One of my client’s gave me some ideas for Karen’s birthday surprise that made me so excited to plan it! She would NEVER guess, and it would make the gap between her “wild and crazy” escapades/surprises and mine a teeny bit smaller.
She had no idea where we were headed and was surprised that I had something planned that I’d indicated was a big deal. (How could I have pulled it off without her having a clue? Well, it wasn’t easy, but I did it.)
So, the idea was that we were going to take a leisurely drive up the coast to a wine tasting in Sonoma and Napa Valley along with a hot air balloon ride.
Now, my question to you is: Have you ever had something so firmly planted in your mind that it never occurs to you to check your facts and can’t believe it when you find that you were dead wrong? I mean, it’s something you know that you know that you know. Why would it be necessary to check it out?
That’s what I did when I miscalculated the time it would take us to get to Sonoma Valley. Luckily, the night before we were to leave, I did MapQuest and felt a jolt when I saw that it was twice the distance that I’d had in mind that it would be.
So, I had to revise my hints about what the trip was about and how long it would take us to get there. Karen was a good sport and I kept her guessing the entire way there as we headed through San Francisco (she thought we were going there).
The Hot Air Balloon ride on her birthday was absolutely incredible! Even though I am afraid of heights and I didn’t think I could do it, I did it for her, and it turned out to be one of the tamest things I’ve done since I met my wife. Some of you may remember the Zorbing in Tennessee or our zip lining high through the tree tops at Navitat in Wrightwood, CA.
The Balloon ride was so much fun that it was easy to overlook my — uhm — miscalculations on the time it would take to get there.
Since it’s been a while since we last wrote, I wanted to take the time to tell our Veterans, “Thank you!” Your service to our Country, if you are still in active duty or if it was years ago that you retired, has helped make our Country what it is today with our individual liberties and personal freedom intact. All of us in our offices appreciate you and your contributions.
If you have been in service during war time – even for one day – please call us and let one of our qualified case managers create a profile that might allow you to ascertain your eligibility for up to $2019 per month (tax free) for a little known VA pension that thousands of Veterans have missed getting because of the VA’s inability to convey the requirements.
We look forward to serving you and giving back a very small portion of what you are entitled to for your sacrifice and patriotism.
