Everything Great!!

I need to apologize since I am getting very behind in posting these entries. I appreciate the emails and the concern but I assure everyone all is well; I am just busier than I have been in quite some time. This blog is very important to me and my recovery as is the Gamblers Anonymous meetings. I have made a commitment to myself that I would attend at least on GA meeting per week which would be most likely on Sunday evenings but this Sunday I blew that so I had to find the time today and I did. Not only will I continue the GA Program because it continues to save my life each and every day I will do my best to post daily entries into this blog. I am grateful for those folks (mostly my friends) who read this on a daily basis and once again I assure those folks that everything is going well which is why I haven’t posted in awhile. I am blessed and continued to be blessed by so many people and thank you so very much.

I do keep a mental journal in my head when I don’t post on a daily basis so please forgive me or commend me for that matter if I am more brief than usual!! Life is indeed wonderful and now with the family here along with having a “real” job these so called “demands” of life are present but I wouldn’t trade any of this for anything knowing the “other side”. In my first five months back in the free world I did have a great deal of free time and God knows I had a great deal of time the preceding 19 ½ months while I served my sentence. I am still afforded the same 24 hours in a day but this time is filled with so much; life is indeed magnificent.

This morning I found myself back at the gym as I enter the tapering phase of my training for the Long Beach Marathon. I purposely took off yesterday because I had to make the long drive to the conference knowing full well I would be back at the gym this morning. I didn’t have a very long run planned so I decided to hit the weights this morning going back to a very familiar routine. I have concentrated on running and my core over the past 10 weeks but since I had more time I got in a very good weight workout. I need to establish a better balanced program once the marathon is concluded but that is in the future so I will concentrate on today. Today was very good and I had a great start to the day.

I have developed a better routine at my “home” office. I was thinking about turning the guest bedroom into an office but in 30 days we will have a houseguest or better put a “border”. This is a very good friend of mine and I am very happy to help in any way I can. I have settled on having my office in the “lounge” area which is great during the day when everyone is off at school. My plan is to setup appointments two days a week and be on the road the other three days a week. I have done some very good things in my first 30 days of employment but the bottom line is getting people who are paying customers through the door. Later today a meeting would possibly help getting these people in the door.

Prior to this very important meeting I finished up some work and had to put on a full suit and tie for the first time since my sentencing day. I even put on the same suit that I was sentenced in but the shirt and tie were different. It felt strange being in a tie for the first time in over 2 years. In my previous career I had to don the shirt and tie everyday which didn’t seem to bother me. As I put on the suit and tie I had to smile seeing myself in the mirror. This was a far cry from the “orange” garb I had for so long and the suit felt great. Of course the suit fit just like it did over 2 years ago and I was ready for the meeting.

The temperature reading stated 102 degrees which isn’t so great in a full suit and tie but that is what air conditioning is all about. We made our way to the meeting as I was joined by two principals from our company who would do all the talking. My job was to setup the meeting and gain the contact. The two principals were effectively selling the company and did a great job. We were surrounded by 10 people who represent people such as me who have encountered some legal trouble. These were Probation Officers which is the County’s equivalent to Parole Agents so I sort of knew what everyone was saying.

The meeting was well received and who knows what this will lead to. The barrier was money because normally people in this predicament lack funds and it cost money to run a recovery center. Our principals bent over backwards without giving away the company to make something work so I am confident something will come of this as we will be able to help people. It is great to help people but ultimately this is a business and people who run the business need to be paid. It would be an interesting world if we didn’t need money but the facts are money is necessary in this day and age. Thankfully I am no longer fixated on having a great deal of money; however; I do understand the realities of running a business. As long as it makes economic sense and we are helping people everything will be great. I do have faith everything will be great because it is!!!