It has been a busy lead up to the Thanksgiving holiday. It all began for me with a drive to Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon. I had a new client visiting the plant in West Allis and needed to get in town in time for dinner Sunday evening and a plant tour on Monday morning. The drive down was uneventful. I was able to listen to the Packer game on the radio. I hadn't done that for a many years and it was kind of a nice change of pace, using my minds eye to paint the picture of the action on the field. The customer visit went really well too. Unfortunately it didn't wrap up until almost 4 pm which meant a long drive back to Minneapolis in the dark. I had my iPod full of podcasts so the drive wasn't too bad. I rolled into the driveway around 9:30 pm.
Tuesday, Nik and I woke up early and were on the road to Lincoln Nebraska at 6:30 am to retrieve my son Alex from school at University of Nebraska - Lincoln (UNL). The seven hour drive was gray and rainy but still enjoyable thanks in equal parts to the yummy Trader Joe's coffee in my thermos, the music and podcasts on my iPod and of course the company of my oldest son Nik. He really enjoys road trips, it doesn't even matter where or for how long we go. He just loves to be on the road, just like his old man! We Picked up Alex and his room mate Ed around 2:00 pm and got right back on the road. Alex and I had a great time catching up on his life at college. He is doing really well in his classes and is also actively writing for the student newspaper (The Daily Nebraskan) and the campus satirical paper (The Daily-er Nebraskan). He has been published several times in each paper in his relatively short time on campus. Alex is a gifted writer and is truly passionate about his craft. All the way home we talked, laughed and listened to music. Finally around 9:30 pm (again!) we pulled into the driveway. I was, to say the least, tired and sick of driving!
Wednesday was the big preparation day for us. Our goal was to get as much of the food prepared ahead of time as possible. If we couldn't complete an item, we at least got the measuring, chopping etc done. My brother Dave, his wife Tracy and their two sons Cory and Jamie arrived at 2:00 pm and immediately jumped in to help with the preparations. It is such a blessing having them over for Thanksgiving. Not only do they give us so much help and support, they are also lots of fun to be with. Every time they come over, we pick right up where we left off the last time we saw them.
Now it's Thanksgiving day. We still have much to accomplish before the rest of our guests begin to arrive around 1:00 pm. While I have a bit of peace and quiet, its a good time to reflect on all that I'm thankful for. My wife and children are such a wonderful and constantly evolving source of joy and happiness. We have a roof over our heads, food on the table and love in our hearts. My family of Dad, Bonnie, all my brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, uncles, aunts and cousins continue to be a meaningful part of my life. I have a great job at a company that I believe in, now just as I did over 25 years ago. Most of what me and my family have enjoyed in our lives has come through the fruits of my labor at Quad. I just know today will be a celebration of all we have to be thankful for. It will truly be a Happy Thanksgiving.
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