TGIF

Woooo, what a week! Thank God It's Friday! I think - actually I hope - I'm going fishing on Sunday, even if it's for a mere hour or two. It's late August here on the Gulf Coast of Florida, and the relentless rain and humidity are starting to wear on me. Nonetheless, I'm upbeat (glass-is-half-full kind of guy!). I'm a good first-mate. Never pulled together the bucks to launch my own Glastron or Glacier Bay or Sea Ray, et. al., but I've been fortunate to have friends who did. I try to pull my weight. I tie-off; I clean; I buy the beer; I do whatever the captain needs me to do. Basically, I'm just happy to be there; catching a little sea spray; dropping a line; catching some rays. My neighbor invited us to join them on Sunday morning for a little cruise, and I can't wait. I'm going to do a little fishing!

I own a small (very small) business, and this week was just one of those weeks. You know, pulled in ten different directions; trying to figure out how to drum up some business; battling the urge to throw in the towel (come on, you know you've wanted to throw in the towel once or twice the past couple years!). The "economy" has been brutal the past 18 months. I'm a so-called "marketing guy" and at times, I wonder whether I can even sell anyone on the idea that the sun actually rises in the east!

Made a presentation to my networking group this morning - bright and early at 7:30 - about ways to network more creatively. This, after hitting the pillow at 2:00 a.m., after attending a pre-season NFL game. Not what I would normally do on a Thursday night prior to having to give a presentation, but my daughter was - believe it or not - debuting as a real-life NFL cheerleader, for crying out loud! I'm a huge football fan, but honestly, I was there to see my kid. Period. Anyway, did my fatherly duty, loved every minute of it, and got to bed late - really late (for someone of my advanced age). By the way, this Shock Top stuff from Anheuser Busch/InBev is a great summer brew! When the alarm went off at 6:00 a.m., I did what I always do: popped up, brewed some java, hit the shower and started my day (including reading the paper).

I don't know about y'all, but I'm sad for the newspaper industry. Not because I care about their ability to make a profit per se, but because of what I honestly believe is a genuine threat to the fabric of our society. I know many of you may not get it, but the "Fourth Estate" truly is one of the pillars of our society. I grew up in a small town of 12,000 people in rural Ohio, and for most of my formative years, we received no fewer than three newspapers in our home; two on weekdays, and a third on Sundays. I LOVE NEWSPAPERS, AND I'M NOT AFRAID TO ADMIT IT! My children, on the other hand, love texting; and tweeting; and getting their news from - gasp! - I'm not sure where they get their news! Irony of ironies, the news is now the news. Everyone is predicting the demise of newspapers. Folks, let me tell you: regardless of whether the death of newspapers is imminent, WE WILL ALL BE WORSE OFF IF IT COMES TO PASS!

So . . . my wonderful neighbors, the Larsons, invited me and my beautiful (and verrrrry tolerant) wife of 27 years to accompany them on their boat this Sunday. Like many of you, we've got stuff going on all the time, but Sunday mornings tend to be open (yes, we're probably going to hell because we no longer attend "services," but that's a topic for another blog!). The thing is, the invitation was extended during a neighborhood gathering last week after I had already fully enjoyed the fruits of fermentation. (Thankfully, my wife was the one to whom the invitation was communicated.)

Today, after a challenging week and an after-hours phone call from a client, I began to wish I was fishing. As luck would have it, my wife came home and reminded me that we were joining the Larsons for a little boat ride on Sunday (I had completely forgotten.). I immediately grabbed this morning's newspaper, checked the weather forecast and happily confirmed that Sunday's marine forecast looked encouraging. I'll go to sleep tonight, wishing I was fishing, AND saying a little prayer for the Kennedy family, because even though I resisted the urge to get into that subject here, I do believe an era has passed, and we, as a nation, are worse off as a result. (Coincidentally, I just watched "Bobby" on DVD for the first time, and I encourage all of you to do likewise, regardless of your political proclivities.) As always . . .

. . . Wish I Was Fishing