, it was a cluttered, filthy disaster.  But he saw so much more.  It took all they had to buy that property and a great deal of struggle at times to keep it, but that was his dream.  He took such great pride in keeping the property beautiful.  Kassidy mentioned the pride they both had in beautifully mowed grass.  She wasn’t kidding.  There was a right way to mow that grass and everyone was aware of it. 

Here’s how great his pride was in maintaining the campground dream and a true testament to how hard of a worker he was.  After one of many stays in the hospital and nursing home, (actually, he might have been living at the nursing home and just at the campground for the day, I can’t really remember)… Anyway, he could barely walk, but he was out with Tyler, Randy and me.  He was telling us how to blow out the lines on the trailers and at one point, Randy had to go down into a wellhouse or something underground.  Grampa was determined to give him directions on how to do whatever it was he was doing so he got down on his knees and leaned deep into the hole Randy was down in.  I remember Tyler and I just looking wide eyed at each other and shrugging our shoulders.  There was nothing anyone was going to do to stop him and I certainly wasn’t about to be the one to try. 

My favorite thing about my grampa was that he never stopped dreaming.  Even in the late part of last year, as his health was continuing to decline, we sat down one day and he was telling me about all sorts of things he would like to do or have done.  Things like having a barn closer to the house, buying a golf cart, gosh I can’t even begin to remember all the things he rattled off.  Even knowing his time was short, he kept thinking about new dreams. 

Grampa was my greatest inspiration and one of the people I love and respect most in my life.  Nothing gave me greater joy than to hear him say he was proud of me.  There are hundreds of little nuggets of wisdom and special memories of precious moments I shared with him that will live forever in my heart.  In every dream I ever have come true, I will be thankful to him for inspiring me to have the courage to be a dreamer. 

Tales from the train

Good morning friends! Yesterday morning I wrote a lovely message to you all, but due to some technology issues, the whole message somehow disappeared into the abyss. Now that I have had some time to cool my jets over that loss, I am ready to write to you again.

I'm in Chicago this week for a trade show and I'm writing to you while on the train for my morning commute into downtown. A couple of days ago I spoke to a friend back in Indy and he asked me if it makes me nervous to take trains, busses and cabs all over the place. It was an interesting question that baffled me for a second. It never occured to me that this would make anyone nervous. Some of you know that I grew up in Chicagoland... Well, now all of you know. ;-) So this method of hopping from one form of transportation to another to get from the suburbs to downtown is not at all foreign to me. In fact, what would make me nervous is DRIVING into downtown.

I love this commute because it is such a wonderful time to relax, decompress and prepare for the day ahead. I have a whole hour of peaceful time on the train to drink my coffee and do whatever I want. (Confession- this morning I had to do a 50 yard dash to hop on the train just before it pulled away. So the first 20 minutes were spent catching my breath.)

Yesterday, I sat next to a man who was wonderful to talk to. We struck up a conversation for more than half the ride into downtown. You never know who you will meet or what you will learn.

This lovely commuting time came to me somewhat by accident. I was supposed to stay in a hotel downtown, but the woman I was to share a room with practically has the plague. When I found that out, I decided to find alternate lodging. Lucky for me, my very best friend in the world lives up this way, so she offered to put me up.

It has been some of the greatest time we have ever spent together. It is nice to come home to one another in the evening and have that time to spend together. In fact, last night she got home early and cleaned her whole apartment and made dinner before I got there. When I walked in, I was greeted with a, "Hey Ash! How was your day? Dinner is five minutes from being ready."

I can't tell you how much love and appreciation I felt for her in that moment. I am so blessed to have had this wonderful woman as my best friend for the past 20ish years.

Have a remarkable day! I will be writing to you again soon. There is so much more to tell!

