I had lunch today with Laurel, Alison, and our friend Ann. And it occurred to me as I sat with three people that didn't exist in my life a few short years ago, that as much as we plan and try to manage our lives, there is really no way to know where we might actually end up. I am sure many people go about their earthly existence without too much drama and end up about where they set out to go. But it is only because some other fate failed to intervene.

In November of 2005, a scant 39 months ago, I was married to my first wife Suzy, and life was on auto-pilot. Work, vacation, visit the in-laws in New Jersey on occasion. We talked about getting a small dog, maybe a Boston Terrier, but decided it wouldn't be fair to keep it locked up all day while we were both at worked. We had tried for a baby for a year or more, but had no luck. Our routine was fairly settled and comfortable, and we were happy. Then, in the space of a couple months, Suzy got sick and died. At that point, the train came off the tracks, and I was simply along for the ride.

Coincidentally, my friend Mike was in the throws of a very sad divorce, and we hung out together to combat our misery. We both bought motorcycles and rode and rode. Mike's sister introduced him to geocaching, which I embraced as well.

Later, in the fall of 2006, I flew to Arizona to meet about 15 fellow widows for a weekend social. While there, I went geocaching around the hotel, and asked if anybody wanted to come along. Laurel ended up joining us, and the rest is history.

If you had told me in the fall of 2005 that within three years I would be married to somebody else, with a baby daughter and four large dogs, I would have said you had been smoking crack. But life doesn't always take us where we are pointed, and I am truly blessed to have landed here.