What I'm Up To
​Volume 109

Hey friends,
​
Here’s what I’ve been up to since Vol. 108…
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1. July Happenings - I'm later than usual this month. It was an eventful one.​
​Wendy and I finally met Carly's baby, Birdie. We caught up over coffee, took turns holding her, and lost our minds over how cute she is. That evening at dinner, my speaking coach, Mike Pacchione, texted. Did I want to see the US play Belgium in Seattle? He'd found affordable tickets. Yes!

One problem. I had jury duty on Monday, the day of the game.

Wendy wanted me to go. She looked up the penalties for skipping ($1,000 or jail if the judge held me in contempt 🙀). I remembered that the last time I got called, my trial was cancelled. Wendy just giggled while she watched dutiful Jay wrestle with adventurous Jay.

Adventurous Jay won. We booked flights, bought tickets, and were in Seattle 48 hours later.

We got to hang out with our friends Stacey, Yassi, and Ben. We watched the epic Mexico vs. England match in a brewery full of rabid fans. And our hotel turned out to be where the US team was staying. We rode the elevator with Sergiño Dest and Timothy Weah.

Then, like a miracle, I got a text on game day. My jury duty was cancelled. 😅

We soaked in the vibes at the stadium and belted out “Take Me Home, Country Roads” with the masses. Sadly, the US fell flat. We still had a wonderful time. Can't wait for the Women's World Cup in 2027!

Gus has been home, enjoying our groceries and doing odd jobs for us. He's studying for his real estate license, too. And he's been taking weekend trips to commemorate his last summer of college. The big one – he and three friends drove 1,300 miles from Austin to Vegas, with a few side quests including Hoover Dam. They left on a Thursday and got home late Monday.

Fun fact. The calendar emoji 📆 is our anniversary. Wendy reminds me every so often. I forget every time, right up until the day itself.

This year we celebrated 27 years of marriage. We had a nice dinner at Lenoir and traded in our ancient toaster oven for an air fryer. The air fryer served as a reminder that we're often too thrifty for our own good.

A few days later, I announced my retirement from KW after almost 26 years.

The news broke while I was in Colorado Springs for my Aspen Mastermind. Shawn, Austin, and I stayed an extra day to go fly fishing. Our guides took us off the grid to fish some private water. I caught my personal best rainbow trout on the fly (9lbs!) and we enjoyed whiskey and cigars while a storm blew through.

As we pulled out, I noticed 76 unread texts from KW friends wishing me well. I've had all the feels, before the announcement and after.

My last day at the KW office was July 30. It was positively surreal walking out with the last of my boxes.

Wendy and I will still be in the KW ecosystem. We have our team, some ownership in a franchise, and I'll be working on some special projects. The goal is to spend more time writing, coaching, and speaking. And more naps. Naps are a highly underrated luxury. So don't even think about calling me between 2 and 3 in the afternoon.

Our friends Katherine and Phil came for a visit on my final day. Wendy and Katherine were roommates in college. After we left New York, Katherine married Phil, and they've served around the world for the State Department. We hadn't seen them in six years, and it was just like old times. With some friends you can just pick up where you left off, no matter how long it's been.

They're stationed in Zimbabwe now, so we took them on a grand tour of Central Texas. We dined at Tacodeli and Uchi, walked around Town Lake, took a bat tour, enjoyed the Banksy exhibit, and spent a lot of time cooling off in our pool. We also drove to Lockhart to eat at Barbs B Q, a Michelin-starred smokehouse, and sipped beers at the Old Pal Texas Tavern after eating our baby weight in ribs and brisket.

Oh yeah. Almost forgot. I also celebrated my 57th birthday this month. Told you it was eventful.

2. What I’m Reading
​Every so often, I need a spy thriller. So I read The Secret Servant by Daniel Silva. It's the seventh book in the excellent Gabriel Allon series about an art restorer turned Israeli operative.

My friend Alex recommended How to Break Up with Your Phone by Catherine Price. We all know we should spend a lot less time on our phones. Price delivers a well-researched and practical guide to having an amicable breakup with your devices.

Finally, I loved The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. I’ve seen it on dozens of “Best of” lists, and I love a good time-travel yarn. Bradley's tale asks what happens when you pull people from the past into the present.
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​3. What I’m Watching
​I stumbled onto Kelsey Pfendler’s Instagram on day two of her record-setting journey. Wendy and I checked her progress daily as she rowed solo from Washington to Hawaii, setting the record in under 44 days.

For movies, I watched best-picture contender Sentimental Value. It’s dark and wonderful. My mom recommended Tuner, a fantastic film about a former prodigy turned piano tuner who gets pulled into a safe-cracking ring. ​
​We also caught The Odyssey in 70mm IMAX. Next year's Oscar party will go to whoever guesses the few awards it doesn't win. We loved it. Gus, in particular, loved the practical effects. The cyclops was a 60-foot puppet, not CGI.

Finally, we loved Jury Duty (Prime). We’re late to this party. If you missed it too, the show looks like a documentary about a trial in LA. The twist is that everyone is an actor except one juror, Ronald Gladden, who has no clue. Brilliant.

That’s it for this month. Please reply back and let me know what you’re up to!

Be well, do good deeds, and eat tacos!
Jay

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