Happy New Year!

2006 was a great year for me personally, but I am looking forward to 2007 because I think it may be the best year yet of my career.

In 2006, I lost 40 pounds and got back into shape and feel great (barring a few aches and pains of middle age). I am regularly going to the gym and running outside (but not in the rain or snow anymore, I'm too old for that!) . I wanted to take up skiing this year, but there is no snow to do it in! There is no global warming, right? I have lived in Detroit for my whole life (except when was in the Coast Guard) and the last few years seem to get warmer every year. I live two miles from a ski hill and it is so warm (50 degrees today) that even the snow making equipment can't help.

I also did more traveling than the last couple of years, and hope that will be slightly curtailed this year. I'm excited about getting out in the world, but separation from the family is starting to take its toll a little as my daughter will be off to college in a year and a half and I will miss having her around the house, and I know her younger brother will really miss her (even though they fight like cats and dogs at times). So I'd like to spend as much time together now before she leaves the nest. She is a big brain, scoring 32 out of a possible 36 on the college ACT test.

My son is doing wonderful in school and is in the band. He plays trumpet and is really good at it. He also made the honor roll.

I'm going back to AZ in a month, and even though it's business, it's our company sales/service annual meeting, so that means four days of very light meetings and lots of booze and gourmet food (have to watch my girlish figure there) at a luxury resort, along with a lot of fun in the sun by the pool.

My wife Chris has also gotten on a fitness kick and has lost 20 pounds, and just completed a half marathon in Charleston, SC. She will be doing another at the end of April in Nashville with me accompanying her. Should be a great time with some good music. I will probably not participate as I have been having a problem with my left heel, and I think 4 miles every other day is about as hard as I should push it, but I'm going to see if the podiatrist can help me out with that.

Since skiing was a bust, I'm going to set up a trip to a windsurfing school in Florida and really learn to take it to the next level. Waterstarting, harness technique and acrobatics. The beauty of windsurfing over something like snowboarding is that when you fall, you land in the water and not on the hard cold ground, thus saving a bruising (these old bones!).

I'm sure there are lots of other adventures in store for me this year that I have yet to imagine.

Hopefully, my state will weather the storm of the decline in the automotive industry and make a comeback, but already the pundits are saying that this year will be as bad as 2006, with no recovery until 2008. Let's hope that they are wrong and that Governor Grandholm and the other politicians in Lansing can work together better and sort out the mess up there. Republicans likes to dump on her, but they have no new ideas. Just cut taxes, which is fine until your kids lose a quality education, the police don't come when there is a crime, and your garbage isn't collected. Then you hire private companies to do what government used to. You pay them to do it, thereby paying out your tax savings anyway. Oh well, I'll get off my soapbox. Although I am interested in politics I like to keep it out of this blog. Just not what I want this space to be about, as there are plenty of other places on the net to argue.

Only one thing has me a little bit down (though only a little).

It seems that although everything is pretty good for Tim, I'm starting to feel my age catch up to me. I think it's because of my daughter more than anything. When she goes next year, I feel like our family will come to an end. I know she will still be a part of it, but she won't be here. 15 years ago, when I was 30, I think I was happier. My young family seemed to have a brighter future even though we had less money and "things". Now, I feel like my life has peaked, which means that things must start to go down from here. Those of you who are older, help me out here. What did you do when your kids moved away? How did you find your way into middle age ?

The thing is, I don't really feel like I'm middle aged. I feel just like I always have. Sure, I can't run a 7 minute mile anymore, but mostly I look and feel just like I always have. I really don't even have many wrinkles and still have my hair, which is not turning gray (except a few in my beard). So how do I come to grips with this? Am I silly to even be thinking about it? What say you, my people?:)