I know you're out there somewhere....

My birth mother called yesterday to let me know that she is another step closer to tracking down my birth father. He's supposedly somewhere in California, and Sharon (birth mom) has found his niece, who would of course be my half-cousin. She should be able to put Sharon in contact with him.

This is a five year story that may be coming to a peak by Christmas time. I always thought I would be just fine if this never happened, but now as it gets closer, the idea of finally meeting my birth father has me really excited. We'll see what happens.

- Mark

So what's up with me?

Alright....yes, it's been a long time since I've posted a blog update. Guess it's time to fix that.

So here's what up with me lately, in short.

• I'm officially old now. I turned 40 on June 10. Ugh.
• BUT, turning 40 brought with it all sort of major cool stuff; 30GB iPOD (!!), new Weber gas grill, Canon SD450 PowerShot digital camera, three cool model Ford Mustangs, and lots of love from friends and family.
• My Masters program is wearing me to the bone, but I'm loving every minute of it. Only one year (only!) until I'm done.
• Cindi (my wife) has started her own equine photography business and has already begun getting orders. This is a big step for her, and the family is very very proud of her.
• Kiara (now 8) and Darcy ( 5 1/2) are both doing well. Kiara turned 8 in May and got a new mountain bike for her birthday. She and "Red Beauty" have been out with daddy a few times and loved every minute of it. Red Beauty is a full-fledged 24" bike, so she's finally able to do some real trail stuff now. Darcy has inherited Kiara's 20" bike but isn't quite big enough to ride it well yet. We're still working on her skills on her little-girl bike though, and she'll be ready for that 20" bike soon.
• My workouts at Lifetime Fitness have dropped off big-time because of the emphasis on school, but I'm getting back in there today and getting back to it in earnest.
• Life is good. If you ever doubt it, try skipping a day.

Mark

Old friends...

Regretfully, I really only have contact with one true childhood friend, and even at that the contact with her is very very infrequent. This is something that burns at my heart quite often; I really must do a better job of keeping true friends close, especially with the super-special ones like her. Honestly, there's only one like Laura though.

Joyfully, I got to chat on email tonight with Laura, and even though it was just simple, faceless email, my spirit is soaring right now just from knowing she is still out there and that I can find her. I hope the day never comes when I cannot.

Sunday nights are often not much fun, knowing that work is again right around the corner, but chatting with Laura made for a delightful way to finish the day.

Thanks, old friend.

- Mark

My new blog

This is a new thing for me, and I hope to keep it going for a while. Those who know me know I have a way of picking something up, going gangbusters on it for a while, and then moving on to the next thing.

Will this be different? Who knows? Time will tell, I guess.

For now, welcome to all who find their way here.

Mark