Weekend Wrap: Fast Cars and Family Time

Each weekend, I like to pause, reflect, and look back on the past week. This isn't meant to be a deep dive or sweeping life philosophy—just a collection of things that caught my attention, made me think, brought me joy, or stayed with me in some way.

What I Noticed

It can be so hard to remember this at times. It can also be a trap. We decide we need to spend too much time enjoying life. But, thanks to the nature of my job, I generally have to set aside the time to enjoy, rather than work.

And this weekend, we did just that.

I knew my family had something planned for my fiftieth birthday. And so, Thursday morning, we hopped in the car and drove to Las Vegas. That was all I knew.

We picked up Jess from their place in Salt Lake. Alex and Lilli drove down as well. And on Friday (some flight kerfuffles notwithstanding), Aubrey and Hayden flew in as well. And we had a wonderful weekend together. All of my children, and their spouses, together for the first time. It was incredible, and I am so grateful for this time and opportunity.

We enjoyed life. Together.

What Helped

That is a Ferrari 298 GTB. I has over 800 horsepower. It is a bit ridiculous.

And I drove it. Really, really fast.

This was the main attraction for the trip: 20 laps around the Speed Vegas 1.3 mile, 10 turn, 2000 feet straightaway, racing track. It was so, so intense.

My coach wasn’t messing around. They told us we could take it easy, just have fun, or really learn how to push our cars. Yeah, I wasn’t offered that option. My coach was all about learning how to really push this car.

It was exactly what I hoped.

So, how did this help?

I’ve played many racing games over the years. I think I am a pretty good driver. I was instantly humbled. And then I got better. A lot better. The coach was awesome: giving me constant cues, encouraging me, pushing me.

Helping me get better and make the most of my 20 laps.

Look for coaches. Find people who know more than you do. Listen to them. Do your best to follow their instructions. Learn from them.

Next thing you know, you are smoking drivers who have done this many times before.

What I’m Enjoying

Am I a Backstreet Boys fan? No, I am not.

But do they put on a heck of a show? Yes, they most certainly do.

On a bit of a whim, we snagged tickets to see BSB in the Sphere. It was an incredible experience. The songs are classics: even if you don’t love them, it is hard to deny how catchy and ubiquitous they are. We all had a blast, and my wife loved it.

It was so much fun. Live music is great, and BSB brought it.

What I’m Practicing

This last month+ has been one of frequent change. Between our London trip, this Vegas trip, and everything that goes on during the summer, my schedule has been irregular. And that is a bit of an understatement.

But we head home tomorrow. Time to settle in a bit. Lock in, as they say. Make some solid adjustments.

I’m honestly excited for the opportunity to get into a groove and make things happen.

Wrapping Up

Prior to our trip, I made some real progress on my upcoming novel project.

I have almost all of my key 15 beats planned out, have answered some strong questions, and most definitely have this one in a better state to start writing than any of my previous efforts. That, also, is exciting.

But that has led to less time writing here. I hope to balance that out once I am really in the writing phase of the book. But time will tell.