The rest of the ride...

Well, gang, tomorrow is it. The day I've been waiting for.

I'm having trouble with these ol' stones. Ready for them to go away. Felt just awful this week.

Don't mind telling ya I'm a little apprehensive. The procedure comes with some risks, first and foremost of which is it may not work. Y'all think about me tomorrow around noon.

And don't forget about my mom. She's either going to have surgery herself or keep trying to pass her stones on her own. Mom is in a lot of pain.

I'll be away from the blog for a few days as I recuperate from surgery. But before I go let me pause long enough to say this:

If you're reading these words, chances are you've touched my life in some way. Thank you for providing a writer with the ultimate compliment --- by reading my work.

For my friends, thank you for all you've given me. I tell people all of the time that I have the greatest pals in the world. And I mean that. This ride wouldn't have been near as much fun without ya.

Life doesn't make much sense sometimes. At other moments, it plays out like a favorite movie.

I've had a heck of great time. I don't think we pause enough to say it, but thanks for sharing this journey with me.

Do yourself a favor this week. Get outside at some point and enjoy the beauty of an East Tennessee spring. Put on a favorite record and turn it up. Read a good book. Call somebody on the phone for no other reason than to hear their voice.

Now, let's get these stones outta here so I can get back to living. There's a lot of fun left to have, a lot of words left to write (and read), a lot of places left to see, a lot of songs left to sing and a lot of people to spend time with.

Here's to the rest of the ride...