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| SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | NOVEMBER 2026 | 71 From Courtney Taylor, Lifestyles Publisher: My dad was a tough man to please. He had high standards for me and my siblings. If I said, "I'll try my best," he'd respond with, "I don't want YOUR best - I want THE best." Don't get excited about second place, either. Second place is first loser. When I would fish for a compliment, he'd say, "I'm not going to tell you what you're doing right. That's not going to help you." So I'd hear what I was doing wrong, aimed to inspire me to change. This upbringing was hard edges and cold surfaces but shaped the person I am. Today, I surround myself with people who have similar standards. The people I choose to have in my close circle of friends are exacting, demand the most from themselves, and don't make excuses when things go wrong. If a problem arises, they don't complain or blame — they fix it. Everything else is wasting time. Last month we had a glitch in getting the Lifestyles into your hot little hands. Jolie, our amazing printer and delivery director, called me and said, "We have a problem. The pallet of Lifestyles is missing." That is a problem. She had been tracking its progress from the print shop to Fontana where she picks it up a day or two before they deliver. No one could find it at any place in the journey. "If we don't find it by Saturday, we'll have to reprint," she said. I agreed, of course. Our promise to Sun Lakes is to get the magazine to you on or before the first of every month. And, as my dad said nearly every day, "A promise made is a debt unpaid." The magazines hadn't been found over the weekend and Jolie gave the order to start the reprinting process. On Monday, as the magazine was being prepped, she got a call. They'd found the magazines. In Grand Junction, Colorado. She stopped the presses and scrambled the troops. Her crew normally delivers on the weekend but the weekend was over. They were all back to their normal 9 to 5 jobs. So everyone took the day off work and the Lifestyles were delivered on Thurs., Oct. 1. A promise made and a debt paid. Jolie's dad was softer and kinder in his lessons to her. One of my favorite things he said was, "Don't blah blah when blah will do." Meaning get to the point, get the job done, don't waste time with useless blah. She saw the problem, devised a solution, rolled with the punches, and got the job done. She's my kind of girl and she'll be in my life forever. Thanks, Jo. You're THE best. What's next? Messaging via Western Union Telegrams? Morse Code? Semaphore Flags? Smoke Signals? Victor G. Every thing old is new again — that's the way it goes! Sharon K. your comments: GET THE JOKE! Last month's joke: Now back to the Get the Joke stuff: To win the prize, find the ad, article or just weird, out-of-place, completely made-up (and hopefully funny) item in this month's Lifestyles. When you find it, fill out the box and email it to sunlakesnews@yahoo.com before noon on the sixth of the month (or drop it off in the Main Clubhouse). If you are the first correct guess chosen at random, you will win! Please call Monica in the Admin. Oce for your special prize. I found the joke! Resident name (first & last):_________________________________ This was the joke: ________________________________________ Comments (we LOVE your notes - about anything!): _______________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ Send entries to sunlakesnews@yahoo.com or ll out the form below and drop it in the box at the Main Clubhouse first correct guess chosen at random, you will win! Please call Monica in the Admin. Oce Jamie Taylor She's my kind of girl and she'll be in my life forever. best.

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