The Lost Year

The year was a loss, but some things were salvaged. We had a plethora of bad news: Death, health problems, financial setbacks, work complications, and a possible condition with our daughter. Major projects were undertaken: Both gates are mostly replaced (from scratch), garden has two sprinkler stations (fully automated), and I'm in the process of replacing the bottom boards on my deck. I've implemented tweaks to my daily/weekly routine to try to course-correct as best I can. It's not that I was living life in an impetuous fashion, but I wasn't building towards anything. After visiting my brother in North Carolina, I've found that he suffers a similar, but worse, work-life balance. I've made note about some software/intellectual projects I want to undertake to see if I can code my way out of a future of time-sheets and workplace annoyances. I've also made a checklist to ensure that outside projects are being worked on. Often times, I just want to come home and rest.

I made a binder for my daughter full of activities to engage her fine-motor skills, and to recognize shapes, numbers, and power words. Trying to spend more time with her. It's an investment, and we're already seeing some results. She can recognize most power words, and can write the letters 't', 'l', capital 'H', 'o', and sometimes 'u'. I see a lot of myself in her: strengths and weaknesses.