I'm in the weeds today.

There's an old saying I love.  It goes:

"He who is enslaved to the compass is at the freedom of the seas."

I feel like the last week or so has been a complete mess, culminating in a very long day for me today.  For whatever reason, I feel like I've been in the weeds today, digging for direction, trying to focus.

If you think about it, we're all on a path of some sort in life.  Either by the direction you take in your job, your personal goals, or whatever.  You are presented with choices every single day that determine your future.  From what you eat for breakfast to the roads you choose to take to work.  It all has an impact on your life.  Maybe it's the indigestion that bagel gave you, or the scenery you see (or don't see) as a result of the road you drove in on. 

Think back to when you were growing up and making decisions about what you wanted to do with your life.  I could have been a carpenter, and architect, or an artist of some kind.  I sort of chose a path that meandered around in all of those areas, and eventually I'm here - a web designer.  As I think back, though, I can pinpoint down to the day that I made a decision that got me here.  I could go on for hours thinking about each crossroads, and the "what if's" that come from thinking about the other way things could have gone.  I could be a completely different person.

That's just some food for though.  Next time you're stuck in traffic or just have time to think, think about your life and all of the choices you've made and how they changed your direction.  How has your compass lead you on your path?

Then, don't forget about the second part of the quote - the part about freedom.  All of us, no matter how we try to stick to our plan, have to realize that there is a whole other world out there, and sometimes we have to abandon the compass and explore a little.  You never know what you might find.

The Batchelor Week

Well, this week Lauren and the kids are on "spring break" in Ohio visiting Lauren's family.  I drove them out there on Saturday morning last weekend, and jumped on a plane Sunday afternoon back to Indy.  We decided that it would be better to save my vacation days for the summer and Christmas break rather than now, so I have been back here in Indy working and coming home to an empty house.

It's so strange how you get used to coming home and knowing someone is going to be there.  And lately, knowing that your night will probably consist of getting up at least once to help with the kids - or at least trying to help.

But it's completely different when the house is empty.  I come home and it's just dead silent.  I have been turning on a radio or the TV just for background noise - just to make it at least sound like someone else is there!

Last night I went to visit my buddy Jason.  We went to Gander Mountain and picked up a few things for the trip down to the Appalachian Trail at the end of April.   He's going down with me this time.  We'll be gone for 3 days, getting in another 40 miles (unless my knee finally gives out).  I've been gathering stuff over the last few months, upgrading some equipment as I have a few extra dollars here and there from selling camera gear on Ebay.  I love Ebay...I could have an Ebay problem if I had a lot of money...but that's another story.

So I visited with Jason for a while, and then decided it was time to go back to the empty house and get some rest, since I woke up at 4 AM yesterday to get into work to do some last minute documentation on a web site that's launching next week.  When I got home it was still empty...just the cats were there.  My cat, who loves me, and Lauren's cat who...well...doesn't.  She hisses and growls at me to no end.  I don't know what I ever did to make her so angry, but she absolutely hates me.  That is, unless I'm laying or sitting down, then she wants to curl up in my lap and sleep.  But if I try to pet her she tries to bite me.  It's the strangest thing I think I've ever seen.  That, too, is another story. 

For now, I have to get back to work.  I'm going to visit my parents tonight to wish my mom happy birthday since we'll be driving back from Ohio on Sunday when she has her actual birthday.  So I won't have to sit around in an empty house again tonight, just sleep in one.  Then, on Friday afternoon I jump another airplane to Ohio, to hug my wife and kiss my babies.  I can't wait!

Top Ten

OK, so I finally had a chance to think about this.  Well, I had a LOT of chances to think about it, but I kept getting side-tracked.  But anyway, I finally did it.

Here's my list of top 10 things I would do if I was given 1 year to live:

1. First and foremost, I would figure out a way to get the money I needed to do the following 9 things without draining all of the money my family is going to need to survive...  Then I'd -
2. Go buy two things - a big sailboat with living quarters below deck and an RV big enough for all of us and the cats to live in.  Maybe someone would just let me borrow these things for a year?
3. In the winter of my last year on earth, I'd go down to Florida or somewhere to launch my big boat, with my family, and we'd sail that boat around the Carribean and visit St. John, St. Thomas, and all those other St. islands - spending time at each one.
4. After we explored the Carribean, we would sail from there back up to Florida to resupply the boat, then take it up the coast, spending time in places like Hilton Head and other awesome places along the east coast.
5. We would end up in Maine, where I would sell or trade (or return) the boat to fund the purchase of the RV. 
   
6. I would spend 2 months relaxing with my family in Maine at Lauren's family owned house on the coast.  We might do some bed and breakfasts in the area as well.
7. Jump in the RV and head west, but first stopping in places like Boston and Washington DC and Philadelphia - to see all of the major American historical places - because I've never really been to them.
8. Visit Mt. Rushmore, and the Grand Canyon, and go through Yellowstone - again, never been there.
9. Find a mountain to climb, just to say I did it.
10. I figure I could do all of the above 9 things in about 8 months.  My family would be with me the entire time, and I would try to take as much video and pictures of our journey so that everyone, especially my girls, could have something to remember.  The last 4 months I would spend with them, though.  Every last minute of it.  We'd find a nice place in the mountains somewhere, where we could throw open all of the windows and breath the fresh air, and just live.

That's how I'd spend the last year I had - if told I only had a year. 

Focus on what's important.

Here's a challenge for you all.

Today you found out you have 1 year to live.

Make a list of 10 things you want to do before the year is up.

Then, go and do them - no matter how silly they are.  You never know when your time here will be over.

I'm going to do this soon, and I'd love it if we could get everyone with a blog to do this.

So, what's your top 10?

Please reply with a link to yours!

-Tom