Women

A couple of weeks ago I was pleasantly surprised to receive a call at work from one of my college professors.  She had spent some time tracking me down to find out how to get a hold of me.  It was not only wonderful to hear from her, but she was calling to invite me to sit on a panel and speak to one of her classes.  It is always an honor to be offered the opportunity to go back to campus and share some of my knowledge and experiences with students.

I hold a Bachelor's Degree in Tourism, Conventions and Event Management from Indiana University which I earned attending the IUPUI campus.  The TCEM program gave me a solid foundation for all I have done in my professional life.  I remember how valuable it was when industry professionals would come in to speak to the classes I was taking in college.  I remember so much from what those individuals shared and how much I was able to learn about different aspects of the industry.  It is incredible to think that I am now the one offering up information about the path I took and my place in the industry.

Walking into the classroom, it was so nice to see my past professor and give her a hug.  There were a few minutes to get acquainted with the other four ladies who were on the panel as well.  Two of them I knew as we had gone through the program around the same time.  The other two were new faces.

Just prior to the beginning of class, two other professors who had given me great inspiration during my college career strolled in and took a seat as well.  It took a moment for me to take this in. These professors took time out of their day to sit through a class I was at the front of.  Wow!  How wonderful!

When the professor gave her class introduction, she indicated that this was the first time in her many years of teaching that she had an entirely female class.  I looked around and saw it was true. There were 18 women sitting at the desks around the room.  She said she had purposely sought out  five industry professionals who were also women to talk to this class.  How cool!

There's something so special about being in a group of women.  This is something I've only realized in the last year.  It may not surprise you to know that traditionally, I haven't understood the value in having close friends who are women.  With my interests and attitude, men have been easier to be friends with.

Last year, I started reading some books that were written to speak to the hearts of women.  (No, not 50 Shades of Grey... though I can greatly enjoy that kind of "women's book" too).  I was amazed at how deeply I connected with those books.  Because I am not the "typical" female in any way, shape or form, I anticipated the authors to have a hard time reaching me.

It really hit me while reading, Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge.  This little quote sums up the essence of the book quite well, "Every little girl holds in her heart her most precious dreams. She longs to be swept up into a romance, to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure, to be the beauty of the story. Those desires are far more than child's play. They are the secret to the feminine heart."

The book talks about the things that are truly at the core of a woman's heart.  Despite what her interests are or how life has affected her, these things seem to be universal.  Reading this book softened my heart and my attitude a bit.  It made me realize that I don't have to be 100% tough all the time.  I can have my guyish hobbies, but still be feminine at heart.  What an incredible revelation.  

Not only was did I become more passionate about the beauty of being a woman, but I suddenly felt a connection to other women.  If the things I read were true of me, they must be true of other women as well.  Maybe I had more in common with them than I ever realized.  I now consider it a blessing to have the opportunity to share time and experiences with the women in my life.  

Random Sightings, Adventures and Humor

This past Saturday I went north to do some deer hunting.  The day came and went without a single deer sighting, much less an opportunity to get a shot off on one.  But nonetheless it was a great day filled with fun, humor and random sightings.

On Friday night I drove up to Marion, IN which is near the location I was going to hunt on Saturday.  I got a hotel room there and got everything prepared so I could make a quick and early exit to get to the stand before the sun started to come up.  I really didn't think much about carrying a shotgun case into a hotel while in my pj's with wet hair and no makeup until I was halfway through the lobby and there were people looking at me from multiple directions.  What are ya gonna do?

When I got back to the room, I changed the barrel on my shotgun.  I haven't used my rifled barrel or scope this year so I wanted to get reacquainted with it.  I was reviewing the settings on my scope by looking through it at the order confirmation board at the Taco Bell down the street.  I then realized if anyone drove by and happened to notice me up in the window I probably looked like a sniper.  I have my moments.  I'll tell you what though... I had a great shot at that confirmation screen.  I was feeling confident.  After that I closed the curtains and practiced some shooting positions.

Fun Fact:  My shotgun has a name.  It's Dolly.

