Aunt Sonia gained some street cred with Kaden and Kennedy by bringing them to see their favorite show, The Thundermans. Kennedy had trouble containing herself as she got the VIP treatment and met her favorite actors.

Hemingway made it through his first three days of radiation without a hitch. He tolerates the anesthesia well and likes to eat immediately after coming to.

#19: Read 10 New Books

Took a minute to get into, but a very good character driven read.

No need to be subtle. Thanks, Auntie Michelle.  Hemingway’s incisions are healing ahead of schedule, so he will begin radiation tomorrow and continue five days a week over the next month. Hopefully the treatment will extend his life long enough to forgive me.

#57: Launch a Basically Me Tee Shirt Line

Getting closer.

#13: Try 10 New LA Restaurants

One of the best patios in LA and maybe the best taco.

#13: Try 10 New LA Restaurants

Tried the new Curtis Stone meat centric restaurant, Gwen. Excellent all the way up until the check.

Hemingway has a low grade tumor. That means radiation should have about a 90% success rate. We’re ready to get started on January 23rd.

Began the year off right in San Miguel de Allende.

Saw a bunch on concerts. Mumford & Sons, Chase Rice, Peter Cetera, Styx, Sam Hunt, Eric Church, Chris Young, Chris Stapleton, Air Supply, J. Lo, Zac Brown, Lumineers, Flume, Chromio & Stevie Nicks. Pearl Jam in Miami for my birthday was the best.

Went to a museum or two.

Ate some great meals.

Enjoyed the lake house.

Ate a lot of burgers.

Spent my birthday in Miami.

Took in another Stage Coach festival.

Drank up Napa with friends.

Celebrated Rosie’s Graduation.

Spring break in Palm Springs.

Joined a Supper Club.

Worked a little.

Nursed one dog back to health.

Celebrated my Pa’s 70th in epic fashion.

Celebrated Brit’s 21st in Vegas.

Paintballed, bowled, spectated and partied with my children.

Supported Brittany’s final season at UCR.

More beach time with the fam for Georgeanne’s 60th.

Had a catch with Devin at Dodgers Stadium.

Watched a game at the Big House.

Life is Beautiful.

Another trip to Hawaii.

Cubs won.

Anniversary in N’awlins.

An always perfect Thanksgiving.

And Christmas.

Got bad news, but ready to fight.

Ended the year in Hemingway’s Key West.

Lymph nodes and bone marrow came back clean!  As long as the tumor grade comes back under three, Hemingway should be ready for radiation in a couple of weeks.

Surgery went about as well as could be expected considering the tumor’s placement. Doctor called it a feisty tumor that will need plenty of radiation to kill the cancer cells left behind. Hopefully he’s a quick healer so that we can take the next steps in a couple of weeks.

Hemingway woke up strong and ready.

IMG 3719 from henry james on Vimeo.

We got to spend the day with these maniacs.

