Top 7 = Amazon whacked our wall, I almost burned the backyard down

Last week I almost burned the backyard, Amazon whopped our retaining wall, and the kids had friends over.

Well, and some other stuff, too…

It all made this week’s Top 7.

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Fitness = Rest, fire

Age is catching up with me.

Or maybe it’s the injuries. 

Perhaps it’s a bit of both.

Last Sunday morning (early, a la 12:30am or so), I took a tumble down the back hill as I was taking hoses to douse the leaves and begin putting out the fire. 

I think that, with the adrenaline rush of getting up, grabbing clothes, and running out the door (and pulling hoses), I didn’t realize that when I fell— down the hill, face forward— I bumped myself I bit.

I didn’t feel anything in the moment. Then, after putting out the fire, I actually though, “Hmm… it’s possible I fractured one of my bones in my lower leg.”

Lots of bruising. 

I decided to take it easy the next day, Sunday, even though I had a long run planned.

(Who needs two hours of exercise at 7am when you got up and chased a fire across a hill for an hour at 1am, and then waking up-- on purpose-- to check the area every 30 minutes?)

Then, that night (Monday), I decided to pause yet again— and check it night be night.

I finally got back into the groove Easter morning.

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Finance = Amazon whacks the wall.

I don’t know about you, but our Amazon driver struggles. Either they’ve got him making too many deliveries too fast, or he needs to go back to Driver Ed. 

Maybe it’s both.

Friday afternoon, Beth and I were working from our computers in the living room. She was expecting a work-related package.

Suddenly, this loud SCREECHING, clanging came from outside. (I can’t even mimic the sound via keyboard— I’m not sure how I would type it.)

💥

Suffice to say, the Amazon guy smacked the retaining wall, hitting it hard enough to knock a row of 50-ish landscape blocks (the kind that stack and interlock) off-center… and, like dominos, pushing the final off the ledge.

Here’s point of impact…

And here’s the ripple effect some 50-60 blocks later.

😡

The guy asked me what I wanted him to do…

“Uhhh… I want you guys to fix it.”

“OK. I’ve got to call the office.”

I told him, transparently, “You hit this thing all the time. Generally, one block comes off and I fix it. No more. This time it’s your turn. I’m not blocking my Saturday morning to fix this.”

The Amazon delivery service (a third-party contractor) had to complete a damage report with the Sherriff’s department in order to get the process rolling.

I’ll keep you posted.

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Family =  The movies with Mini

Mini and I ventured to the Vestavia 10 (in my mind, it’s still the Rave, the old name from the previous owner, from YEARS ago) to watch AIR this Saturday evening. 

AIR is the story of the Jordan shoe line. And, more directly, the story of Nike’s interactions with Jordan’s mom, who apparently negotiated the entire contract. 

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Field = “Desk” day on Monday 

Last Monday, after the hill tumble, I sat at my desk ALL day. 

✅ Mapped a few email sequences for the new Amplify project (www.AmplifyOnline.info)

✅ Scheduled podcasts and social media for the reboot of Advance (www.EatSleepAdvance.com) 

✅ Reviewed my notes for Season 3 of the Warrior Hope Podcast (posting, beginning Friday, April 21, at www.YouTube.com/@WarriorsOnMission 

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Faith = The fire… and how we found it

Here’s what’s bizarre about the fire.

Last week, Saturday night, we had friends over. And then we went to bed. 

Beth and I both happened to get out of bed AT THE SAME TIME. She went to the restroom in our room, which meant I walked down the hall. 

When I was in the bathroom, I looked out the back window— and saw miniature fires burning in the backyard. 

(The culprit was leaves that had caught on fire from sparks in a fire pit and then began spreading.)

Here’s what’s interesting— 

🔥I rarely wake up in the middle of the night to go to the restroom 

🔥The master bathroom doesn’t have a window, so if I had— and gone there— I would not have looked out the window

The fire was mainly leaves— lots of the spread out. I grabbed some clothes, ran out, and began pushing them— with our two (really long) hoses towards the center of the yard, where I’ve got a massive lumber pile from the 80+ tree I chopped down. 

In the pic above, that’s me on the bottom, and the fireman coming in on the top.

Here’s a shot before he made it on the scene, just as they were arriving.

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Friends = Boys, fire pit

Oddly enough, we let the boys light a fire— again.

(The fire in the yard was my fault— not theirs. They weren’t even here when it happened.)

That’s Levi’s fire above.

And here’s some of the boys they had over this Friday.

We like having our kids— and their friends— over. 

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Fun = Odd… worked all day Saturday 

This will be odd, I know. But it is what it is…

Beth and I spent SEVERAL hours, as the kids slept-in, played video games, and did whatever with friends, punching at some stuff for the Amplify project in the living room. 

(I’m pretty sure my computer was STILL in the living room on Saturday morning from the time I spent there Friday afternoon.)

Why was it fun? 

Because we were doing it together. 

And because it’s part of our future and building an income stream + business for the family— and something where, in some part, the kids who want to do so can eventually contribute (and get paid).

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That’s the highlight reel for the week.

Each week I look back at the week behind + preview the week ahead— so I don’t miss anything— and look and highlight at least one thing for which I’m grateful in each of the 7 key areas of life…

💙 Fitness 

💰Finance

🏠 Family 

🛠 Field (work, career)

🙏 Faith 

👊 Friends 

🎉 Fun 

💥 💥 💥 💥 💥 💥 💥 💥 💥

Test drive the Advance planner-- the tool I use to manage each week-- for just $8, using the link below. All the details are at www.Jenkins.tv/8