Monday Meanderings - 12.31.2018

New Year's Eve.

Traditionally, folks who write blogs and post items on social media and publish news articles and the such, reflect on the year coming to a close. The good, the bad and the ugly.

I'm not real big on reflection; never been much on omphaloskepsis.  I'll save you the effort of looking it up. "Contemplation of one's navel as an aid to meditation." Didn't believe me, did you? You just had to check.

But it has been an interesting year. 

We started it standing on the beach near Monterrey Bay, watching the sun set in the Pacific. In early May, we proudly watched Jericho graduate from Lipscomb, prepared to go out and change the world. We're confident he will.

In April, the local Learning Ally studio transitioned to a "Virtual Community," and I no longer made the twice-weekly trek to the studio (much to Barb's dismay). However, I was spending a lot of time shut up in my "recording studio."

In late May, we went to Lubbock, by way of Abilene. Abilene holds no interest to us these days; we normally skirt around it coming and going to Lubbock. This trip, we spent the night there going, and passed by the ACU campus on the way back - on our way to Breckenridge and the Lake Cabin. Last time we were in Breck was in the Fall of 2009 for my 50th High School Reunion. Like us, the town is aging.

In June, my first "serious" audioboook - about the Battle of Vicksburg - went to retail on Audible.com

In July, Barb lost her brother. And the day after the funeral, we set sail on a long-ago-booked cruise to Alaska that included a train trip to the interior and Denali National Park. Lows and Highs. Literally.

In September, we went to the Lake for Labor day, resuming a long-standing tradition that was rudely interrupted the previous year by hurricane Harvey.

In November, my "most ambitious" audioboook - about the Alaskan Inner Passage - went to retail on Audible.com


Watched Grace play in a tennis tournament at the Newcombe Tennis Ranch in Mew Braunfels, and the following week gathered the clan for Thanksgiving. Our house runneth over.

Strewn liberally throughout the calendar, bracketing these major events, were days filled - and I do mean filled - with doctor appointments, ESL and Citizenship lessons, sound system events and the mundane notations of things to do and places to be. 

Phew!

Planning a quiet (neighbors permitting) New Year's Eve.  Alexa! Wake me up when it's 2019!

Happy New Year.