Where have I been?
Honestly forgot this blog existed until I saw someone else share their Blogger site the other day. (This was originally on blogger, and then wordpress.com for a short time before moving to a self-hosted option.)
Anywho…. it’s been a crazy roller coaster of a ride since my last post, so hang on for the ride. There’s love, loss, and… lots of other stuff.
Graduated at 40
I don’t remember if I blogged about it, but in 2016 I went back to school full-time. In December of 2019, at the age of 40, I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications. Pretty proud moment. Never thought I’d have a college degree.
New Job
While attending school, I became heavily involved in the podcasting program and worked at the university radio station remotely. My professor, Matty Staudt, who oversaw both programs, asked me to intern and help him launch his own podcasting company. This was 6 months before I graduated. At the time, I had no idea what I was going to do with my degree when I finished. He was leaving his primary job as the VP of Podcasting something-or-other at iHeart Radio, to launch this company so I of course jumped at the opportunity. Figured this guy was connected and this was going to be big.
Well, that’s how it started, anyways.
I helped launch Jam Street Media, starting with the website which isn’t much different today from the original design. The next year or so was pretty tough. I was technically getting paid as a contractor, but those checks were few and far between. Made some cool shit though. On top of the website and social media stuff, I was part of a team that produced some really great shows. One of the shows had a viral moment (Joe Kelly interview on Big Swing following the Carrera incident) and it was amazing watching the numbers climb like crazy that day. The podcast was mentioned on a bunch of different news sites. It was a really exciting experience.
Anyways, there were some fun times but Jam Street wasn’t making any money. I kept hoping we’d get funded or acquired or but it didn’t seem to be happening, so I drafted my resignation letter and started looking for other opportunities.
Acquisition
Well, I didn’t get a chance to submit that resignation. We were acqui-hired by Amaze Media Labs, a new company based in New York that was wanting to get into podcasting. I was offered a full-time job and salary that was lower than I hoped, but after not having a salary the previous 5 years, I immediately said yes.
While everyone else who was part of the Jam Street team at some point has moved on, I still work there and am now the head of operations.
We moved.
Long story short. We weren’t looking to buy but stumbled upon a house that was too good to pass up. If you want to hear the full story sometime, it’s a great one. Anyways, this was closer to family and within our price range. Kids weren’t happy we were moving again. In hindsight, I probably should have waited a few more years to do this, but oh well. What’s done is done.
The fixer.
Did I mention this house needed work? In the first year we spent well over $50k in repairs. A lot of plumbing leaks, subfloor and joist work, and even had the whole house rewired after a couple monitors blew one day. While we did a lot of the work, the rewiring was done by professionals. It took almost 6 weeks and it was hell.
Some say the work is still continuing to do this day.They wouldn’t be wrong.
My Daughter(s)
I have a lot of daughters. Three to be precise. My oldest had her first child. Yep! I’m a grandpa. Pretty crazy to think about it.
My second oldest lost her way for a bit and she had to go to treatment. She did great though and came out ready to take on the world. For a little bit at least… I’m afraid she is slipping back into her old ways.
My youngest daughter had period of severe depression and we even spent one night in the hospital. I was terrified that I was going to lose her. She just turned 18 and starts college in the fall.
My Dad
One of the main reasons I wanted to move was to be closer to my Dad. While we talked regularly, we had hardly seen each other the previous 20 years. So, that was the first thing I changed. Every month on a Sunday, we’d meet for lunch at a halfway point between us. It was always golf course cafe out near Shelton, WA. It was great. I looked forward to it every time.
My Mom
Mom had a bit of a scare. She was visiting family out in Boise when she started throwing up blood like a demon had possessed her. My sisters and I immediately piled into my car and drove to Boise to be with her. Turns out that her years of casual drinking alcoholism had caught up with her. She was in sepsis and things didn’t look good. She was so out of it, even when conscious, we were having to make medical decisions for her. This on top of her advanced osteoporosis, we were really worried about her.
In large part because of my sister, Steph, Mom turned things around. She quit drinking which has made a huge improvement in her health since then. Even quit smoking once or twice.Heck, she even got baptized last week… and then proceeded to post on Facebook how she was ready to go meet Jesus. SERIOUSLY, MOM?
My Dad.
It turns out I moved back just in time. I was sitting in my gazebo having a whiskey when the call came in from my step mom. I quizzically showed Liz who was calling, knowing that something was wrong, but hoping I wasn’t right. My Dad passed away from a massive heart attack, just a couple days shy of his 71st birthday.
His death crushed me. I had never been so bereaved before in my life. He was my biggest fan and the person I went to for advice on anything.
At his viewing, I sobbed uncontrollably. Like couldn’t even stand up when it was time move the casket to chapel. I would go on to give one of the toughest speeches ever just a few moments later. Dad was the closest thing I had to a friend outside of my wife and I miss him terribly each and every day.
Oh, fun fact. After my dad’s passing, I discovered that my he used to be affiliated with some known organized crime types in the Seattle/Tacoma area before I was born. It’s a wild story. I’ll write more about it later.
The Neighbor
Our neighbors across the street moved in not long after we did. We’re all close to the same age and got a long fairly well. My wife, Liz, even helped the neighbor wife get a job where she worked the last few years. She was sharp when we first met her, but noticed she too liked drink. A bit too much. Seemed like she was always tipsy… even at work. Anyways, that whole thing snowballed and we watched her professional and personal life tank. It reminded me of the downfall of my second marriage. A LOT of parallels.
Sobriety
I accidentally went sober. After Dad’s death, Mom’s earlier close call, the neighbors, and then of course my ex dying of living failure a few years ago, alcohol just lost its luster. My own relationship with alcohol wasn’t always the greatest either. It never interfered with my life — other than the occasional hangover — but it wasn’t healthy either. Anyways, I didn’t make any sort of proclamation. I just quit. It would be a month or two before I really noticed.
My mini fridge in my home office still has beers in it that I bought last year and my liquor cabinet has a few of my favorite bourbon’s still sitting there collecting dust. Why I haven’t gotten rid of them yet, I don’t know. Especially when very day feels like a good day to have a drink. A cold beer on warm sunny spring day after mowing the lawn. A smooth bourbon after a long day or week at the office. As of today, it’s been 222 days since my last drink.
Summary
I think that about covers the last few years. I’m sure there’s some other notable adventures that I’ve forgotten about — OR — they require a little more thought before I put pen to paper. It’s been crazy. Really it’s been crazy since we moved up here.
Ready to change that trajectory though.