Comments:
The Reader's Digest synopsis of my last 25 years goes a little like this....
Lots of college (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University [AE] and University of Illinois [EE]) where I received alot of good grades (and alot of really really bad ones). Somehow it still worked out OK. I continue to take courses here and there in an attempt to stay atop of the latest and keep the ol' brain from getting mushy.
After two semesters, Embry-Riddle refused to allow me to switch my major to surfing, frisbee and hackysack, so I left and joined the US Navy (I showed them). Spent 6 yrs in the Navy's Nuclear Power Program. Saw much of the world and loved every minute of it (BTW, we Americans really have it well off - regardless of doom and gloom being reported on the so called nightly "news"). The decision to join was the best one I could have made at such a young and immature stage of my life. Although I left the armed forces, I maintain an enormous respect and for the young men and women in our volunteer military.
After school and the military, I spent 5 years in the coffee industry (nuclear engineering, electrical engineering and caffeine - you see the obvious connection, don't you???). I learned alot about business which led to the current phase of my life.
Met my wonderful wife, Robin, at a charming little restaurant called The Sage City Cafe in Monticello, Illinois - where I moonlighted on weekends as a bartender.
Left the coffee world to experience the joys of owning and operating a small business. Robin and I bought the Sage City Cafe and turned it into a fine dining restaurant. We called it Montgomery's On the Square (I am still trying to figure out how a guy like me managed to obtain a liquor license). With absolutely no culinary experience and very few other tools to make a business fly, we made a go of it. Tough business, but extremely rewarding. After four and a half years, while at the pinnacle of the restaurant's success, we sold it (shear luck that it was mere moments before the current economic downturn) and moved on to our current business ventures.
We still reside in Monticello where we have a place out in the country that we simply love. We enjoy eachother tremendously and respect one another's careers. We have two big goofy and playful dogs that make us smile/laugh every day (they appear to have filled our maternal/paternal desires). Robin works out of a home office and I am lucky enough to walk to/from work. No Kids, so I am fortunate to have the time to play golf ALL the time. We recognize our lives are simply the product of a little hard work, fortunate timing and incredibly good luck. Nary a day goes by when we don't look around at what we have and do not count our blessings. Living the dream - happy as can be. But enough of me talking about me - what do you think of me?
I can't believe you are still reading this!
If you are that bored, I'll add some thoughts.
My tip for a happy life? Glad you asked. If you have the opportunity and the itch, if you are unhappy where you are today, if you feel you do not belong where it is that you are, I highly recommend you start your own business - Yes, even in today's economy. You already know what you are passionate about - now turn it into a lucrative and rewarding life. It is not too late to change careers. I'm sure many of you already know what I am talking about, but if a squirrelly little bonehead like me can make a successful go at it, anyone can.
Sorry - I'm rambling. I'll stop there...for now.
Can't wait to see all you ol' chums.
Still here?
Post-Reunion Update: For those of you who were unable to attend, I'm sorry to inform you that you really missed out. What a great evening! I dare not recap the entire evening as there were too many funny and interesting stories to do them all justice. I will, however, touch on a few observations just to give you a taste (and hopefully interest you in attending the next reunion).
First, let me say that it appears the fountain of youth is not in Florida. I know this because Sanford (Ponce de Leon) McMurray seems to have found it in Australia. He had not aged one bit. Had he run up the side of a tree and flipped backwards, I think right now, those of us who saw him would be on a plane headed down under. Fortunately he shared some of his secrets with with other classmates - Sarah Beth Barton, Kim Gibbons, Kerry Bradley, Tena Gaskill, Brittany Miller and Jesse Jemison to name just a few.
Darold Randal kept growing. Taller than he used to be and still one cool cat.
Kerry Bradley, Lori Roper, Troy Patton, Michael Johnson and Kyle Cummings got funnier - my side still hurts.
Dude Jones, Tony O'Connor, Doug King, Tena Gaskill, Sarah Keller, Beth Goebel, Kim Grabner, Jane Eppel, Linda Garvey, JoAnn Haar, Sandy Budde, Kim Gibbons, Chris Ramey and a few others - straight off a page of Fitness Magazine.
Having been out of touch with most of you for so long, I expected alot of small talk and uncomfortable gaps in conversation, but amazingly it seems everybody just pretty much picked up where we left off 25 years ago. I hope we can do it again soon.
Thanks again to everyone involved in putting this thing together.
Brad Nelson, Dan Freeman, Tony O'Connor, Kyle Cummings - Golf was a blast - thanks.
