don't mess with

This has been a trying few days. Maybe trying is the key word here.

• Trying to make things happen.
• Trying not to lose my shit.
• Events were trying. So were people. And the weather.

You have to know when to push, when to push back, when to yield, when to walk away. All delicate maneuvers, and I feel like I’m wearing combat boots on a dance floor.

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But there were some supremely lovely moments, too.

I visited a good friend in Texas and it was hot! We played outdoor ping pong and pool, we drank beer and looked at art and went for a late night swim. At a down-home BBQ joint we danced outdoors amongst bubbles and sweat to Gramatik and STS9.

As the weekend waned, I met family I never knew I had and they treated me to a spicy brunch and a cooling jaunt to their lake house.

Then: adios. I’m a mess with good-byes, you know. But you have to have good-bye to have hello.

On a very delayed flight out of Austin, traveling money men regaled me with stories of stolen cars, shaved legs, bubble butts and tumbleweeds.

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Now – what’s next?

A quest for a nickname (Local Time and Mike, stay tuned!).

Facing reality. Realistic expectations. Missing my 3B’s.

I am somber, and yet I have a feeling. I have hope. Good things lie yet ahead.