On Saturday, after the morning hunt, there was a breakfast/ lunch break.  Driving into town I passed a house and saw a man, dressed as an elf, driving a gator.  I wish I'd of gotten a picture.

When I arrived at the little hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Wabash, IN, I opened the menu and found an item that was a done deal based on the name.  It was called The Cannonball.  Get it?  The Wasbash Cannonball?  If you don't get it, Wabash Cannonball is a very old song that's been recorded by many many artists.  I put the Johnny Cash version below in case you're interested.

The breakfast version of the Wabash Cannonball.  3 eggs, sausage, hash browns, biscuits and gravy and toast. And I ate every last bit of it!

Can I pause for a moment from the weird sighting stories and tell you about something I witnessed during breakfast that absolutely warmed my heart?  I don't know if I can paint the picture well enough to make you understand how beautiful this was, but I'll try.  There was a table a few feet away with a dad and his two kids.  The daughter was likely around 10 and the son perhaps 4.  Before their food came, the dad went down to the bathroom and left the kids at the table (keep in mind it's a tiny town so this is ok).  While he was away, the waitress brought the food to the table.  As she sat it down, she asked the little boy if he wanted her to cut up his pancakes for him so he could start eating.  You should've seen how happy that little boy was.  She got everything cut up and asked if he wanted syrup on them too.  He did.  She poured the syrup all over them until he finally told her it was enough.  I don't know if it's just me, but there was something so touching about watching this simple act of kindness.  It warmed my heart.

I found the little diner's blog/ website.  If you're ever in Wabash, check out Joe's Diner!

Following breakfast, I was leaving the parking lot of the restaurant and saw something you don't see much anymore.  A payphone!  I couldn't resist taking a picture with it.  The best part was, when I picked it up, there was a dial tone!  I'm not used to hearing that sound.

I stopped off at a cute little country store that I enjoy browsing when I'm up that way and had one final random sighting during the lunch break.  As I got back in the truck, I looked to my right and saw a blue van next to me that appeared to be driven by a dalmatian!

The last story from the hunting trip comes from the drive home in the evening.  Dinner was at a Subway in a gas station somewhere near Marion.  There were four tables to eat at.  As we were eating, my friend informs me there is a mouse running around under the soda machine behind me.  I look and giggle a bit and continue eating.  Soon, a teenage boy and his girlfriend walk in and decide to get sodas.  They then stand in front of the soda machine texting for a couple of minutes.  At that point my friend says to me, "watch this," and I know what's coming.  He tells this teenage girl there is a mouse right by her hip and we laughed hysterically as she jumped out of her skin.

What a great day for random humorous sightings.  I'm so happy for the opportunity to share them with you too.

Grampa's Great Escape

On Monday my phone rang and I saw it was the nursing home where my grampa lives.  Of course I immediately had a feeling of concern wash over me, wondering if he was ill or injured or goodness knows what.  To my surprise, the nurse on the other end of the line informed me that grampa told them he was moving back home that day!  She asked me if I knew anything about that or if I could approve it.

For those of you who aren't aware, grampa has been struggling with his health for probably close to two years now.  He is 78 years old and there have been multiple times he has been rushed to the hospital and the doctors have told us he isn't going to make it.  His organs have shut down and are beyond repair (or so we've been told).  He goes between home, nursing homes and hospitals every few months.  His heart has only been able to pump at about 20% for well over a year now.  We've been told time and time again that people with less than 40% often struggle to even carry on a conversation.  Grampa has managed to run the backhoe, lean down into a well house, make his bed, dress and ready himself each day and even walk around WalMart.  Our family as well as the medical staff who have worked with him are fascinated by his strength.

The last time he went into the hospital, the ER doctor pretty much assured us he would not make it through the next few days.  It was basically medically impossible for him to be alive in the condition he was in.  When his regular doctor came in the next morning, I asked him to be direct with me and tell me if we should even attempt to plan where he will go when he gets out of the hospital or if it is likely he will never leave that hospital.  His response was, "If it was anyone else, I would have my doubts.  But (your grampa) has shocked us time and time again and keeps on going."

