Off to the Bluegrass

Gena, Matthew and I will be in Lexington, KY on Friday.
No, I am not interviewing for the basketball vacancy, but Matthew will be visiting UK and their School of Architecture.

This is just the first of many visits in the coming months. Other stops along the way include Vandy, Auburn and Georgia.

Matthew considered visiting Georgia Tech and UNC, but he is not sure if he could attend an ACC school.

I suppose he does have just a little of his mother and father in him......

Aldermanic Seat Vacancy

If you are reading this and you live in the Franklin, TN area you will possibly know that there is a vacant seat on our aldermanic board due to the unfortunate passing of Dennis Phillips. As a result our current aldermen and mayor will meet soon to designate a replacement until the election this October.

I have made my intentions known to the current aldermen and mayor regarding my interest in this role. I will also acknowledge that there are a couple of other qualified candidates and I wish all the best of luck in this process.

Regardless of the outcome on the appointment process, I will be a candidate for alderman in the City of Franklin in 2007. I enjoy the service aspect of this role and I look forward to possibly having a chance to make a difference in our community.

Spring Break

Gena and Matthew have ventured off to Destin with a group of their friends for Spring Break.
I pray that they have traveling mercies on their trip and that they find this to be a relaxing and enjoyable time.

Hectic weekend-lots of work to do and lots of basketball and baseball to watch.
Vandy does it again, and I am considering a trip to the Meadowlands-stay tuned.

This afternoon, Daniel and I will watch the Baseball Dores battle the Rebs of Ole Miss.

Never a dull moment here!

Congrats to the Lincoln Railers for making the Elite 8 in Illinois for the 3rd time in 5 years. Not bad for a small rural school who play against the best in the state, if not the country, such as Chicago Simeon.

Dennis Phillips

I was saddened to read this morning that Dennis has gone to be with our Lord. While it is good that he will not have to suffer any more, it is sad to see someone who is so passionate leave us.

Dennis always fought hard for what he believed in and he was devoted to his family. My prayers are with his wife and sons.

SEC Tournament

It was a tough day for the Ryan family in the world of SEC basketball.
The Cats went down in overtime at the hands of a Nashville native, Jamont Gordon.
The Dores went down on a last second shot. All in all, it is still a great time to be here at the tournament.

If you have never come to this tournament, you ought to try it out. People here are genuine and friendly and there is a lot of camaraderie.

We'll head back today to see the semifinals, the Gators and the 3 dwarfs from the SEC west.

Stay tuned! I am excited to see where my Dores will be seeded when the pairings are announced tomorrow. It has been a great year for Vandy basketball and we are now in the second season.

Middle Age

There are many things in life we claim we will never say. One of those, for me, was to admit that I had reached "middle age". I now feel OK about saying that and there are reasons why.

I have noticed that some people seem to pay more attention to what I say now versus 10 years ago. From my perspective I have not changed that much, but there has been a change, in fact many, but their subtlety has caused me to not detect this. One of the things I have noticed is that the hair turns greyer every day (better grey than loose....) and this also may be lending to that increase in credibility, whether real or perceived.

Another issue that has occured centers around a book I am reading entitled "Halftime". This book clearly depicts what many of us go through in our lives, a shifting from pursuing "success" to pursuing "significance". I know all too well that I feel so much more engaged now in what I do since I feel I can see the difference I make in my work. I highly recommend this book, especially if you are between the ages of 35 and 45.