∞

∞

This is the mathematical symbol for infinity.  But today I am going to use it in a metaphorical context.  Today is October 30, 2013, and we are now 5 days from the 1-year anniversary of the passing of my grandfather, Grandpa Tink.  This was probably the toughest personal loss I had had to deal with in my life at that point in time (I have been a very lucky guy, to say the least).  It was pretty sudden and hit my family very hard.  Almost everyone in my family, including all my sisters and my parents, were going through chaotic times personally when this happened.  Growing up my family saw my Grandpa Tink and Grandma Phyllis all the time.  They have lived in Alliance, OH (outside Canton) for my entire life and since Alliance was just about 2 hours from Columbus, we saw them for most holidays, graduations, and other family events.  When they started spending winters down in The Villages, FL we had a big party to celebrate their 50^th anniversary.  It was so much fun and great to see all our relatives.  So to get back to the math symbol - I thought of this metaphor today as I was reflecting on my grandfather’s passing, knowing the anniversary is next week.  I always remind people who need consoling that being raised a Christian makes it so much easier to cope and understand the loss of life because it is only a loss for those still on Earth.  As Christians we are granted eternal life in heaven.  And knowing that life goes on beyond our physical world (hence, infinity) provides comfort in a time of grief.

Me, Gma Phyllis and Gpa Tink - Christmas 1987

 

 

Me and Gpa Tink - Christmas 1987

 

Some of you may be familiar with the phrase “when it rains, it pours,” and the past year has definitely proven this a valid claim.  At the beginning of this year my other grandfather, Grandpa Pete, was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer.  Given how developed it was, the treatment was just not enough and he also passed quite suddenly, in July.  It was almost four months ago now and then just as before I kept reminding myself that I am so glad I was raised in a family of Christian faith.  Yes, there were tears and sadness.  But for anyone who knew Grandpa Pete, they know that a life like his should be celebrated, if not documented as a classic case of living the American dream.  The numbers are now fuzzy, but I can say pretty assuredly that he was a PROUD grandfather of over 30, and great grandfather of over 20.  As with Grandpa Tink’s passing, having a large family made this difficult time a bit more bearable. 

Gma Shirley and Gpa Pete - Christmas 1990

 

As I look back and reflect on two of the most difficult times in my life – watching both of my parents lose their father – I remind myself that life does not end.  Sure, our bodies are laid to rest.  But we live on in a spiritual, heavenly existence. 

The best family a guy could ask for! - Christmas 2007

 

703

At the beginning of 2013 Anissa and I decided to start looking at buying a house.  We both had apartment leases expiring in August so we began doing some early exploration in areas we liked.  We decided to search in the northern suburbs of Columbus.  What we were struggling with was how far north to go.  The further north, the more house we could get for our money.  However, we did not want to be too far from work, school, friends, or family.  We met a realtor in February and let her know that we were shooting for a July closing.  This gave us plenty of time to browse the market.  Once April rolled around we started getting serious.  The sad thing was, there was NO inventory in the areas we liked.  The number of listed homes was very low.  So even though the number of buyers in the market was about normal, homes were selling in 1 week or less.  In fact, we saw a house come on the market at 6am one morning and by the time we could go see it at 4pm, it had already been sold.  Actually I think this happened to us twice.  We started to panic, realizing that we may have to trust our gut at some point and just pull the trigger quickly.  Being property virgins, this was a scary prospect.  One day we decided to take a chance on a house that was within 2 miles of our current apartments.  It was situated in this quiet neighborhood that we drove by almost every day on our way to church, the mall, Kroger, etc., but we never really noticed it was there.  As soon as we stepped in the house we knew it was a contender.  It had everything we needed and wanted including 4 bedrooms, 2 ½ baths, a big front porch, a deck in the backyard, situated in a good school district, and close to everything (halfway between our respective workplaces, only 10 miles from Ohio State’s campus and 12 miles from downtown Columbus).  We went to see a few more homes before coming back to this house a second time.  It was then that we knew it was the house for us.  After submitting our offer we found out there were 2 other offers on the table.  The agony of trying to improve our offer without overextending ourselves or being foolish was almost unbearable.  We definitely lost sleep on this.  Our offer ended up being accepted, thus beginning more agony – the negotiation of remedies after the home was inspected.  The house was built in 1993 but the seller was the original builder and had maintained the house incredibly well.  While there was not much that needed fixed, there were a couple expensive remedies we insisted on.  Fortunately our realtor stepped in and did a great job advocating for us and we ultimately got everything we needed.  In mid-July we closed on the house – 703 Lynnfield Drive.  Around the same time my grandfather, Grandpa Pete, passed away after a tough battle with cancer.  It was heart-wrenching.  So a few days after closing, Anissa and I spent a VERY late night making car trips back and forth moving stuff from our apartments to the house.  The next morning we moved everything else and then headed up to Cleveland to be with our family.  It was pure chaos.  I was exhausted physically and emotionally.  At the same time, it was such a blessing to have so much family together despite the circumstance.  I may preach about this later, but it’s times like that that make me so grateful I have a large family.  After all the services in Cleveland Anissa and I returned back to 703 Lynnfield to spend our first weeks in the new house.  I am not usually boastful, but we did an excellent job packing because unpacking was a breeze.  It didn’t take long to get rid of all our boxes and situate the big furniture.  And now, after ~3 months in the house, we could not be happier.  We love all the extra space, we love our yard, and we love having a garage!  With the holidays approaching we are very excited to decorate our new home.  And now, here are some pictures of 703.