That was three months ago.  And now, he has built his strength and independence back up to a point where he feels that he could move back home with grama.  It's incredible!

Everything got approved and I went down yesterday morning to pick up grama and take her into town to get everything grampa would need to come home.  Then we went over to the nursing home to get grampa.  It was a precious sight when I opened the door to his room.  All of his belongings were neatly packed in trash bags and laid out on his bed.  He was sitting in his chair just waiting.  He didn't know exactly when we would arrive, but he was ready.  No telling how long he'd been ready.  He was in his recliner, but his feet weren't propped up.  He had his shoes on.  The TV was off.  He was just waiting for this joyous moment he'd looked forward to and worked so hard to get to.  This was his dream come true.

The staff at the nursing home have been such a blessing to grampa and our entire family.  It's always a warm welcome when I go in.  Many of the nurses know me by name, as does the administrator.  They have gone above and beyond time and time again to meet grampa's needs and even do things that are a little extra special for him.  One of the nurses brought a cart down to his room and helped me load his things. The administrator called out to me from several feet away behind a desk with a big smile and a wave.  It was an incredibly joyous time.

As grampa took his small, slow steps with his cane helping him along, he had lots of interactions between his room and the exit.  He talked to, hugged, waved goodbye and thanked everyone in sight.  The nurses, aides, residents and staff.  Looking back on it now, it feels like a movie scene.  That glorious moment when all you've worked so hard for becomes reality.  And there is love and gratitude all around for the folks who've helped you get to where you are.

We all went out to lunch and then headed home.  The whole time, he was talking about all these ideas he had.  Things he wanted to do, things he wanted to buy, how he planned to achieve those things.  I'm in absolute awe of this man who defies all odds and simply never stops dreaming.

He Believes In Me

Grampa

I went down to the lake late in the day and visited with Grampa and Grama.  Grampa was in an exceptionally cheery mood today.  He "had his talkers on" as Grama would say.  It seems every time I visit he has seen something or someone really out of the ordinary and tells me, he thinks I could or should do the same thing.  Today's story was about a man on a horse that was "pulled over" by a police officer outside of the restaurant they were eating at earlier in the week.  Apparently this guy was travelling to Missouri on horseback.  He was clean and friendly and had a sleeping bag with him.  That was just the way he was travelling.  When Grampa finished telling me about it, he said, "I told your grandma, if Ashley had a horse she'd be doing that too."  He went on to tell me how I could make it work and find places to sleep.

I realized something after listening to yet another crazy story of something he believes I could or would do.  He is the reason I am the way I am.  He is the reason I dream so big and dare to be adventurous   The first time I remember him flat out telling me to do something crazy was in 2004.  After an extremely harsh breakup with the man I was engaged to at the time, Grampa told me I should go get on my motorcycle and just take a trip by myself.  Just get away for a while.

I didn't end up taking the motorcycle, but I did get in the car and just start driving.  I remember trying to decide if I should head north, south, east or west.  Anyone who knows me wouldn't be surprised to find out that I decided to head south.  About 4 hours into my trip my cell phone rang. It was my mom wanting to know if I wanted to get some lunch.  I told her I couldn't because I was in Terre Haute, Indiana (I lived in the northwest suburbs of Chicago at the time).  She flipped out (of course) and I told her she should talk to Grampa and ask him what I was up to.  :-)

I was on the road for around 5 or 6 days.  I went all sorts of places in 6 different states, including Graceland in Memphis, TN.  It was the first time in my life I'd really done something all on my own.  I remember the day I was supposed to get married.  Instead, I was sitting out on the steps of the run down motel I was staying at in Memphis and smoking a cigarette (yes, I used to be a smoker) and I met two middle aged women and had a great conversation with them that really helped change my perspective.  I don't really remember what they told me, but I remember them and how powerful the experience was of meeting them.

