enjoy the first quarter of 2008 by having one new and fulfilling experience in January, February, and March

Well, it may not quite be a March episode, as I turned 40 on April 1st. But in the month of March, I was thinking back on things and came to some decisions about my life, where I’ve been, where I am going and what things I really want. I went ahead and officially reunited with my old band, and am making changes at home to get myself in better health. This all came off over the last couple of weeks of March, and I definitely feel it was a fulfilling experience for me.

Well, it’s been just over three and a half years since I put down my bass and stopped performing live. Last week a buddy of mine called and said they were putting together a band for fun to play once a month, and could I sit in for them this week. I did, and after the third song they asked me if I would like to join them. It seems the bass player they had wasn’t up to snuff, and the songs I had just played with them he couldn’t get down in the two years he was with them. I’ve played in bands before and had a great time, but this was the first time I was being told that I was accomplished at what I do. For me, that is a very new and fullfilling experience. :)

We went to the casino and it was not the greatest trip, but at least I have to a mini casino if nothing else. I have determined that I am not a big gambler or anything remotely like that. I would however like to go where there are big shows and see the ‘entertainment’ in that setting. Our casino had no shows this weekend sadly. However it was a fulfilling experience spending time with my wife there and getting away from the house, farm & kids for a night and just being free for a bit. :)

Well, I have never ever been to any casino, and next Friday we are booking ourselves into the Chinook Winds Casino here in Oregon where I live. It will definitely be a new experience for me, and hopefully we’ll be able to relax and enjoy it enough it will be a fulfilling experience for us both. Not as a part of this goal, but I think I will add some goals for travel. Places I have never been and want to go.

I guess I am off to a slow start on this one as I am having trouble deciding what qualifies as a new and fulfilling experience. I am in the middle of a major project, renovating a 100 year old farm house. I hope I can post this here, but we’re documenting it at www.1907millerhouse.com if you want to see it. We bought the house, moved it to our property and have been restoring it. We wanted to move in by x-mas, but couldn’t meet the deadline, so we’re shooting for Easter now. I guess a lot of the projects on the house are new to me. I had never done much electrical wiring, plumbing, framing, roofing, tiling, etc before. But I don’t know that they are a “fulfilling experience”. And not being sure I am pretty sure they just don’t qualify.

So, I guess I need to find something bigger & better. This project has made things very rocky with my wife. Maybe I can find some great experiences to take with her to be fulfilling.