Front of the house

Front with the garage

Backyard (we love the mature trees!)

Our deck (it has 2 tiers which will be great for hosting our big families!)

Our family room (this was the seller's furniture); this might be my favorite room in the house.

26.2

In high school I ran cross country.  One reason was that my parents insisted I participate in a sport and this was one of the few that did not cut athletes – I could run in every race every week.  The second reason was that I really enjoyed how running made me feel.  I like that running is a “full-body” workout in the sense that you use so many muscles to complete the motion.  My love of running held throughout college and after college I decided to train for my first half-marathon.  After I finished that race I felt so empowered and so I kept trying to extend my distance.  In 2009 I completed my first marathon with my sister Aileen in Chicago.  We both struggled through the training but a combination of physical and mental perseverance, having a good partner the whole race, and ideal running weather helped us finish all 26.2 miles without walking.  After that I also ran marathons in Nashville (2010), San Antonio (2010), and Cleveland (2012).  My fiancé Anissa’s first marathon was in Cleveland and we ran together.  Again, having a good partner the whole race was crucial.  The heat index was in the mid-80s and it was the most physically challenging race I’ve ever run.  Now that I am back in school I have had to give up a lot of the time I would otherwise spend running.  And I miss it a lot.  One of the things I love most about running is that it keeps me grounded.  It is quality time alone with my own thoughts.  I always find such clarity of mind when I am running.  It calms me down, it makes me feel physically great, and it uplifts me emotionally. 

10/11/09 - Chicago Marathon - Me and Aileen

5/20/12 - Cleveland Marathon - Me and Anissa

 

So what about 26.2?  As I am sure you all know 26.2 is the number of miles in a marathon.  But let’s dig a little deeper.  To me it represents a sense of personal accomplishment.  It represents a sense of pride.  It also represents inspiration.  I like knowing that my running helps others realize they can do the same.  It makes me feel so great to see other people get into running, especially when they realize the same value that I find in running.  But as a runner, I love being constantly inspired by others.  By the runners who run in memory of lost loved ones.  By the runners who run to celebrate overcoming a major obstacle in their lives.  By the runners who run to have fun and feel great.  I will never forget one particular runner.  My sister Aileen and I were running a half-marathon in Chicago in August one summer (bad idea – SO HOT!).  At one point I was feeling sorry for myself, regretting my meals the prior day and lamenting the oppressive heat and lack of shade on the course.  And then I see a blind runner.  Yes, he was completely blind and running a half-marathon.  And that was when I first truly realized how inspiring all the other runners in the race can be. 

Now that I am taking a break from races I still love to go watch them.  Because it’s so great to read the t-shirts, see the determination, and cheer for strangers.  Tomorrow, Anissa will be running her second full marathon in Columbus.  She has trained like a crazy woman and I really admire her determination.  The weather forecast for tomorrow could not be better – I know she will tear it up and I cannot wait to watch!  Best of luck and congrats to all the other runners as well!  

So cheers to 26.2.  Pride.  Perseverance.  Inspiration.

Hi there and hello!

My name is Jeff and I am new to this blogging thing.  I have some family and friends who write blogs and I like the idea of having a recorded history of my thoughts, major and minor happenings in my life, etc.  As I conceptualized the framework for my blog I sought advice from my oldest sister Carolyn.  After talking with her (and spending a ridiculous amount of time finding a domain that was not yet taken!) I landed on “see life in numbers” as my title.  As you will read more below in my personal introduction, I am a “numbers person.”  I hate that label; not because it has a negative connotation (I am a proud nerd) but I hate it because it implies others are not “numbers people.”  That’s ludicrous.  Enter me.  As I document my life in this blog, I will frame everything in how I derive meaning from numbers.  If you are confused, just give me a shot.  I want to show how my life makes sense to me through numbers, and hopefully how you can make sense of your life in the same way. 

So who am I?  I like to define myself by those with whom I associate (see the section below about my family).  But for now I will give a run-down of my background, likes, and dislikes. 

Background: I am 28 and an Ohio native with most of my time spent living in Columbus.  I have also lived in Cleveland (birthplace), Dallas, and Charlotte.  But my heart is in Ohio.  I like having four seasons.  I like that I have an affordable cost of living.  I like personal space.  Tradition is very important to me.  Columbus is my home and I love it.  I also spent 4 years living in Oxford, OH studying business at Miami University.  I worked for 3 years in an external auditing role (obtained my CPA license, hence my love of numbers) before I transitioned into finance.  I work in the retail industry and love my work.  It’s fun, interesting, fast-paced, and relevant.  I am engaged to the most loving woman (wedding date is 7/12/14!) and we just bought our first house.  I am in school part-time in the evenings to get my MBA with an expected graduation of May 2015 (it cannot come fast enough).  With a new house, wedding to plan, and school I am very, very busy J  This is a good thing for me – I don’t like to be bored.  Oh, and I have a huge family and they keep me busy too (in a good way).

