Almost 6 years later with a wife and three kids that I would check on Tumblr. Bought a house in the South Bay during the pandemic and even joined a new firm. Work from home 3 days a week and finally got an Executive's corner office in the Finance District.

You know what the funny thing is? All i want is to just work from home and forsake my executive office. All jokes aside, all that hard work and workaholic llong nights were worth it. Now I just spend my days watching the kids grow up, cooking dinner, dad bod-ing it, and living the dream instead of working 60-80 hour weeks. I can't believe it'll be almost 6 years since my dad passed away. At times, I regret not settling down sooner or buying a home sooner or just even slowing down in life to be present with my love ones.

Now that I have 2 daughters, I look back at all my posts and rants and think, wow what an ass lol. The death of my father and the pandemic just shifted how I view life and what my priorities are. While my privilege and wealth have afforded these things to me, that doesn't mean I can't pay it forward...Something that my mom and dad taught me.

My division is the most diverse in my firm--having the most most female Directors, BIPOC, and team members who are openly LGBT. I was in an interview panel and none of the 3 people wanted to hire this person. On the second interview, I asked them, "No one ever gave you a shot to prove them wrong or show results?" I hired a single mom, gave her resources, full support and worked with her sitter's schedule to get her Bachelor's. Five years later, she's now happily married, had a second kid and now the highest performing Director I have on my team.

My wife used to be a advocate/public defender now turned corporate lawyer that brings out the best version of me. That challenges me to take on the underdog or perceived "difficult" person on my team. She makes me a better human. She also made me take Tony Robbins, Landmark and all those personal development retreats/courses that I used to find so "woo woo cali" and now are the best time/money ever spent.

On a very rare occasion, I have this fear that similar to my dad passing, something can happen and all of this can be taken. My therapist calls it trauma from grief that lingers like a scar thats healed yet is still a scar. But I think for now, I'll cherish every day being a dad/human beings that my kids would be proud of and also raising good human beings too.

For all the random messages I've now read, 6 were a blast from the past with a few chapters that were cringe while others were a delightful surprise.

P.S. Never voted for Trump.

All these posts about 9/11 and death just has me all over the place with feelings of grief, joy, sadness, and yet peace. I now understand what it's like to be touched by death and to lose someone very near and dear in my heart...

There are only three, maybe four people that I know who have lost a parent at my age or younger. Others can't fathom it or I just feel unrelated to when it comes to death.

It's funny how life works out in the way you least expect it. After some heart break, a few flings, and workaholic tendencies, I think I've finally found my human. I'm now shopping around for an engagement ring.

This feeling hits you like a bag of bricks. "Yes, I want to build a life with this human!" The irony that she's Aquarius kills me. I've told myself Leo ass that I would never date another Aquarius. But here I fucking am. She's a nonprofit lawyer who advocates for others in need. Also, I've gotten a business license and slowly securing the capital to fulfill on a business venture. I've lived quietly in love with my life while building an empire that will eventually afford me the time to spend with my family.

I'm dating someone who is divorced with two kids. A 4 year old girl and 8 year boy. Surprisingly, I'm very good with children, they like the smoked baby back ribs I cook, hipster story time, building lego star wars with me. I never thought I had the temperament to do so well with children. My brother told me it's because Leo's are kids at heart which makes us relatable.

My life now includes having kid seats in my SUV, getting kids ready and packed into my car within an hour, making blueberry and banana nut pancakes, helping with homework, packing fruit/trail mix food for hikes, sticking bandaids on "ouchies" and making sure stuffed animals aren't lost and are safely buckled in the back seat of my car.

Although they aren't my own children. I love them as if they were my own. I believe that having more love, laughter, kindness, and generosity in a kids life will never be a wrong decision. I'm not here to replace their dad, but to add to their existing lives.

We never get to choose who are our parents but I think it's pretty awesome if you get another set of adults that love you more.

On a very side note... I guess having a beard and holding up a 4 year old up to my shoulder while holding an 8 year gold's hand as I'm crossing the street for brunch stops traffic and turns heads at Sqirl in Silver Lake. My partner who got in line for us as we parked took a pic as well as a atory of it all. Till this day she randomly sends me that pic with a different hashtag each time #TrafficStopper, #BrunchDaddy #SaveTheChildren or #OvariesExploded

Do you know what a big step is for a relationship? It's going on an international vacation. Kara booked the flights, hotels, car rentals, and other tickets/reservations to stuff since I have an aversion to vacation planning. All I want are options of what potential sight-see or to do each day and options of two places to eat for each meal. Just tell me how much it costs and I'll pay it as long as there isn't a $2K helicopter ride or something crazy.

I told her to just text me the amount and what her PayPal or BofA is so I can transfer her my half of the costs. She texted me while I was in a meeting at work in the morning and I just transferred a good chunk of change over to her on my phone within 10 minutes. Kara replied back to our vacation email chain asking what my Credit Score was after I paid that quickly. I literally logged on my Capital One app which has that Credit Wise thing where you can check your score anytime and sent her a screenshot.

I just realized that if we were to eventually work out and get married, our total combined income would be at least $300K (excluding any Corporate/Company bonuses). We can literally buy a house in a hipster part of L.A.

I found out how much she made as well as how unbelievably high her credit score was (it's as high as mine) when I helped her out with car shopping recently after her 2008 Toyota Camery died on her.

It's pretty funny that even with both of our high incomes and credit scores, I drive a Toyota SUV and she got a new Prius because the wait for a Tesla was ridiculous. We're not flashy people when it comes to cars. We spend our money on good food, vacation, tech, and corporate wardrobe to kill it at work.