Side note:  My love for Elvis movies was born in that hotel.  Channel 3 had Elvis movies 24 hours a day.  I discovered it very late at night and "Frankie and Johnny" had just started.  I was exhausted, but couldn't turn it off.  I stayed up almost all night watching one movie after another.  

Also on that trip, I remember getting caught very near to a tornado.  I met a family in a restaurant parking lot where I pulled over.  It was the only thing for many miles.  I'm not sure how far it would have been to a town.  The restaurant was in a modular building, so it would provide no safe haven from the storm.  The family was in a pickup truck and was pulling a trailer with a bunch of quads on it.  There were three younger boys riding in the trailer between the quads because there was no room in the cab of the truck.  They were getting pelted with the hail, rain and wind.  I've never again seen a sky like I did that day.  I have some great pictures of it somewhere.  Anyway, I got out of my car and went up to the parents to offer their boys shelter in my car.  I think they thought I was crazy, but they let them get in.  We knew, of course, if the tornado dropped near us we'd have to make a run for the ditch, but at least the boys got out of the storm.  Those boys were soaked, but so thankful to come in out of the storm.  I had beach towels in the car too so they got to dry off a bit.

That whole trip was like a mission to conquer the world for me.  To find my inner strength.  To prove to myself that I could survive just fine on my own.  Grampa believed I could do it.  That was all I needed to believe it too.  This all took place before Grampa and I were as extremely close as we are now.  That was where it all began.

There is a great quote by Zig Ziglar that really hits home for me:

"A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could." 

Grampa was that "someone" for me.  And now I believe I can accomplish anything I can dream up... because I know he would believe I can.

Love, Pain and the Whole Crazy Thing (Christmas Style)

I LOVE decorating my house for Christmas.  Always have.  I can remember the Christmas tree we had when I was growing up.  It was an old school one that had a big pole with color coded holes around it at different heights.  The branches were separate and had a wire the bent down at a 90 degree angle which was painted in colors to match the holes on the upright pole.  You would spend an hour sorting all the branches and trying to discern the blue paint from the green paint on the ends of the branches.  Each color was a different size of branch so you could eventually figure out which were which.  I loved sorting the branches all the way around the dining room, kitchen, living room, hallway... where ever there was some floor space.  Then, with all the love and happiness in the world, I would put the largest branches on first, working from the bottom of the tree all the way up.  

Once they were on, it was time to fluff everything up.  With my arms and fingers getting poked and scratched by the artificial pine needles, I'd sing along to a Christmas cassette or CD (usually Garth Brooks, over and over again).  I'd bend each wire branch into the perfect position.  It would take at least one full day, if not the whole weekend for me to decorate mom and dad's house.  Most things had their place.  Mom had a layout for the Christmas decor, so I went along with it.  It was more about making the house beautiful and magical looking than being creative. It was the warm, fuzzy feeling I got from the season.

About five years ago, I started inheriting more and more Christmas decor from a number of sources (grandparents, parents, etc.).  I had a very large house and was married at that time.  Most everyone was getting to a point where they didn't want to do as much decorating anymore and I was the obvious first choice to call to off load anything they didn't want.  :-)

One day, my Grandma Leavelle asked if I had a theme or a color or anything that I wanted to focus on.  I really hadn't considered that.  I was just collecting whatever I could and finding places to put it all.  I started to search my mind and my heart for what it was that I loved the most and wanted to make the theme of my decor.  I thought about snowmen, silver, blue, angels, Santa Claus, Snow, White, Disney... all kinds of things.  And finally, it hit me.  I remembered how much I loved putting up the tree.  Spending time making it perfect.  Adding lights, garland and ornaments.  And most of all, I loved laying underneath it and looking up at the lights twinkling through the branches.  At mom and dad's house, there was a heat vent in the floor along the back side of the Christmas tree.  I'd lay down under the tree and put a blanket over myself and the vent and have the most warm and cozy place in the house.