Likes:  Pizza, French fries, and bacon are my favorite foods.  I probably have each of them once a week (if not more).  I love to run (I have done 4 marathons – Chicago, Nashville, San Antonio, and Cleveland).  I like some non-traditional sports including broomball (ice sport popular in Canada) and disc golf.  I love spending time with my family.  They are the most fun and funniest people I know.  I love following the stock market, the amusement park industry, and anything Disney.  When it comes to music I am generally a lover and not a hater.  I like country, pop, classical, Christian, alternative, classic rock, and musicals.  For that I have my parents to thanks.  I drink a lot of coffee – preferably black.  I am Catholic and really enjoy going to mass.  It is so hard to find time alone and I really value the time I have when I am in church.  Since I was 4 years old I was obsessed with the weather.  I like all types – thunderstorms, hot sunny days, wicked cold, and snowstorms.  I am sure I am missing some major “likes” here but this is a good start.

Dislikes:  I do not like eating fish; I like shellfish, but not other types including salmon, sushi, etc.  Driving in the rain, especially when it is dark, scares me.  I hate leaving food/beverage places smelling like their products.  I am talking about you Starbucks, Subway, and Panera!  I dislike ironing.  I would do almost any other household chore before ironing.  A pet peeve of mine is when people leave garbage in my car.  I think that is so rude.  Lastly, I dislike grammar (ironic given this is my better half’s area of expertise) so please don’t judge the mistakes I will surely make in this blog.  I will leave this list short.  I try very hard to be a “glass half full” guy.

My Family:  Let me start with my fiancé, Anissa.  We started dating about 3.5 years ago and will be getting married in less than 9 months!  She is the love of my life and you will see her name often in my posts.  I am so lucky to have her in my life.  My parents, Jeff and Gerri, are incredibly smart, talented, and supportive people and I love them very much.  They just moved into a new house in Dallas and it really is a dream home.  I have 5 sisters and no brothers, and fall in the middle.  From oldest to youngest:  Carolyn (32), Aileen (31), Maureen (30), me (28), Amy (24), and Laura (23).  Aileen is an attorney and Laura is a teacher and they both live in Chicago.  While I wished they lived closer, I love going to visit them!  On to my Columbus siblings - Carolyn lives just down the street from me in Columbus and works in marketing.  Maureen lives about 25 minutes away in a different suburb of Columbus.  She works in Accounting (she and I are total numbers nerds!).  Amy, another teacher,  lives in Columbus but about 25 minutes away as well.  My family is very dynamic and I will have to do a more full post dedicated just to them.

Anissa and I from a couple years back.

 

 

Top Row Left to Right: Carolyn, Me, Laura, Amy

Bottom Row Left to Right: Maureen, Aileen

 

I don't have any recent pics of just me and my parents - so we will put that on the "future posts" list.

 

100: So now that you know a little bit about me, I will get on to my first numerically-related post.  As Anissa and I were driving home from Louisville, KY today after some friends’ wedding, we passed through Cincinnati.  The first couple years of relationship, Anissa was living in Cincinnati and I was in Columbus.  The two of us spent so many days driving between Columbus and Cincinnati on interstate 71.  Our apartments were ~100 miles away.  So what does that number 100 mean to me?  First, it means it took us about 90 minutes one way to see the other person.  That’s not too bad.  Until you do it every other weekend and then multiple it by 2 to include the drive home.  So 3 hours every other weekend were spent in the car.  That’s a lot of alone time with one’s thoughts.  So much so that Anissa and I dubbed I-71 the come-to-Jesus highway.  90 minutes is just enough time to really start thinking about things on a deep level.  And about halfway in between Columbus and Cincinnati is what I would call a radio “dead zone” where you cannot pick up major stations from either city.  Being alone with your thoughts that frequently and for that long can get scary!  What else can I tell you about those 100 miles?   I can tell you almost every exit between the two cities.  For example, Exit 65 is the Tanger Outlet center in Jeffersonville.  Exit 50 is Wilmington.  And Exit 45 is Caesar’s Creek, home to a bustling flea market and the Renaissance Festival.  And finally Exit 25 is King’s Mills, home to King’s Island and Anissa’s parents in Mason, OH.  Other than those there is a lot of farmland and interesting billboards.  But more than the time it took to drive 100 miles, or all the not-so-memorable exits between Columbus and Cincinnati, 100 miles to me meant getting to spend a weekend with my lady.  And while I will probably tell you most days how sick I am of I-71 and those 100 miles, I secretly have a soft spot for the 100 miles that kept us together month after month.  And look at us now – engaged to be married and new homeowners!

Until next time!