Birthday Inventory 2024

So, it's my birthday on Monday, which means I'm going to do a birthday inventory, as I do every year at this time. I try to do a comprehensive evaluation of where I am in life, what's going well and what's not. This year, Maj and I are travelling to Crete for a week-long trip, … Continue reading Birthday Inventory 2024 →

Birthday Inventory 2023

Today, October 14, is my birthday. I'm far from home, in Brussels, with my wife on a trip to celebrate our anniversary and my birthday. We had a long, exhausting flight from Montreal, got in yesterday evening, and dragged ourselves out for dinner and got to sleep at a reasonable hour. This morning, coffee and … Continue reading Birthday Inventory 2023 →

20,000 Days

Today, July 18 2023, is the 20,000th day I've been on Earth. It feels like a big occasion. That big counter only turns over about once every 27 years or so. This 10K chunk -- what the ancient Greeks called a myriad -- is about as big a segment of life that I can conceive … Continue reading 20,000 Days →

Birthday Inventory 2022

It's my birthday today. I'm sitting in our car at a charging station in Glen Falls, NY, on our way down to New Jersey for my cousin's wedding this weekend. My family went to a show last Friday (amazing Mon Île, Mon Cœur by 7 Doigts de la Main). I had supper with good friends … Continue reading Birthday Inventory 2022 →

Birthday Inventory 2021

For the last few years, I've been taking the opportunity when my birthday comes around to do an inventory of major aspects of my life. It's a useful way for me to consider what the last year of life has changed, and to think about what's coming next. You can read previous inventories for 2017, … Continue reading Birthday Inventory 2021 →

Birthday Inventory 2020

I've been doing an annual birthday inventory for the last few years (2017, 2018, 2019) and since my birthday is this week, I thought it would make sense to write one for 2020, too. I'm not checking back too much, on purpose, so I don't compare now to then, but suffice it to say that … Continue reading Birthday Inventory 2020 →

Birthday Inventory 2019 Addendum

I realized after my Birthday Inventory 2019 was up that I had left out a few things. In the interest of completeness, here they are. I didn't mention that I'm becoming a hugs guy. Yeah, I know. But I recently read a quote attributed to psychotherapist Virginia Satir: "We need 4 hugs a day for … Continue reading Birthday Inventory 2019 Addendum →

Birthday Inventory 2019

It's early on a sunny warm Saturday morning at my home in Montreal. I'm the only one up. I made waffles for my family because that's what dads are for; they're warming in the oven while everyone dozes. We're leaving for a weekend trip to the Maine coast in a couple of hours. I realize … Continue reading Birthday Inventory 2019 →

Birthday Inventory 2018

Tomorrow is my 50th birthday. It's a big one; about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way through a North American man's life. I'm at the point of the baking show where the host comes around and says, "Five minutes left!" and the bakers all try to cover up their mistakes with frosting and get something … Continue reading Birthday Inventory 2018 →

Birthday Inventory 2017

Tomorrow, October 14, 2017, will be my 49th birthday. Before I start getting bombarded with AI-prompted well-wishing I thought I'd take a few moments to do a personal inventory at this point in my life. Warning: personal stuff ahead. Family. I've been lucky to have two great kids, healthy and relatively happy, and a great … Continue reading Birthday Inventory 2017 →