AnitaSullivan's blog

My brother, Michael "Austin" Davis, age 26, has been missing from the Argyle area since Tuesday morning June 26.  He is suffering from depression, as well as severe knee and joint pain, and we're very concerned for his safety.  He loved his job and rarely missed a day, and was in close contact regularly with friends and family.  We, and JSO, have been unable to locate anyone who has spoken to him since the 26th. 

 Anyone with information is asked to call our family at 375.1900 or JSO Missing Persons Unit at 630.2627.  We have also set up an email address at findaustin@iticomputers.com that you can email.  There is currently a $500 reward to anyone who provides information that leads to his safe return. 

This morning at 2:45 am my uncle succumber to lung cancer after a wonderful, yet too short life.  Today I grieve him, and grieve for his wife, my aunt who faces her 'golden' years of retirement (years of planned cruises, trips to see the grandkids and friends, days by the pool, and more) alone. 

I hate cancer, and I hate smoking which is what caused his lung cancer I'm sure. 

But instead of writing about the evils of that, instead I write about the wonderful man who loved me like a daughter since he had only boys, always made me laugh, was like a father to my dad, and more.  On a professional level, he retired as Vice President of the Steelworkers Union a few years back, always working and fighting for the rights of workers.  He truly believed that everyone had a right to work for a fair living and had a right to be treated fairly.

I took my 3 year old, Drew, to visit his ‘Nina’ this weekend in Port St. Joe, FL which is always a treat for them both.  We had a great time relaxing, putting our toes in the sand while eating great gumbo at the Mexico Beach Gumbo Cookoff, and more.  But undoubtedly, one of my son’s favorite activities was fishing with his second cousin, Hunter.  Did they fish at the beach?  No!  At the river, or at one of the other many bodies of water nearby?  No! <

I'm annoyed right now at something so simple it's funny which made me stop to think about a few other things I've been peeved over the past few days... being stuck in traffic, being unable to rent a UHaul trailer to pull behind a Ford Explorer (true!), the way one friend has been self absorbed lately, the fact that if I'm not home to put my son in bed he may be up till midnight (or eat cookies for dinner),  that my husband seems to forget to give our son his medicine, the Gators almost managing to lose, the way the traffic report timing isn't quite right to help me out most mornings....

People are sometimes surprised by my passion for sports, because as a woman I'm often expected to be more interested in the color of the uniforms, or know more about the cheerleaders than about what's going on on the field or the court.  But, I truly love sports. 

I love the weekend little league games and can't wait until this fall when my son will be old enough to play organized sport, I love sports talk radio in small doses, I love traveling to Gainesville for lesser watched sporting events, and bowl games, and March Madness, and the College World Series.... I even watch an occassional Nascar race, have been known to watch the preakness (although I know nothing about it), and am excited for weeks prior to the opening of the Olympic Games (though I must admit my partiality to the summer games). 

My Clay Sun.  It's a fresh start for our favorite local paper, a fresh name, new things for the readers, the staff... and it got me thinking.  We all need a fresh start sometimes, and I'm going through a fresh start of my own right now in many ways.  I'm less than 3 weeks into a new job I really enjoy, I'm 3 years into being a Mom, and recently I've made changes that I knew would be best for my family and me.  I've joined the YMCA near my new office and am working out at lunch three times a week (is 3 a pattern this week?), I'm taking my lunch to make sure I eat healthier and save money, and I've taken a new job that requires less hours and hopefully will have me bringing less stress home to my husband and son.  I'm reevaluating some things I'm involved in to see how much of my energy and spirit they take that should be going to take care of me so I can also take care of my family.  I'm also reading more and trying to get work done in our house!