Sunday Ramblings: Goals, Sports, and BBQ

Nothing specific to talk about in this week’s post, so this will be a bit of a meandering of topics and discussion as I begin writing on Sunday morning. We’ll see where it takes us and try not to go on too long on any one topic. Here we go...

Exercise Plans

In an earlier post, I mentioned plans for exercise. Well, here we are almost two weeks into 2026, and I still haven’t started my exercise plan. I intended to begin last week, which was my first full week back at work after the break, but it turned out to be tough to get going. So, I’m planning to start a routine this week. My first night at the gym will be Tuesday, January 13. I’ll be going to the gym at work where we have a free membership, something I should have taken advantage of all these years, but that hasn’t happened. I’ll report back in a month or so on progress in this area.

Reading Goals

My reading goal for 2026 is to read twenty-five books throughout the year. This means I need to read at least two books each month. I’m off to a good start for January. I’m currently reading three books, two of which I expect to finish before the end of the month, meeting my goal for January. Of course, this will get more difficult as the year goes on, but I’m feeling good so far. I read whenever I can: over lunch, some evenings after work, and every night before bed.

Washburn Basketball

We only have six home games left for Washburn basketball. The season seems to be flying by, but the team is doing great! We’re 16-0 and ranked #1 in NCAA Division II nationally. I’ve had to miss a few home games, but I’m hoping I won’t miss any of the remaining six. I’ve watched all of their away games and usually catch other teams in the league when they play, just to stay on top of things. It’s been fun!

Chiefs Season Recap

Closing out the NFL season for the Chiefs, it was a frustrating year to be a fan after a decade of dominance. The Chiefs finished 6-11. We couldn’t win the close games as we had in previous years, and then Mahomes was injured and is now recovering in the offseason. We’re still waiting to hear whether Travis Kelce will return. My hunch is that he’ll want to finish on a strong note, but that’s just a guess.

Kansas Jayhawks Update

Meanwhile, the Kansas Jayhawks are having some struggles. We’re 11-5 on the season. The talent is there, but getting it to gel during games has been tough. We had a surprise come-from-behind win last week that we probably should have lost, and then we dropped a game on Saturday that we could have won. Unless something changes, it’s going to be a short postseason.

BBQ Tour Follow-Up

I shared that we went on a BBQ tour in Kansas City the day after Christmas. I still owe you the winner of each category! The group of us hasn’t had a chance to meet, discuss, and compile the overall ratings yet. I should have those posted in the next week or two after we connect. We had scoring sheets, and each person (six of us total) ranked and recorded comments on why each place was the winner. I’m excited to see the overall report and reconnect with the group.

Political Environment

The political environment continues to be of interest to me, as it has been the past few years. I try to read and watch stories from both sides of the aisle. A year into the current administration, the tension from both sides still feels thick.

Closing Thoughts

Closing out this rambling Sunday post, I hope you have a great rest of your Sunday and a wonderful week! What goals are you working on for 2026? Any book recommendations or favorite BBQ spots? Drop them in the comments—I’d love to hear from you.

The 2024 Election: A Night of Dread and Uncertainty

Election Night and Wine

With many months of buildup of texts, emails, commercials, and rallies, the 2024 election is finally over. Oddly enough, almost a week later, I'm still receiving texts and email messages asking for money. Okay, time to stop with the texts and emails. Carrie and I spent election night flipping between Fox, CNN, CNBC, BBC, and PBS to watch the various reports. I think my favorite channel to watch for election night was the BBC.

I stayed up late watching the returns, but by 9 or 10 PM, it was clear what was happening. I went to bed around 11 or 11:30 PM and then woke up around 3 AM as I couldn't sleep. I checked the news and found that Trump had won.

The wine was good, but the night of the returns, not so much. If it's not clear, I voted for Harris and did not want another four years of Trump. I thought Trump was a disaster in his first term, and I think the next four years are going to be worse. Trump made a lot of promises over the past few months leading up to the election, and if he carries out even one or two of those promises (e.g., deporting undocumented migrants, changes in the economy with taxes and tariffs on imports, etc.), we will be in a very different America in four years.

I'm frightened by the names of people Trump has said will be part of his cabinet. Elon Musk and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are at the top of the list. From everything I've read and watched of RFK Jr., he sounds like a nut job. Yet, Trump said in various rallies that RFK Jr. will lead the Department of Health and Human Services. This seems like an odd choice and not something to "Make America Great Again." Elon Musk and RFK Jr. are interesting selections from Trump, so it will be interesting to see what happens.

Carrie asked me what I wanted written on my glass for election night, and I told her "nervous." I remain nervous about where our country will be over the next four years. I think it's going to be a bumpy four years with Trump as President. Time will tell, and history will tell the story long after his presidency is over, but that's my feeling as we head into the second term of a Trump presidency.