year in review – Life of an old goat

2023 in review

Ok, maybe I’ll write a few words. 2023 started kind of tough: I was tasked with chairing a search committee; that process was time consuming, gave us two GREAT hires….who got cut during the fall blood letting that saw us lose our major.

But I was unaware of that at the time; what I did get was COVID. That stopped my walking momentum and had me start the semester online.

Summer saw a Chiefs playoff season, smoke, trip to Texas, sinus infection and then the horrible fall semester with time consuming meetings, AAUP activities (mistake?) and some awful decisions made by higher administration.

Highlights was football, diminished radiating pain, and a star party that saw me see the starlink satellite chain.

For previous years:

January

February

March

April

April

May.

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

2022 in Review

I’ve done this since 2015. I’ll do something just a tiny bit different: I’ll write a few words.

2022 started with omicron which appeared to have burned through the population and, as we enter 2023, it appears that much of the damage has been done. Also, at the start of 2022, my glute pain hit its worst; in February I finally gave in and went to the doctor to get it checked out; turns out it was spondylolisthesis (slipped vertebra pinched a nerve root). I was referred to a surgeon …got one injection, modified my weight training activities..and was eventually able to extend my pain free walking distance from about 0.5 miles to 5 or so (on a good day); finished with long walks of 6-7 miles.

But ..I was just SURE that I would have had surgery..turns out it was my elderly wife who did (for her hand; tendons that extend her fingers snapped). It turns out that the actuarial tables were more accurate than my emotions.

I also had some TMI issues: I had gotten to where I felt the need to urinate very, very frequently. Turns out: “too much coffee/diet soda” and a change in habits did the trick..I didn’t have prostate cancer or any of that stuff.

I have a bit more going on, but, well, here is my 2022 story in photos.