My seventieth year was a spectacular year for me. We spent most of it in Virginia. It was particularly nice to have been able to meet the kids in Washington, D.C. at Kelly’s apartment and for them to easily run down from DC and NYC (Christian) to spend a few days with us. When Kelly moved out of Washington, D.C. we decided to downsize a good bit back in Texas to be a little closer to Grandma Conchita in Monterrey and still be an easy plane flight to connect up with the kids from/to DFW airport.

Lorena and I went on a health kick at the beginning of 2026. Both of us are down a good chunk and are excited to continue down to our target weights, hopefully, God willing, before we move into the new house here in Texas. I personally, have about 30 lbs. to go, need to stay consistent on my weight-lifting, and increase my walking/cardio.

In some ways, I have been going through a late-life crisis trying to figure out what to do with the years I have left. This (new) blog reflects some of that angst. I figured out I did not want really want to do a second PhD, not because it would not have been a rewarding enterprise, but because of the general toxicity and politicization of the higher education around the world. My short term plan (and my long term plans are getting shorter with the years) is to keep working for Thrive Bioscience in the job that I love and continue supporting the GRIME Lab with software over the next few years. Not only can I live with that, I love that I still have a job where I am needed and an avocation that I love.

We are still working on our houses down in San Pedro. That turned into much more of a longitudinal project than we expected, but it is going extremely well. We hope to have a spectacular apartment completed by the end of 2027 that we can visit for a few weeks a time and to which we can invite friends and family to that spectacular city.

Above all, Lorena and are at more peace in our walk with Jesus than ever before. There are so many people who share that with us and we are truly grateful for it.