Howdy all,
As December rolls around I am reminded that I again missed a boatload of birthday and anniversary well-wishes. Here’s my annual apology for being such a flaky brother/uncle/son. No comments on my husband or father skills, please. I couldn’t bear to hear it outside of my head. Happy Birthdays/Anniversaries!!
While I am buried alive in work still on this 7th day [of non-rest] I wanted to give [what started out as] a quick update thanks to what has been a wonderful holiday tradition: Max performing in the Nutcracker. He just keeps getting better. We are afraid this year may be his last but hopeful that, should he attend UCSC in the future, he will be able to continue it in some capacity. The smell of ointments and grimaces as the performers limp around backstage certainly do not show up in the cast performances.
While competing Tumbling and Trampoline and winning silver at nationals (and missing what looked like a great time in the South Pacific) with a sprained ankle it continues to slow Max down in his dance. That being said he pulls off each performance with style and grace and he always brings the house down. This year he performs four shows as the Nutcracker Prince, the Soldier Doll, *and* as the Russian. Quite a load -- hardly allowing enough time for costume changes. The owner of the studio feels that he has matured so much as a dancer that he could do it professionally should he choose to. He, not always politely, declines his mothers’ suggestions of such. It’s definitely computer science. He has a doozie of a math test on Monday and that is weighing on him tremendously. His work with Tanzle has afforded him the opportunity to open a brokerage account with Schwab and he is very excited about all of that business-y stuff. He is quite ragged in his own version of the rat race and he is eagerly looking forward to the break after finals.
Unfortunately dance leaves our family when Max leaves dance as Everett says he would prefer to do himself great bodily harm than dance on stage. It looks like a little too much of me did rub off on him. Apparently a ladies’ man, even without the gift of dance, he did brave one show with me with his girlfriend Stephanie. They are a cute couple at the wonderfully awkward age of 14. She is a freshman at Santa Cruz High and they met through his acting and improv troupe activities. Hopefully Shawna can keep him motivated to staying engaged there as long as possible as it is so good for him (even though, like me, it’s pretty much all being dragged to kicking and screaming). He is laser-focused on completing high school as soon as possible so he can begin attending junior college and eventually pursuing criminal justice at university with the goal of being a police officer. There’s a fine line between criminal and crime fighter, apparently, so hopefully he achieves his goals. He spends far too much time playing online games like DOTA but he gets all of his school work done while working a lot as a junior coach at the gym. He currently spends his extra cash on collecting knives and looks forward to being old enough to become a gun collector. Hey, you can take the Santa Cruz out of the boy! ;-) One of his favorite things to do is go for walks and he does it quite a bit. The introvert in me seems to be strong in him. It tickles Shawna’s mom ‘Crackers’ to no end when he goes for walks with her or pops in to say ‘hi’.
After crippling knee pain sidelined Shawna from Jazzercise we have decided that, no matter the consequences, she was born to teach Jazzercise. She is focusing on the Lo (low impact) classes and has started up again as an instructor. It is really rewarding for her in ways that can’t be quantified. There she really gets to shine. At home, well, we all know how that can feel. Changes are coming to Jazzercise so it’s kind of exciting and new, too. She pulls off her teaching (homeschooling and Jazzercise), bookkeeping at Maverick Mailing, and homemaking with style and grace while putting up with me more than I may deserve. She has friends and acquaintances going through [some tough stuff] and tries to make time for them, too, but she is very stoic and can only share so much of herself with them.
We helped 22 campaigns this past election season (with 18 or so pulling off victories) and we pulled it off, again, with style and grace. While it was a punishing run it rolled right into an equally punishing nonprofit year-end appeal season (thanks Dianne for the kind Cycle Kids referral!). We are about to kick off a vigorous Dream House Raffle season as well. We continue to get new clients of all shapes and sizes every week. I am not sure what the next phase will look like for Maverick Mailing. I am walking a fine line between doing a fantastic job and allowing things to fall through the cracks. Either we pull the shutters and stick with what we have (and ditch some less personally rewarding customers) or we will need to consider plans for continued growth. Our employee Greg (who is also teaching Everett economics – lookout! we all now walk around saying ‘I call bullshit on that’) is now more than full time and there’s more work than we can eat. We are upgrading lots of equipment including a new Grand Caravan we purchased for the business a few months ago (and it felt good to simply write a check for it!) as well as PC upgrades (thanks Max!). Our sales to date have decimated last year’s total with what looks to be a record December still to come. And that commercial condo space in my dream location is still available one block away …
With one of the highlights of the year being Dad’s visit (Kevin and Becca spent a few days in town with their kids and it was a great visit, too) it is with heavy sigh that I konw we are holed up in Santa Cruz more than we should be. I don’t see it changing much with all of the craziness in which we have immersed ourselves. Not to mention my anxieties, etc. I told Max someday he will see Yosemite and at that point he will realize how lousy I was as a father. Other than my self-deprecation … life is beautiful here in Santa Cruz for the Glynns. I hope everyone had some wonderful Thanksgiving time (except for those danged 49ers!) and you get to enjoy the burgeoning holiday season! It looks like we will be pinned down for Christmas this year. We won’t miss sitting in traffic but we will miss the joyous time we always have with family in the East Bay.
Congratulations to everyone pursuing their physical endeavors. Standing in line at the credit union I rattled off to one of the tellers, “laughter is the best medicine but exercise is the cure,” and they all agreed wholeheartedly. I finally started feeling ‘stronger’ on the bike this summer -- tackling inclines with a little more vigor -- but have been slowed apace with the busy fall season. I do make a point to ride when doing things like a deposit, or smaller deliveries, so I’m not totally in deficit. Keep up the strong work, all! And giddy-up to those like myself who put it off!
I’m hoping to get to Kent’s book around Christmas; otherwise it might be my New Year’s resolution. I think I read one book this year, ‘Wheat Belly’, and I feel I am a much better person for it.
Love to all! Go Warriors!!
XOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet
p.s. Here are some photos from this weekend. You can see how Max is in rehearsal … you can imagine what it was like on stage! (A DVD order has been placed and Shawna vows to bankrupt us with photo purchases!)
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