Back Online

With the family sick and work pressure hitting me full force, I haven't been online to post (or even check email) in about a week. Here are some updates:

Family:
Grandma left the hospital this week and was moved to a recovery floor of the retirement home. Grandpa was also moved to the floor where the staff can check on him more easily since he needs so many "cues" to get through the day. They are keeping their apartment on the first floor for now, but I gather the plan is to eventually move Grandma up to Grandpa's new room. So with living space on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors, I think they are taking over the community. Thank you all for the prayers and nice thoughts.
Everyone in my house (except me) over the last week had a fever that reached at least 103. Luke and Courtney got as high as 105 at one point. Doctors say they had a really bad flu - and Maya's ended up being a double ear infection in both ears. I missed work a bit to help at home - and have so far avoided this round of it. Today everyone is doing much better - let's hope its over.
Work:
Our opening date is set at April 26. Training begins on April 10 and is pretty intensive for the two weeks leading up to the opening. At this point I have hired my core staff, and will just use next week to fill in some of the holes. I feel very confident so far with the crew. The experience of opening a restaurant is a roller coaster that is in many ways driven by these 80 or so strangers that I hired. Although I direct most of what they will do in the next month, it still feels like I am the one along for a ride. The weekend before opening does include one VIP and two Practice days. Those nights always feel like the moment when the roller coaster breaches the top of the big hill - but hasn't rushed downward yet. In that moment I can tell what kind of a ride it will be. Opening night is rushing down the hill - and the first year after opening contains the corkscrews, smaller hills, and loops that make the ride so worth it.

I hope everyone is well...