So it's Friday morning, and I'm sitting here in the office at work (don't tell my boss I'm on HNI) pondering the next several weeks of my life. See, next Thursday I am going in for an anterior lumbar interbody fusion. In laymens terms, I'm having my lower back fused due to a bothersome disc.

As I'm pondering what's going to occur this next week, several things cross my mind, and I'll list them in no specific order...

1. I AM HAVING MY BACK FUSED AND I'VE ONLY JUST TURNED 38!

2. This will certainly screw up any hopes of any early season hunting. But that's okay, because I know I need this surgery so that I can feel better and begin to move forward with my life.

3. The fact that I'll basically be on my back forthe first 2 weeks, probably feeling sorry for myself.

4. No messing around with the wifey!

But as I think about the days in the hospital and the weeks of recovery afterwards, I just know that I am going to immerse myself in deer hunting DVD's and deer hunting magazines to keep my mind in a positive place. Because I know when I'm thinking about deer hunting, I'm mentally in a good place.

I just reflect backonthose crisp cool mornings in the tree stand watching the forest come to life. Hearing a distant jay squawking at a squirrel collecting leaves for it's nest. Listening to a flock of geese as they navigate from one lake to another. Just the smell of the Fall foliage and the anticipation of a big deer being nearby. These are the things that I use to get me through some tough times.

This will be my "frame of mind" until I can get back to what I love most, deer hunting.