That was it!  Trees.  I loved Christmas trees.  When we bought the big house, I got a second Christmas tree to put in a place that just seemed to be the perfect place for a little tree.  The next year, I started to have dreams that many would consider to be crazy.  I dreamed of a "forest" of Christmas trees inside my house!  It would have a little white picket fence and a snow covered ground.  Each tree would have a theme.  There would be snowmen and it would be gorgeous!  

I started measuring and planning and collecting Christmas trees from family members who didn't want to put theirs up anymore.  I bought a couple more when I found them on sale too.  I drilled out some 2x4's to make a base to stand the "fence" up in.  I even grabbed two tree shaped trellises that I had grown clematis on in the summer and wrapped them in lights and green garland to create two more trees.  We moved the furniture to make room for this grand display and I started setting up.

The first year there were seven trees and two snowmen in the forest.  It was stunning.  People thought I was crazy.  I never cared.  It became my favorite place to be.  I'd sit in that room almost every minute I was home.  I'd never turn on the house lights.  The twinkle and glow from the tree lights gave off more than enough light and was the most gorgeous glow.  It filled me with joy, love and peace to be there.

The first year

The next year or two years later (I can't remember which year is which), I would move to a new (much smaller) house after my divorce.  The lack of space wasn't about to take away my forest or dampen my spirit.  I figured out that if I moved the furniture out of the living room and made the forest a little more condensed, I could still fit all the trees in.  With a little re-working, the forest was back!

The first year in the new house

I added birdies decorating the trees that year

This year, I thought it was time to take it to a whole new level.  A level that would make many really worry about my sanity and gain me the title of "Christmas Enthusiast."  At the beginning of October I began working on a secret project.  I posted several things to social media, but would never tell anyone what it was or post anything to give it away.  I worked for over a month on it in every free moment I had.  It was a project all my own.  I took no assistance or advice from anyone.  I was on a mission to conquer the world in a way.  

There were some bumps in the road along the way including electrocution, bumps on head, stubbed toes, cuts, scrapes and a black eye.  It was all part of the experience.  I loved every minute of it.  Even the painful ones.  Go ahead and call me crazy.  You won't be the first or the last.  

In the end, I got it completed and installed and it is amazing.  It's a log cabin facade with a front porch that sits in my living room, among the Christmas trees. 

You Asked For It

Charlie's Bunion in the Smoky Mountains.  A short side hike off the Appalachian Trail.

One day, while listening to my grampa talk about his life and share some of his incredible wisdom with me, he began to speak about dreams.  It was a lesson that will stick with me for the rest of my life.  In short, he told me stories of many of the great things that happened in his life and all the accomplishments he'd had.  Each one related back to a dream.  He would get an idea, an inspiration, a little thought that would become a driving force toward a new adventure.  Something he calls a dream.  I find myself relating to the spirit of a dreamer each and every day.  I have dreams.  Some are big, some small, most a little crazy, and some of them I'm living out right now, but all share one common thread - I have a relentless drive to embark on the adventures to make those dreams come true.

Let's take a step back and look at why you're reading this now...

It's not uncommon for someone to tell me they are amused by my posts to social media.  More than a few people have told me they usually scroll through their news feeds without reading too much, but if they see I've posted they will always stop and read what I have to say.  Others have said they wish there was a reality TV show of my life or at least a blog to elaborate on the events they find amusing.

Today, at the completion of a networking event, I was chatting with a friend who reiterated what many others have said for a long time... I should have a blog.  So in order to indulge the interest of my friends and followers the "Adventures of a Relentless Dreamer" blog has been born.

I don't know if my life is really that interesting or if I'm just more willing to be open about the craziness that exists on a day to day basis, but I'm glad you've decided to join  me on this journey.  I don't make any promises about how interesting or inspirational it will be,  but I hope you will find some amusement in it.