It has been a while

It has been busy both where I work and where I live.  Lots of stuff to do; lots more to think about.

For the first time in many years I took two whole weeks off, and haven't been called in or managed to get worried about anything that caused me to drive in.  I have not even logged in remotely.  Things must be running well, or there's something I am not understanding.

I have a good bit to do before the new year starts, and not all that much time in which to do it.  I also have a personal task - the yearly Christmas letter that has not gone out for several years, and a puff piece for the blog about mended families, my kids and grandkids, and other things that are somewhat personal.  There are also plenty of emails owed, at least some of which debt will be covered before I go back to work, I hope.

In less than 60 days I will be 72.  I'm not so sure I want to be 72, but the only way I can see to avoid getting that old is not to live that long - and I am not done living!

This Christmas is the first in many years wherein we have had complete families.  It's a really big deal - one grandson spent the first 13 years of his life without his father - this year, just weeks back, his father has been returned to him and to his mother, yielding a complete family.  There's a lot of history that doesn't bear opening up right now, but at this end of that long period, it seems to be all good - and I'm glad that Ronnie, Jr. has Ronnie Sr. back in his life on a daily basis.  My daughter is better, Junior is better, and Senior is the stuff of miracles. Synergy is happening- the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, and the whole is good for the entirety of Rudolph in this area.

Other daughter is doing well, and their two children are marvels and growing - soon they will be schoolchildren, and we are not ready for that! Within the next three years, both will become students. Their teachers are in for some really interesting times!

The coming year will be interesting for Phyllis and myself, too. It seems that we are undergoing restructuring at work, and the duties of all of  us will change.  This may lead to retirement for me, or it may lead to incentive to stay even longer than I plan at present.  What happens with me will have effects on Phyllis's plan; we just don't yet know what they will be.

Over the years, I have met many people who had a significant effect on me and on directions I have taken - some to my benefit immediately, some where the benefit could be seen only with years of hindsight.  My father, when he was alive told me that there was no learning without lumps.  Much as I hate to admit it, he was right - I have accumulated my share (and probably yours) of lumps over the years, and each one was a lesson - some of which came with considerable pain - some physical, some not.  Every time I dropped a motorcycle,  there was enough real pain involved I resolved never again to do that particular thing. Sure enough, over the years I dropped them less frequently, and sometimes wouldn't drop one for years - until I forgot how much it could hurt, then I got reminded....  I guess you'd have to be a motorcyclist to understand why I still ride them....

I have to get busy and Do Some Things.  I'm not done with the Year End Maunderings yet - there will be more, but for right now I have a few other things get accomplished.  I'll be back!