2019 Year in Review

If there was a theme to 2019, it was about change and venturing into new territories. It hasn’t all been pleasant. Some good. Some bad. It has been a year of loss and change. It has been a year of travel and visiting new places as well. It has also been a year of financial boom (job bonuses, retirement fund swelling, inheritance money, as well as unexpected cash just out of nowhere). What a twisty year it has been.

List:

Chilly Day in Galveston – The Pleasure Pier often has cheap deals in the off-season. So we took advantage of it and spent an afternoon on the beach and some thrill rides.

Goodbye George Kjeldseth – Holly’s uncle George passed away February 15th

Unexpected Cash – In late February, I received an email from an old business that I was involved in waaay back in 2011. It said they had some money of mine. Do I want it? Uh,… Yes, I guess. How much is it? Almost $13,000. Whaaaat?? I really thought it was a spam/fake email at first, but as I looked into it more… nope, it was for real. So, on March 26th, I received and deposited a check for $12,971.00

Gymnastics Competitions Tour – Several more trips to competitions in League City, San Antonio, Austin, Lubbock. Then she quit.

Urban Chicken Tour – A tour bus full of chicken people (some rather tipsy) came and looked at our urban chicken coop.

Chaperoned a School Trip to Austin – We visited the capitol building and ate some pizza on the lawn. Four hours on a bus with a bunch of kids is a lot.

Got A Robot Maid! – Her name is Rosie. And she sucks. Got a new stove, too! It’s hot.

Hatched a Rooster! – Gave egg-incubating a try. Managed to hatch 4 chicks! Two turned out to be fabulous strutting mount-every-hen roosters. Eventually sold one (the one that we hatched in this video).

Got An Exercise Bike! – Not just one, but two! Got a stationary eliptical with an iPad and the iFit application (which I really, really like), as well as a Strider eliptical bicycle (which is harder than I expected).

Graduated from Elementary! – Said some tearful goodbye to some friends since pre-school. Completed with segment of life with a nifty school play.

Goodbye Shirley Dutton – Mom passed away.

Viva Las Vegas! – I take Ivy with me to visit Ray in Phoenix, with a short visit to Las Vegas in the mix as well.

Let’s Go Ride Some Horses – Got a Groupon! Let’s take some kids horseback riding on the hottest day of the summer.

Holly Got Some Gadgets – Dropped a chunk of change on a laser printer and 3D printer.

Holly Got Hearing Aids!!!! – Omg. Finally! It’s been interesting seeing her try to adjust to normal conversations, hearing around corners, and just about everything in the normal hearing world.

New School! Ivy is a Hogg – She started Middle School at Hogg Elementary. She seems to like it. She’s a hogg now.

Fishing Boat – I’ve been wanting to go fishing on one of those charter boats out of Galveston, but they cost too much. Hundreds of dollars for just 1 day! Until I discovered there are two services that cost less than $50 and provide the rods, reels, bait, and even lunch.

Sinuplasty! – Omg. The pain. But, oh, the relief from sinus problems after I healed.

A Bout with Gout and a Kidney Stone – Oh lord, here we go again. Woke up in the night with pain in my side. It’s a kidney stone. I’ve been through this 4 times already. This time, however, it comes with a bonus pain in my foot… which turns out to be Gout (same thing as a kidney stone, but instead a calcium stone in the joints of your foot).

Kanye West! – He’s been stirring up a fuss with his latest gospel album. I decided to go see the show at Lakewood Church on November 17th

Thanksgiving Cruise to the Caribbean – We board one of the biggest ships in the ocean and head into the Caribbean once again.

Vacation in Switzerland – Goodbye warm weather! We’re headed to the Swiss Alps for snow and scenery.