​Weathering the Storm with the WP#99

It has been quite the week, not just for me, but for everyone. Of course, there was the Christmas holiday and certainly I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday. This past week was overshadowed by the winter storms that impacted and is still impacting travel, as roads and airports were closed, and delays and cancellations were the story of the week. Of course, there was tragedy as well, hearing about the many accidents, some deadly and the deaths from people freezing in their cars, after getting stuck. It impacted such a major part of this country and at such an important time of year for many. As you know, I left for San Francisco and escaped all of this, as I left before the storms hit the east coast, and will return, after the dust has settled, but has it. ​

The impact was immediate and still lingering and will be for a while. I had clients who were supposed to leave from Minneapolis on Christmas Day to go for a weeklong family adventure to the Mayan Riviera and their flight was cancelled, and according to the notification, for operational reasons. MSP is one of the best airports for handling weather, and unfortunately, they and thousands of others were and still are being impacted. They have been protected on a flight on Tuesday and we are working on extending their time, so they still get their full week. Stay tuned on that. Spending hours on hold and it was at least 4 hours on two different occasions, to try to help them, but with the holiday and the storms and probably staffing issues still lingering, and they also were on the phone and even went to the airport, even though I advised against it, a resolution is still pending. ​

My time out here in the Bay area has been a mixed bag and I knew that coming in. My purpose was to visit my biological father and his wife, and while that has happened, I feel like the experience has not been fulfilling. He is 84 and I wanted to have some questions answered, some unresolved issues closed and simply have a chance to catch up. He is certainly functional, but his memory seems to fade in and out. And when I said I was coming to visit, he would ask when I would be here or forgot I was still here. I have today to spend with him and was hoping to take a drive to simply enjoy the time, but when I asked him to do this the day after I arrived, after he said he would, and I went there to pick him up, he said he did not feel well. Apparently, Nora, his wife, has the same issue, and when we talked the other day, it was made clearer. In any case, I am glad I came out here, but it has not been like times past as I know he is slipping and honestly, I don’t know when I will be out here again. ​

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Yes, I went to the Hard Rock north of Sacramento on Friday, and I was hoping he would join me, but again, he said was not feeling well, so I went alone. I am not feeling sorry for myself, that certain things did not get accomplished while out here and I still have today, nor that I spent a lot of money to basically be out here alone, versus hanging out with them. I have tried for years to get answers to questions, but he has always given me simple answers, or perhaps non-answers and when I have wanted to ask his wife about the serious issues needing to be discussed, he has asked me not to talk to her, as it would upset her, so I am between a rock and a hard place, and one I have to address, but with a tenuous balance. Also, asking the hard questions about the “future”, seems to get pushed out more and more or a simple, trying to end the conversation answer is given. I can’t force the issue and time is running out. 


So, the question really is if this trip out here was worth it, and it is a mixed blessing as great teacher I had once said. I am glad to see them and frankly not being in the blizzards out east as the temperatures have been mild and the weather good, but not getting resolution to question I have is going to continue to linger, and maybe this is how it is going to be moving forward. Whatever happens, happens. As with any family concerns, “there ain’t no easy answers to nothing”. Thank you, Mr. Ingebretsen, for this very grammatically incorrect phrase, but you get the point. And who knows, the weather tomorrow, massive rainstorms here in the Bay Area may impact my travel plans back to New England. All I can say, it has been a crazy holiday season and I simply want to be moving forward in my life and everyone knows where, so when we convene next week, I will have a post with the year 2022 in review which has been amazing to say the least. 
Stay safe and stay healthy and as always, thank you for your support of my crazy little world and of my small business. It is truly appreciated, and as always, I am interested in your thoughts, comments, questions and adding to the discourse is always appreciated be in on the site itself or on Facebook or wherever you read this!!!