COASTLINED

December 31, 2022

If this questionnaire were a person, it would be a legal adult now. Eighteen years ago, I found this questionnaire, and I’ve been filling it out every December since. 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003. Eight years ago, I decided I was going to add a few new questions every year from now on. The ones I added over the years are still marked with an *asterisk. I added one this year, and that one is marked with two **asterisks.

At some point in 2022, things started to feel a lot more “normal” again. Although post-pandemic normal turns out to be a lot less social and a lot more repetitious and consistent, I suppose. The silly thing is that as soon as things started feeling normal again, I caught covid at a super-spreader wedding and had a ridiculous cough for the next 12 weeks. I started traveling again this year — I took more flights than I have in a single year in a long time. Most of them were to NJ for weddings and funerals, but whatever. I took two vacations, plus a few weekend trips, so that was nice to start working travel back into my life this year. According to my Apple Watch, I only walked 1,314 miles this year, which is significantly less than last year. I blame dog training, covid, my Apple Watch dying at one point…but also just the fact that I got very busy at work and didn’t prioritize getting outside and exercising as much as I have the last few years. Work was busy, as usual, and all three companies are still on track, growing, and doing well.

Anyway, here’s my year in review.

December 30, 2022

According to GoodReads, I made it through 36 books in 2023. Those ranged from historical fiction to business books to a few personal finance books towards the end of the year (to help me overcome my latest desire to start rampantly spending money on things I don’t need). I got most of my books from the used bookstore at the VB Public Library. I donated most of them back or gave them to friends when I was done. The few I couldn’t find there or check out, I bought on my Kindle. I only paid retail price for one hard-copy book this year, and that’s because I was getting on a plane, and I hadn’t brought my Kindle on that trip. I also finally upgraded my 10-year-old Kindle Touch to a Kindle Paperwhite this year! No more pop-out booklight! ;)

Here are the best six books I read in 2022.

January 18, 2022

Last weekend, Benny and I took a little road trip to Basye, VA for a wintery weekend getaway in the mountains. I rented a fantastic AirBnB as a belated Christmas gift for my family, so we could all get together and celebrate before my brother and his new fiancé move to Colorado this month. It was a perfect and relaxing weekend, and a nice change of pace. It was my first little trip away from VB since the pandemic started, and a really nice way to kick off the new year. Thanks to the snow and icy temperatures, we barely left the house (except for lots of mini dog walks) and didn’t feel bad about it one bit. We ate delicious food, drank lots of hot beverages and a few glasses of wine, exchanged a few Christmas gifts, put together a ridiculously difficult puzzle, played a little pool, wore lots of flannel shirts, and celebrated Stephen and Emily with a champagne toast by the fire. Benny did pretty well for his first trip away from home! I’m so glad we had the opportunity to do this, and wish Stephen and Emily the best in Colorado!

December 31, 2021

If this questionnaire were a person, it would be a licensed driver by now. Seventeen years ago, I found this questionnaire, and I’ve been filling it out every December since. 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003. Seven years ago, I decided I was going to add a few new questions every year from now on. The ones I added over the years are still marked with an *asterisk

2021 felt a lot like 2020, but a lot less scary, and a bit more monotonous. One thing I think I mastered this year was cooking eggs absolutely perfectly. I walked a little over 1,971 miles this year, all the while training my dog not to be so reactive on a leash. Work was very busy. I single-handedly loaded over three million rows of data into Salesforce (at least). Between my three companies, we’re now a team of almost 20 people.

Anyway, here’s my year in review.

December 31, 2020

If this questionnaire were a person, it would be a licensed driver by now. Seventeen years ago, I found this questionnaire, and I’ve been filling it out every December since. 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003. Six years ago, I decided I was going to add a few new questions every year from now on. I added one this year. See if you can find it. Also, the ones I added over the years are still marked with an *asterisk

I posted a year ago that 2019 was a strange one because I got a skin cancer. Ha! A measly stage 1A melanoma was nothing compared to navigating a worldwide pandemic while managing three companies and my debilitating anxiety! I haven’t been this depressed since college! 🤣

What even happened this year? I remember an ice skating competition, a six-week-long cough, baking my own birthday cake, a blurry summer, getting a puppy and 27 million mosquito bites, a blurry fall, and an uneventful past two months. So many Zoom calls.

But we made it this far. Two businesses are growing/flourishing, and the other is stable for now. So far, so good, all things considered. I guess.

Anyway, here’s my year in review.

December 31, 2019

Everyone has their holiday obligations. At least I brought this one on myself. Sixteen years ago, I found this questionnaire, and I’ve been filling it out every December since. 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003. Five years ago, I decided I was going to add a few new questions every year from now on. I’m not really doing that anymore. But the ones I added are still marked with an *asterisk

2019 was a strange one. I got a skin cancer, so that sucked. And then it sort of overshadowed everything once it happened. It tripled my baseline anxiety level, and I used it as an excuse to break every good fitness habit I started in 2018. Yet, I somehow managed to keep everything together. All three businesses are flourishing, and we just opened a coffee shop. How I manage to do everything I do is beyond me, but I just keep wanting to do more.

Anyway, here’s my year in review.

December 31, 2018

Fifteen years ago, I found this questionnaire, and I’ve been filling it out every December since. 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003. Four years ago, I decided I was going to add a few new questions every year from now on. I’m not really doing that anymore. But the ones I added are still marked with an *asterisk

2018 was an overall amazing year. I accomplished a lot. I minimized my wardrobe; I became super active; I spent more time outdoors than I have since I was a kid! On the other hand, I also struggled with so many bouts of anxiety and depression through most of it. But with the help of some sudoku puzzles, lots of hobbies, so many beautiful sunrises, and a few good friends, it’s been a great year overall.

Anyway, here’s my year in review.

December 31, 2017

Ah, the case of the missing 2017 resolutions. The resolutions that never were. Or were they?

I jotted these down on Post-Its on January 1st and just never got around to posting them. Halfway through the summer, I found them stuck inside the cover of my Sudoku book, and started checking them off.

So, in case you’ve been waiting with baited breath for 365 whole days…here are/were my 2017 resolutions:

December 31, 2017

Fourteen years ago, I found this questionnaire, and I’ve been filling it out every December since. See? 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003. Three years ago, I decided I was going to add a few new questions every year from now on. I’m not really doing that anymore. But the ones I added are still marked with an *asterisk

2017 was BUSY. The coworking space, Fathom Coffee, and our technology consulting company are all growing. We have about 70 coworking members, a bigger roaster on order, and some really amazing IT clients who consider us a part of their teams. We’ve accomplished a lot over the last year, and have some even more exciting things up our sleeves for 2018.

Anyway, here’s my year in review.

December 25, 2017

For some reason, sitting around in New Jersey on a cold winter day makes me feel like shopping. I don’t really need anything, nor do I have a pile of money sitting around to spend. So I’m not really shopping.

But the Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale started today, and it’s been a long time since I did a blog post full of sale picks…so here’s what I’d buy if I did need anything and I did have a pile of money sitting around to spend. 🙂

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