1. Help Hemingway beat Cancer
2. Grow LA Fashion Insider
3. Ring in the New Year
4. Do something I would never do if not for this blog
5. Go to a Marquette game
6. Travel w/an empty suitcase
7. See a Waterfall
8. Off roading
9. Go Snorkeling
10. Go Waterskiing
11. Visit Mom’s New Home
12. Visit an American City we’ve never been to
13. Try 10 New LA Restaurants
14. Watch a Rocket Launch
15. Watch Brittany Graduate
16. Open up the kitchen
17. Remodel Master Bathroom
18. Wipe out 75% of Business Debt
19. Read 10 New Books
20. Go to a game at Wrigley
21. Salsa
22. Five hikes
23. Complete North America album
24. Get the Bronco Running
25. Colonoscopy
26. Eat a fish I’ve caught
27. Enjoy a country drive
28. Smoke a Cuban
29. Spend a day at a lake
30. Go to a baseball stadium I’ve never been to
31. Sleep in a tent
32. Draft our wills
33. Go the road to sell Basically Me
34. Trace the family name back another generation
35. Small town festival
36. Eye Exam
37. Watch a sunrise
38. Watch a sunset
39. Star Gaze
40. Nap in a hammock
41. Buy a pair of Berluti’s
42. Lounge by 5 hotel pools
43. Attend a music festival
44. Three Beaches
45. Walk across a bridge
46. Finish a Writing Project
47. See 10 New Movies in the Theater
48. Visit something ancient
49. New workout
50. Train Ride
51. Kayak
52. See a band in Preservation Hall
53. Have a picnic
54. Out of State Concert
55. Stay at Chateau Marmont
56. Don’t eat out for two straight weeks
57. Launch a new business
58. Have a drink in a bar over 200 years old
59. Commission a Pear Jam/MU Concert poster from 92’
60. Eat at a top 100 restaurant
61. Visit a National Park
62. Visit a Museum
63. Bike ride in another city
64. Jet Ski
65. Explore a winery
66. Aurora Borealis
67. Set my watch to 6 different time zones
68. Make the most of a layover
69. Go to a drive-in movie
70. A photography project
71. See a Broadway Show
72. Buy a new suit
73. Have a Catch
74. Go to a professional sport match I’ve never been to
75. “Publish” a mezcal cocktail book
76. Launch new LA Fashion Insider, Inc. website
77. Eat a NY Hot Dog
78. Five rooftop toasts
79. Garage Sale
80. Landscape the curbside
81. Art for the dining room wall
82. Rain 2
83. Remove a tattoo
84. Get my teeth whitened
85. Remove the fire place in the den
86. No Alcohol for two weeks (3 times)
87. Go to the mountains
88. Double Online Retail Sales
89. Add at least 25 new quotes to The Tragic Muse
90. Full Physical
91. Host a Summer Party
92. Helicopter Ride
93. Palm Springs
94. Go to a Giants Game
95. New Dining Room Table
96. Less Clothes
97. Weigh 175
98. Weigh 170
99. Weigh 165
100. Complete Dad’s 70th Video

fishin’ from henry james on Vimeo.

@26: Eat a fish I’ve caught

We probably caught about 40 fish. The Keys are for real.

IMG 3593 from henry james on Vimeo.

Happy New Year From gay ol’ Key West.

#3 Ring in the New Year

To be continued….

I look forward to bidding 2016 adieu with two middle fingers blazing. Not my favorite year. I write this on a beach chair overlooking the warm Atlantic in the beautiful keys. This is one of the reasons that this blog is so important to me. Not only does it motivate me to live life to the fullest, it gives me perspective and reminds me that perhaps I should keep my middle fingers in my pocket tonight and count my lucky stars.  But Glen Frey is dead and Hemingway has cancer, so maybe one middle finger.

As for the final tally, I completed 55% of this years goals. Not the best completion rate over the last eight years, but not the worst either. I’ll post the highlights in the next week or so.

1. Grow LA Fashion Insider, Inc.
2. Ring in the New Year
3. Do something I would never do
4. Write one true sentence each month
5. Go to a Marquette Game
6. Travel with an empty suitcase
7. See a waterfall
8. Off Roading
9. Go Snorkeling
10. Try all of LA’s Most Iconic Burgers
11. Camp with Mom
12. Visit an American city I’ve never been to
13. Try 10 New LA Restaurants
14. Pearl Jam
15. Try 6 downtown coffee houses
16. Open up the kitchen
17. Remodel Master Bathroom
18. Wipe out 2015 Business debt
19. Read 10 New Books
20. Return to Salsa Lessons
21. Celebrate my Dad’s 70th
22. Paddle Board
23. Hike to the wisdom tree
24. Lose 25 pounds
25. Perfect my signature
26. Eat a fish I catch
27. Sell the Bronco
28. Design a sport coat
29. Spend a day at a lake
30. Go to a baseball stadium I’ve never been to
31. Senior Night
32. Draft our wills
33. Go on the road and sell Basically Me
34. A better shoe closet
35. Small Town Festival
36. Better Insurance
37. Watch a sunrise
38. Watch a sunset
39. Star Gaze
40. Nap in a Hammock
41. Plant a lime tree
42. Lounge by 5 hotel pools
43. Attend a music festival
44. Three Beaches
45. Walk across a bridge
46. Celebrate Brittany’s 21st
47. See 10 New Movies in a Theatre
48. Visit something ancient
49. New Workout
50. Train ride
51. Kayak
52. Five hometown photo galleries
53. Have a picnic
54. Out of State Concert
55. Stay at Chateau Marmont
56. Don’t eat out for two weeks
57. Take Devin to a Giants game
58. Have a drink in a bar over 200 years
59. Commission a ’92 Peral Jam Concert Poster
60. Eat at a top 100 restaurant
61. Complete 2015 Italy Album
62. Visit a National Park
63. Go to a game at the Big House with Dad
64. Visit a museum
65. Migrate year one of the blog to this site’s archives
66. Bike ride in a mother city
67. Jet Ski
68. Visit a winery
69. Auroura Borealis
70. Set my watch to six different time zones
71. Make the most of a layover
72. Go to a outdoor movie
73. No red meat for a month
74. See a Broadway show
75. But a new suit
76. Write one leaf
77. Go to a Marquette Game
78. Explore a new Nawlins Neighborhood
79. Have a Catch
80. Do not buy a watch
81. Go to a professional sporting match I’ve never been to
82. Publish a Mezcal Cocktail Book
83. Launch a new LA Fashion Insider, Inc. website
84. Get a tattoo
85. Go to at least three work shows
86. Eat a NY hotdog
87. Five Rooftop Toasts
88. Restructure/negotiate all monthly bills
89. Garage Sale
90. Lanscape the curbside
91. Host a pool party
92. TSee five local bands
93. Take a picture with my family at the highest point of that location
94. Watch Brittany play a game out of state
95. Art for the dining room wall
96. Rain 2
97. Turn my office back into a guest room
98. Remove a tattoo
99. Get my teeth whitened
100. No beer or hard liquor for two months
101. Remove the fire place in the den

