Buckeye Mike

I often sit here at night, lost in thought.I replay the choices I have made in my life, both good and bad. I think about the people who have come and gone and who has had the biggest impact. And I feel like from everything I have learned, I am none the wiser. Take today for example. I watched a movie today. Not a movie I willingly sat down in front of. But I watched none the less. The message of the movie- no matter who you are, where you are, whether you meet someone once or are with them for years, you know. The connection, the gravitational pull, the way things come just naturally let you know that person was placed in your life. Not forced. Not pushed upon you. But meant to be there. I am grateful for those people. But what about the ones who don't see it? Who hide behind fear and misguided wisdom? Will those people ever accept that there are higher powers at work? And what happens if that person, that skeptic, is the one person you are supposed to be with? Its a very dishearte...

Throughout the years, I have enjoyed several different traditions for the Thanksgiving holiday. When I was younger, we used to go to my grandparents house for some of the finest home cooking you could ever taste. Mama always made the feast, complete with banana pudding for dessert. When my mom married my dad, we started going to Cape Cod for the holiday every year. How neat to go to Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower as part of the celebration. When I was married, Angel's mom made the turkey and sides for their annual feast. Her cooking rivaled that of my childhood. Last year it was the first major holiday without mom, so I was in Illinois. This year, a small celebration with Bethany and the boys. Who knows where we will be next year. I am so thankful to have my boys. They are my whole world, and I love each moment I have with them. I am also grateful for a great family and the best friends anyone could ask for, especially Miss B. She has been my pillar of support this year, and she m...

Between the ages of 18 and 22 if you needed to find me in the evening, you needed to look no further than Cushions Billiards. Nestled in a shopping center in Westerville , Brad and I used to close that place every night. Through the years it has been the sight of many notable moments in my life. My 21st birthday. Shooting with Brad and another old friend a few years ago. Being there with Bethany and Angel on a turning point night in our marriage, a sure step on the path towards out divorce. But I hadn't been there since December of last year when, after a long, grueling day of travel, I was rewarded with a beer and great company at the bar. So last night when I decided I wanted to shoot pool, I asked Josh to go the my favorite place to play. The place has changed. More coin tables have replaced hourly tables. The bar is bigger, and the customer service has gone downhill. To top it off, I cannot remember ever shooting so poorly in my life. I could not hit water if I had fallen out o...

I've had all I can stands, and I can't stand no more. I remember Popeye saying that just before he downed a can of spinach and his arms filled with muscles. I loved that show. We all knew when he had enough of Bluto's bullcrap, and we loved watching him open that can of whoop ass on him. At work we have had a lot of change recently. A new general manager has taken the reigns of our office. And he is the worst example of leadership I have ever seen. Through his temper tantrums and profanity laced tirades he has managed to cause one person to walk out, and has had heated confrontations with several others, both from our office, other offices, and our national team. Being who I am, even keeled and a guy who gets along with everyone, I had managed to stay out of that path. Even from the sidelines, I was becoming more appalled and angered by this guys atomic temper and childish behavior. So today, when he decided I should be the guy in his crosshairs, I decided I've had all ...

Many years ago I hurt my left knee after falling on the ice. Knee braces and physical therapy were all the thing I committed to in order to avoid surgery. Some of you may know that I am not a big doctor fan, and that I need to be down to my last breaths before I am cut open again. However, as a result of that decision I have a chronic knee problem. At first the flair ups were every few months. It would swell to the size of a volleyball and I would be off my feet for a week or two. But through the years those times became less frequent, more like every couple years. However, after 8 hours stuffed in a airplane followed by three 12 hour days on my feet, my California adventure came to a quick end Saturday when I could barelt walk. I stumbled my way onto an airplane and was grateful to have an entire row to myself all the way back home. Now, after 2 days back, I am still in a great deal of pain. But I can walk. And tomorrow, I can work. Hopefully soon I will be back to 100%, but I cannot ...