Monday

Welcome to the Midwest's version of Hot August Nights.  They're saying the heat index tomorrow will go over 105.  Dog Days indeed.

I mentioned last week that I would do a top ten list of key turns in my road through life and I've kept that thought in the back of my mind.  These each require a little explanation, but here goes:

Top Ten Unexpected Turns (Not necessarily in order of importance):

1.  Tearing the ACL in my left knee.  April 1989.  This event indirectly led to all my biking adventures over the last 20+ years.  One of the first therapies in the rehab was a stationary bike.

2.  Statistics class in my first semester of the Iowa MBA.  January 1975.  The unexpected bonus for a class I dreaded was SRH sat in the front row, the obvious star of the class.  I was at the back of the room doing a crossword.

3.  Running into my pal Bill at a Davenport retail shop in the Fall of 1984.  I had been operating on my own for almost two years and was having serious second thoughts.  Bill came aboard and it's now 25 years and counting.  Partner.  Friend.  Blood-brother.

4.  Then business acquaintance Nonnie sponsoring me into Crow Valley Golf Club in Davenport, maybe 1988 or so.  That action led to a gradual friendship with Roy, who has become a loyal friend and a major benefactor in the growth of our business.

5.  Doing some routine (and very formal) business things with my pal Pete for the first time in the 1981-82 range.  The relationship evolved over time to Best Friends, Blood-brothers and constant companionship.  And it was through Pete, that I met Jake (in Des Moines at the time), who introduced me to Wally.  Wally was not only my first really big client, but also a friend and traveling companion.  Who introduced me to Lake Tahoe in the mid-80's.

6.  Signing up for Air Force ROTC at ND in the Fall of 1967.  I don't recall the specifics of my rationale, although with Viet Nam in full swing, I figured that I needed to protect myself from the draft.  Whatever.  That choice led to some scolarship money, which led to active duty, which led to the GI Bill, the MBA, the CPA, the Master's in Tax.  AA &Co in C-town.  Lots of connectivity on this one.  No long-term thoughts about such September of 1967.

7.  Sitting next to the pension guy that first day at AA & Co, September 1976.  Everybody in the Tax Group had a sub-specialty, and the newbies basically got assigned to an experienced guy to do leg-work.  I did the grunt research for my first couple of years, my trainer left, and I became the pension guy.  When I came back to Iowa, I used that experience and expertise as the selling point to launch my own firm as a pension consultant.

8.  Buying the house to enable me to personally attend to Mother.  Fall 2000.  Totally off the wall, but something that seemed to be the right thing to do.  It was less-stressful than trying to oversee the care facility.  Anyway, those few months changed me.  Thereafter, life slowed down.  Choices became easier.  My outlook became generally more positive.  Still is.  Mother's last gift to me.

9.  Being turned down as a photo/journalist/writer from a couple ads in The Des Moines Register in the Fall of 1974.  The LeMars daily was one.  A couple of others.  I thought that I wanted to be a writer.  Of course, I had no writing in my ND and USAF-dominated resume.  But those rejections led to Iowa City for the Spring semester MBA program in 1975.  And the statistics class noted in Point 2 above.

10. Figuring out that "blogging" was something that I could do, and would allow me to stay in close contact with the girls, while at the same time feeding the writer's gene noted in the preceeding point. November 2005.  4000 Days in one of the more important parts of my life these days.  It challenges the mind.  Provides a touchstone for the fam.  Gives me the bully pulpit to trash the politicians, sports writers and other assorted tools in our society.  Pretty rewarding on a daily basis.

So there you have it.  Choices that have changed my life.

Thanks for reading.  Have a great week.

BCOT