Senator Blogstetter

There is nothing quite like an early morning bike ride.  I was up and out on my bike, riding through the country, at 0615 this morning.  The fog had not completely lifted and there was a bit of a cold bite in the air.  The world is very quiet that early in the morning…there are only a few cars out on the road.  It’s a lot easier to ride when it is 70 degrees out than when it is 95 degrees out.  You do have to watch out for critters…deer, fox, skunk, rabbits, etc. 

The best part about an early morning ride is you don’t have to think up an excuse not to do your ride when you get back from work.

Great time on Sunday with Dad and Jeanine in the NC mountains at the Chateau Morrisette Winery.  We had an incredible buffet lunch, enjoyed the mountains, the company and the Blue Ridge Parkway.  We only ran over one animal (sorry, Mr. Woodchuck…) and we were only lost for a short time.  The Winery is only an hour and a half from Winston-Salem and well worth the trip.  Word to the wise…get reservations!

Happy Anniversary sweetie!

I have been spending money like a drunken sailor the last two weeks.  New motorcycle, a fancy lockable cover for the truck, various other indulgences.  I always go through a period of spending regret after I embark on such a binge.  I also think it is funny that God has a way of tacking on a series of unexpected expenses every time I let go of the purse strings for a bit.  Time to tighten back up…oh yeah, vacation is coming in a few days…well, maybe after that!

I feel like I have been sneaking around and cheating on Jodie.  Another woman? 

Hardly. 

Bacon. 

Jodie has rightfully been working with me to reduce some of my excess girth.  She calls it getting lean and mean (I already have the “mean” part down).  That involves a lot of very healthy smoothies, vegetables and fruit.  Of course, that denies me the basic food groups of chocolate and meat.  However, we are making progress, even though she sometimes has to drag me through the process kicking and screaming.

Coinciding with this diet kick is the fact that I have now wrapped up the Legislative Long Session and I have returned to my law practice full time.  That means that I am going out to breakfast and lunch quite a bit lately, in order to catch up with clients that I have not been in touch with over the past few months.  I will confess that sometimes I will eat…bacon…meat…potatoes…all the time feeling guilty and sinful.  I just know that when I get home, Jodie can smell that stuff on my breath. 

I didn’t mean it honey!  I was minding my own business and all of a sudden the bacon jumped out of the kitchen, onto my plate and into my mouth.  I had nothing to do with it!  I really do love you…really…I do…

Sadly, Lorenzo Charles was killed in a bus accident yesterday.  Charles had been working for a number of years as a tour bus driver for a local company.  I never knew Charles when he was a basketball star at NC State.  However, I did encounter him when he drove the tour bus one day when we were taking some clients to see the Panthers game in Charlotte a few years ago. 

I didn’t know the driver was Lorenzo Charles at first, but I could see that he was a big, powerful man.  Before I knew of his background, I was first struck by how kind, humble, professional and cheerful our driver was.  In my mind, no matter what task Charles took on in life, it was clear that he strove to be the best.  My prayers are with his family.

Picked up the new bike on Saturday.  Having a blast.  So far, no tattoos or doo rags.

After several non-blogging months, due primarily to my schedule during the legislative Long Session, I am now back in the game.  I have been able to satisfy my creative writing itch by sending out a newsletter once each week.  However, I am very happy to be out of Session and back on the blog!

With my legislative schedule, a newsletter to write every Thursday, and a regular job to attend to, there is just no way that I will be able to keep this blog going over the next few months.  Please check back after the Long Session ends, hopefully sometime this summer.

Our son Dan continues his globe trotting.  We hear from him on occasion.  After spending the last couple of weeks in Australia, he is now headed for Thailand and Malaysia.  From the pictures I have seen, I think he has only brought one shirt with him on the trip (the definition of travelling light), doesn’t shave very often, and is having a blast.  He received word over the weekend that he had been accepted into Wake Forest University’s excellent MBA program.  Things are looking good for the former Marine.