Why It's Problematic to Have Raisinettes in the House, a Guessing Game

Tonight after a dinner of cauliflower, sweet potato, and a lean hamburger patty, I couldn't resist cracking into my brand new movie theater-size box of milk chocolate raisinettes.

That's right. You read that right.  Raisinettes.  I can't help it that Nestle spells it wrong.

While I love this tasty little treat, I don't really love having them in the house.  I made a rare exception this weekend in a moment of weakness. Can you guess why I don't like having them in the house?

1. They are made with California raisins
2. They are bad for Taz
3. They make me fat and because they are soooo delicious I can't resist eating the whole box
4. All of the Above

If you guessed 4, guess again.  I wouldn't make it soooooooooo easy.

Still stumped?  If you guessed 1, that's wrong too.  I fully embrace the California raisin industry.  While I don't fully embrace the California Raisins a la Hardee's 1988, I do happen to know and like a few people that grow grapes.  While they might not grow raisins commercially, they are the precursor to raisins, so we're all good.  Plus, I'm not in a trade war with raisin people, so let's chill and make the California raisin people feel welcome.

If you guessed 3, you're really bad at guessing. I don't begrudge the rainsinettes my ample girth.  It has taken a bit more than a box of raisinettes to cultivate this lushious set of curves, folks. Haters gonna hate, but I suggest you don't hate on the raisinettes.  Plus, it's kind of like eating fruit, so technically raisinettes are healthy.  Chocolate is a super food.  SUPER FOOD! Would you hate on kombucha or chia or acai or cacao nubs? Of course you wouldn't, so let's not hate on the raisinettes, either.  Super food.  

That leaves us with number 2. I don't love having raisinettes in the house because they are little nuggets of poison covered poison for dogs.  The deadliness of chocolate sensually enveloping the life-ending raisin.  Yep.  I worry that I'll accidentally drop one and like a stealth ninja, Taz will be there to scoop it up before I can pick it up.  I used to eat them at work exclusively, but now that Taz goes to work too, it's just geography.  There's no safe space except for the movies!

So ultimately, raisinettes are awesome because I can go to the movies, get my own butter covered popcorn and box of raisinettes.  Life is beautiful, and the world is a wonderful place.

Returning from A Pilgrimage Across the Desert

I left my house at 7:15 this morning to drive across the vast and open desert to Yuma, Arizona.  It was a trip to pay respects and say goodbye to this really amazing human being who left this earth too soon, William Brooks.  This four hour drive across some pretty rural areas of the state...it just felt like the right thing to do to say goodbye.  We were making the pilgrimage, the effort, the intentional journey because Will mattered a lot, and this was a small step to paying the debt for having known someone so worthy.  It was the least we could do, and still it wasn't enough. What is, really? What is enough to honor someone?  I guess that's something we all answer in our own way. 

I rode with another friend of Will's, Bruce Bracker, and along the way, in the midst of talking about life and work and mutual friends and the goings on in our county, we would talk about Will and what an amazing person he was.  It can't be said enough.  He was humble and kind and so, so smart.  He was a true leader in that he cared for the people who worked for him and helped them be the best versions of themselves.  You could see it in how they respected Will.  He was welcoming and funny and always had a smile.  He was innovative, and I'm not exaggerating when I say he changed the world and how Customs and Border Protection operates at our ports of entry.  He changed the world, and that was just one small part of his big, big legacy. 

The room was full of all these blue uniforms of people he worked with at CBP. It was also full of all these people that weren't related to Customs at all.  They were Will's civilian friends and family, if you will.  I knew Uniform Will having gotten to know him through his leadership at CBP.  These other people knew the kicked back, flip flop, hunting and fishing Will.  The friend and father and brother and husband.  It was interesting to see both of these worlds coming together, and each and everyone there described Will in many of the same ways: humble, smart, funny, honorable, innovative.  He walked the walk no matter if he was at work or spending time with his loved ones. 

I was speaking with a close friend at the service, and I asked how everyone was doing in the Field Office after Will's passing.  She said all they can do is live up to his example, and it was such a good example to follow.  Our "What Would Will Do" moments are perhaps a small tribute to his legacy.  So, in moments of struggle or in trying to decide how to handle certain situations, I'll try to ask myself how Will would handle it.  How do you honor and value the people around you, how do you solve problems, make people feel noticed, lead, innovate, and have the utmost integrity while doing all of that? I'm sure I won't be close to Will's example, but if I head at least in that general direction, I don't see how I could go wrong. 

Safe travels, Will.  Thank you for being someone to look up to.  I'm glad that Bruce and I could make the journey today to say goodbye and honor your legacy.