Hesitation. Coaxing. Prodding. Tolkien. Tears. Anguish. Head Slapping. Mountain Dew. Techno. Sweat. Breaking Dawn. Willie Nelson. Anxiety. Neil Young. Indecision. Matisyahu.

These are the things that went into this, the inaugural post of my new blog. Why now? Why here? We may never know. However I can give you some insight as to what lead to this. A couple of years ago my beautiful wife started a blog, why she started it I know not. I only know that it was started. While I had been aware of blogs before this I never paid attention to them.

My wife changed that for me. I would read her blog while I was at school, at least this way I could see my boys grow up since I did not have much time to spend with them (This is another entirely different story in itself which I may comment on later but if you cannot wait, see my wife's blog). Then I found out that my sister had a blog. So I began to read it also. Then one of my employees told me that she had a blog also and so the story repeats itself over and over again.

Lately I have taken an interest in hiking. This interest has been driven by the upcoming backpacking trip that I am going on with my father, sister, uncle, cousins, and brother-in-laws. In preparation I have tried to go on a hike every week. My oldest son has accompanied me on every hike I have taken. He and I have become hiking buddies. We both look forward to our weekly hikes because of the adventure. I look forward to them because I get to be with him. Just us, the mountain, and some beef jerky.

When we get back I will pester my wife to post the pictures I took and to talk about the where's, what's, how's, why's, and who's of our latest hike on her blog. The other evening she suggested that I create and maintain my own blog. I entertained the idea for about five seconds. After that I sent it down river to die with the other crazy ideas I have had during my life. It however refused to be an obedient idea and die, so it remained in the back of my mind until I had somehow convinced myself that it would be a good idea to start my own blog. After being reassured by several people that blogging is something that I can handle, I sit here typing.

So...here we are in that awkward moment on every date where everyone wonders what to do next. Do I take her home? Do I ask for another date? Do I go for it all and kiss her? How is my breath? What if she turns away? Oh the stress. What happens next? Well, I am not sure. All I can say is come back. Come back often.