Years ago, in what now feels like a whole other life, I worked for several startups as a computer programmer and project manager.

Back then, I thought it was great.

I was fresh out of college, and I earned a lot of money relative to my expenses at the time.

I traveled frequently and spent an entire summer in Austin, TX working at a large company where the 40+ managers had all bought matching Porsches (and moved to a larger office so they had a parking deck to put them in). That office was insane, too - pool tables, ping pong, foosball, and dozens of vending machines that didn't require any money.

Later, I worked at another firm where I could travel back and forth between offices in several cities. I had a large staff, an expense account, and all the trimmings that come with it.

In between, I worked with other startups, sometimes as an employee and other times as a contractor.

In every case, life was great.

Until it wasn't…

This was the question asked by the friend I was talking to on my way to the airport last week.

"Huh?"

"Yeah, you closed your company, right? I thought you retired."

Based on this question, I could have done a better job of telling you guys what I was up to when Lloyd and I closed R.W. Price & Associates last year.

And I understand the confusion. I, too, thought I would have more free time after closing the brokerage.

After all, the driving force behind closing it was my Ten-Ten-Ten goal…

"In and over, now!" I heard the coach yell for what must have been the hundredth time - and it was only the 5th inning.

There's a bare spot in left field where the grass no longer grows. There's a spot just like it in the center and right fields, too, from season after season of kids standing in the same place waiting on the next play.

That spot, however, is not where the coach wanted #12 to be yesterday…

My daughter, Lily, said she had a deal for me. Since I feed my family by making deals, I was intrigued.

Having evaluated the deal, however, I'm not doing it.

She'll be disappointed.

And being right in the middle of what I've come to call "the difficult years," she may even be mad…

Seated opposite me in the small & unique house she rented in Park City, Julia snapped this picture this morning and sent it out to the family.

"This is what old codgers do on their birthday," she said.

As the sun rose over the town earlier, Ken texted me to ask if I'd hit 50. Knowing I'd not, yet not entirely sure of my age, I checked with Google…

Saturday afternoon, while Julia took a break in the lodge, I found myself alone on the Saddleback Express chairlift here in Park City.

Being alone on a chairlift is a beautiful experience. Gliding silently through the air, surrounded by aspen trees and falling snow, an incredible feeling of joy overtook me.

I'm alive.

And life is good…

At the top, the wind was howling, and we could barely hear each other.

"Baby, can I do this?"

"What if I die?"

"Can I really get down this way?"

To that, I said, "Yes, yes, and yes."…

Yesterday we got a request to purchase a home in Charlotte, and after looking over the submitted information, I called the owner to discuss an offer.

We talked about the usual stuff - the house's condition, the roof's age, the last time the kitchen was updated - that sort of thing.

When we qualify a home for a cash offer, we ask the owner for their "win-win" price; that is, a price at which they are comfortable selling based on the condition of the house and the needed work.

In this case, that number was $296,000.

Not coincidentally, the "Zestimate" from Zillow was $296,000…

Being stuck inside for most of the past week with Covid, I'd paid little attention to the weather forecast. I knew a hurricane was coming, but being unable to explore much past my rear fence, the predictions for wind and rain didn't much matter.

Still, like my neighbors, I could feel it yesterday.

The treetops bent beneath the wind.

As if knowing their fate, the weakest branches in the old oak tree behind my house let go.

The pressure and humidity levels changed…

Despite my best efforts, my middle son, Jack, has not yet become the financially savvy teenager I'd hoped he would be.

Case in point: recently, Julia allowed him to buy a game for his Nintendo Switch with our Amazon credit card. Rather than a one-time transaction, Jack associated the card with his account, which authorized it for in-game purchases.

I knew nothing of this…

This time of year, there are always a lot of cap and gown photos floating around. Understandably, folks get excited when their kids graduate and move on to the next phase of life.

Although it's been more years than I care to admit, I still remember my high school graduation. It wasn't such a formal affair back then, and my classmates and I walked across a "stage" that was little more than a semi-truck trailer parked in the middle of the football field. We baked in the sun, threw our caps in the air, and then headed to Myrtle Beach.

The captions I see from parents and teachers on Facebook today echo those I heard on that football field all those years ago, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life."

How true…

It's 4:56 AM, and I just sent out an offer to purchase a property in Charlotte for one of our clients. We're just one of the probably 20, 30, or even more offers that will be submitted by the deadline today.

You've probably heard the real estate market is crazy right now.

And it is…

Who banned Dr. Seuss?

The crazy liberals on the loose!

No more Cat’s Hat

No more Horton’s Who

No more Beyond Zebra

Nor Mr. Brown’s Moo

No Wokcets in Pockets

No Thinks to be thunk

No Hunches in Bunches

Nor Only Old Once

No Hop on Pop

No Places to Go

No Grinch Who Stole Christmas

Nor the others you know…

You know the old clichés about men not wanting to ask for directions or read the instructions?

Until my mid-30’s, I was that guy…

Today should have been a stretch day in GRIT. I expected a twist, but I didn’t expect another round of the Spartan 1000. For those unfamiliar, it looks like this:

100 Squat Jumps

200 Push-ups

300 Sit-ups

400 Burpees

I did it last month; it’s brutal (but in a good way)…