2018 In The Rear View Mirror

12-29-18
Hey!  2018 is over.  How did that happen?
* Jeez, we went to a lot of places!  Concerts included Rob Zombie/Marilyn Manson, Ghost, Foo Fighters, Elton John, Smashing Pumpkins, Metallica, Machine Head (x2), Steven Wilson, Life Of Agony (x2), Live, Radiohead, Stone Temple Pilots, Weezer, Black Label Society w/COC--wow!  We also got to see a festival of lights and pro golf in Akron with friends.  The Warhol museum.  Cleveland Museum. Randyland (Erin was lukewarm on that one). Just a wonderful year of traveling and doing random things for enjoyment.  I think we crammed five years of things into this single year.  We're hoping to do the same in 2019 though--uhhh--we're old.
* My wife and I both lost about 40 pounds each.  We don't really post about it a lot because it's a constant struggle, and we're always fighting the inevitable poundage put-back.  The holidays don't help, either.  But we've just been eating cleaner and working out.  She rides a bike and I do a lot of walking.  Yoga and Kettlebells here and there.  While I'm proud of the work and progress, the hardest part is keeping it off.  We started in February and I hit my goal in July.  I am happy about what we've done, but the looming return of bad habits is like a monster with big, sharp, pointy teeth (as Tim from Holy Grail would say).  It's gonna be a grind!
* We started the basement this past week, with the help of my wonderful friend, Mr. Shimko.  That guy is a building beast!  Eventually, we want to have the entire basement finished (which I said would happen somewhere between 2016 and 2025).  So, we've got a good head start.
* I've dropped the ball in the music area.  I've got a bunch of original songs waiting.  KKC got to play a 20 year show.  Played some covers, which was fun--and got to play with some people I really respect and appreciate.  I just feel like I'm wasting so much precious time.  I have an immense and impossible goal regarding my own musical endeavors.  It's so impossible, I don't even want to list it here.  But I'm going to try, and it's GOTTA happen in 2019.  Well, the first step does.
* I still haven't run over Noll Hartman with a semi-truck yet.  But 2019 provides a lot of opportunity to improve the world and accomplish important personal goals.  Hitting Noll with a truck would do a both of those things.
* This has been a year of addiction to collecting vinyl.  Erin and I have found a lot of albums we've always wanted to have, and we snagged a bunch of them.  The list isn't complete yet--but we are infinitely closer to completing the list of must-haves.
* The passing of Jeanie Kihm in July was difficult.  Johnny has been my best friend for almost 30 years, and she was a vital part of my upbringing.  You'd be hard-pressed to find a kinder spirit on Earth.  I don't dwell on the negatives, though.  I feel indescribably fortunate to have known her and to have her call me her 'third son' on many occasions.  Just a beautiful person who is terribly missed.

My goals for 2019:
1. Music.  I just want to do a lot of music.  I've never had a song I've done on vinyl, which bums me out.  I really want to remedy that this year. 
2. Live.  I've noticed that things that I used to deem as cheesy (guys from the military popping out of boxes to surprise families at basketball games, dogs on their last walk before being taken to the vet for the final time, old men talking about their widows)--these videos suddenly move me to tears now.  I'm just more reactionary to these heart-string tugs.  Maybe it's because I'm into my 40s.  Maybe it's because I just love being alive.  I dunno.  I don't want to change it.  I want to embrace that more.  Love and be loved.
3. Keep joy.  My occupation requires joy and the past few weeks have presented unique challenges that I've never faced in my career because--well--the way I treat kids has been enough to avoid problems that many others have to deal with in my line of work.  This year, I've found that's not always the case.  Trust and empathy don't necessarily garner a full return on every occasion now.  I just have to evolve with the times and continue to love the job and the young and hopeful faces I see everyday.  I think I'll be refreshed when I return in a few short days.
4.  I'm going to try a ridiculous idea that I've always labeled as too stupid to try.  But I'm gonna go for it.  I know that's vague.  But it has to be for now! :-)
5. I've been withdrawing a bit from social media because (like many of us) I know it consumes too much of my time.  I can't find time to play video games, or write music, or work on the house, or visit with friends & family, but I always scroll through Facebook several times a day.  It's just kind of stupid.  I don't think anyone's tombstone is ever going to read DAMN!  GLAD I SCROLLED THE TL SO MUCH WHEN I WAS ALIVE!  This is just the addiction of our time.  Well, it's the addiction that got a hold on me, at least.