Nice to meet you. I think we might have met somewhere along the way, but I’m not sure.

Hey, hey out there. Busy as bees around here for the past couple of weeks. We’re all having to really pull together and buckle down so the casino can get off the ground in…well, soon. It’s been so much work, I have to tell you. There are always three more things to do than there are people to do them. It’s been nice to have a family project, though…if you wanna call it that. Most families’ family projects are something like building a tree house or maybe cleaning out the attic. Ours is to open a casino. That’s how we do it in the Henrickson household!!  A goal – a misson - for us all to work towards (whether we’re totally psyched about it every second of the way or not) has been good because it gives us something to work on together…and with all of us working through all the stuff with Nicki  and Bill and Nicki and Cara-Lynn, a common goal has probably been helpful. I’ve said this before, but that Cara-Lynn is a go-out-and-get-em-go-getter. She’s a worker. It’s hard for her to be in such a different environment, but she definitely brought that compound work ethic with her, and it’s been more than needed at times around here. She’s still pretty bottled up – which is fine and totally understandable - but she’s chipping in a lot. A whole lot, in fact.

And I’m trying to, too. I thought I had the phone to my ear a lot when I was just working  for Weber Gaming. Good gracious. This is a whole new level! This is the big leagues! And in the big leagues, people are mean! I got called “sugar boobs” the other day for barking at this jerk who kept me on hold for 25 minutes. “Settle down there, sugar boobs.” Are you kidding me? Unbelievable. But I kept my cool. I’m in a good place, I think. In my own head, that is, and that makes all the difference. If you don’t mind…can I drop that old and often-times meaningless nugget on you1 that I really do think helps during stressful times? Be yourself. And on top of that, trust yourself.  It’s all so much easier when you do.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever, Margene. NOT THAT I WAS ASKING YOU, but thanks for the dynamite piece of wisdom. Bravo. Brava. I can get better advice than that from the lame quote-of-the-day calendar my brother-in-law’s given me the past three years.

I know. You might be right. But I’m a born-again believer in this adage that’s easy to say, hard to define, and too general to really put into action most times. I think that’s because a really important step is overlooked when people drop that advice on you. What if I don’t know who I am? How can be myself if I don’t really know who that is? Yep. Well, I wish you all had years of diary scribblings or blog entries2 because it’s a lot easier when you do. I spent some time going back over this silly compilation of my thoughts and what I’ve “learned” – if you can call it that – is that, through the years, slowly but surely, I’ve allowed myself to focus more and more on what I want or need or deserve and not feel bad about wanting or needing or deserving it. Not always, of course. And it’s not like I was batting .000 in 19-whatever at age-whatever, and these days I’m hitting a homer with every swing of the bat. But, in looking back at the path I’ve stomped down, I can see that it’s gotten straighter and straighter and straighter…and has moved consistently away from the ledge that I might have fallen off of. I’ve become more in charge (wrong word?) of where I’m going, what I’m thinking…all that stuff. I think that’s me knowing me a little bit more with each step. And that’s an awesome feeling, I’m telling you. It’s given me a much realer3 sense of who I was, am, and want to be. I think I’m finding my voice - not just how I’m writing or whatever, of course - I just mean I’ve seen where I’ve been and I see where I am and it doesn’t just seem random or willy-nilly. It was a slow and steady process leading to this point spot right here. And I like who I am in this spot – I know the person standing in this spot right here. I can’t stay here forever, of course. You’re always moving in one direction or another. But this is the new jumping off point. And I feel good about jumping off from here. So, I’m jumping!

Take care, misters and madams. Be safe and happy and good to people. I’ll talk to you soon. (wink-wink. This might be a hint, if you take it literally. I have a little surprise plan I’m trying to work out and if it does work…well, something cool might happen. Be on the look out.)

Love, as always,

Me.

1Not that anyone’s asking me, of course.

2Looking back, I’m really proud of myself for writing so much stuff down…regardless of if it’s just stupid, chatty-gabby stuff a lot of times. I had never read back over most of it. And when I did, I felt good…even if the writing isn’t.

3Is that really a word…totally expected the red squiggly there?…huh.