Spent the afternoon at Hemingway’s favorite spot, Sloppy Joe’s, aka Captain Tony’s. Made sure to get my boy’s dollar stapled to one of the posts.

#35: A Small Town Festival

Being that my Hemingway is half dachshund, it’s only fitting we take in the Weiner Winter land Festival in Key West.

Weiners from henry james on Vimeo.

#70: Set my watch to six time zones

My favorite and most difficult goal will not happen in 2016.

Where I’ve been:

Pacific Time Zone: Home, San Francisco, Palm Springs,  Napa, San Miguel de Allende & Las Vegas.

Hawaii-Aleutian Time Zone: Honolulu, Oahu & Lanai, Oahu.

Central Time: Dallas

Eastern Time: New Orleans, Miami & Key West

Key West Sunset from henry james on Vimeo.

#66: Bike Ride in Another City

Lobster Benedict at Blue Heaven.

The Southern Most Point in the USA

Trying to fight off the cold with some vitamins and hydration.

bike from henry james on Vimeo.

#4: “Write one true sentence” Each Month

#76: Write one leaf (page).

Completed both writing goals this year. Some of the sentences will find their way on a t-shirt line we’re launching with Basically Me.

The fight begins today. CT scan results were normal, so good news there. We won’t know the grade of the tumor until after his surgery, so the game plan is a little up in the air. Surgery is January 9th.

mannequin from henry james on Vimeo.

Tryptophan

Hallelujah from henry james on Vimeo.

Pups are happy to have their sleeping partner back.

A tough day after learning the lump is indeed cancer. Hemingway has a mast cell tumor and being that it is the holidays, an appointment with the recommended oncologist won’t happen for a couple of weeks. The number one goal for 2017 writes itself.

IMG 3141 from henry james on Vimeo.

I found a growth on Hemingway’s leg and let him know last night we had to go to the vet. Both dogs understood what that meant. Hemingway was scared to death. Brittany filmed Rio after we left. I’ve never heard her howl like this.

IMG 3132 from henry james on Vimeo.

67 years old and still rocking’ the Forum.

Another great miniseries.

#7: See a waterfall

LA Zoo Lights. Man made, but it’s still a waterfall.

#61: Complete 2015 Italy album

#56: Don’t eat out for two straight weeks

With the help of a meal delivery service, I finally accomplished something I haven’t been able to do in the last five years. Lost a few pounds as well.

#36: Better Insurance.

I can finally walk around without the fear of getting mugged. Well, except for the mugging part.

The third movie we have seen in a row that ends without a resolution, but I guess that’s the point. Nevertheless, I’m a big Michael Shannon fan and liked it.

#5: Go to a Marquette Game

After giving up 93 points to Wisconsin today, I don’t think I’m up for watching defenseless basketball.

#88: Have a Garage Sale

I’d pay to have this junk taken away, so a good day.

#79: Don’t buy a new watch.

Didn’t buy any of the above. What a responsible adult I am. Hope to be less responsible in 2017.