2023 – A Look Back

2023, a return to normal – for the most part. Almost 4 years into my retirement and these 4 years have flown by. This year was a blur at times, but it provided a lot to reflect on.

       The year started with the winter that wasn’t here in central NJ. We had a total of less than 6 inches of snow. I had to shovel only once and used the leaf blower the other 2 times snow stuck to the driveway. That’s my kind of winter. A little warmer than usual, plenty of regular rain to keep the aquafers full, and not enough snow to get in the way of driving, etc. I know many of you snow-lovers reading this are shaking your heads at that, and that’s OK.

       We took our annual “get the hell out of NJ in February” trip to Islamorada, with the same friends who went last year – and we are all booked again for next month. The place we stay at was sold to 2 young couples and already was very different – not in a good way – than it had been. We are hoping they’ve improved their management techniques by now. While there we spent time at Florida Keys Brewing celebrating their 7th anniversary and enjoying the shaded beer garden.  I got in some kayaking with our friends, and we spent a lot of time relaxing on the property, enjoying the warm weather. We even connected with a couple who lives only a few miles from us. We’re looking forward to another great trip together in a few weeks and to seeing the usual suspects who escape there each year. Seeing many of those same people from year to year makes the trip even more fun.  

       My nephew and I took a trip to Gettysburg, which I wrote about earlier. We also have been to a couple of NJ Devils games and have our tickets for 2 more games in March and April. We had a great time in Gettysburg and always have fun at the games. I’m just glad he wants to hang out with me. And he turns 21in 2024 so brewery visits during travels, and pre-game stops, will be more fun for him – and me.

       Softball and bike rides gave me the chance to be with friends. Our softball team didn’t do well last season but it’s a good group of guys and we had fun together. My ailing hip limited my ability to run – though some of my teammates will say they didn’t notice a difference. When trying to run I looked like a pegged-legged pirate hop-run-hobbling to first base. Even I had to laugh at what it must have looked like. I think I got a couple of singles because the other team was laughing too hard to field the ball. The hip limited my riding as well, but we added another friend to our riding group so that made the rides more fun. I’m looking forward to those activities and getting back to disc golf after my hip gets clearance to participate.         

       In the fall I lost 2 friends to cancer – weeks apart – after lengthy struggles for each of them. They were both taken way too young. Thankfully their families are doing OK. On the positive side, I am in much closer contact with 1 friend now and got to spend time with the family of the other friend who passed, for the first time in several years. Both re-connections are welcomed and will be nourished as the losses reminded me how important all relationships are.

       The Ukraine war rages on as does the war in Congress and DC. Hamas launched an attack on Israel that resulted in all-out war in Gaza. None of those things make sense to me as I can’t get my head around arbitrary power struggles driven by ego, and all too often, religion. I hope that my reflection on 2024 includes peaceful resolution to all 3 of these, with no new ones added.

       Back to happier things! For my birthday, my wife took me to a newly improved local brewery and then to dinner at one of our favorite spots. A good time, and several pints, were had to celebrate my last year in this decade. Thanksgiving brought the family together, but not at our house. My wife’s brother hosted this year as the family has outgrown our home. It was a great time, and we enjoyed our first year as guests instead of hosts. Thanks to leftovers and some home cooking we had all the fixin’s for the next day’s turkey sandwich – the best part of the holiday feast. We’ve been doing more things with our local brewery friends and enjoying hanging out together. It’s always fun with that crew and there are always new beers to try and trade.

       As December kicked in, and I started preparing for my hip replacement surgery, I stopped drinking alcohol for a few weeks. Not withstanding the shock to my system, to my friends, and the local brewery’s bottom line (sorry Steve & Donna!), I quickly lost most of the pre-surgery weight I was trying to shed. I also discovered Guinness Zero, a non-alcoholic version of Guinness. It is very close to the real thing and makes me feel like I was having a Guinness. Bonus!

       My new hip arrived on the 27th and everything went very well. Kudos to my surgeon, the surgery team, the nurses, physical therapists, and everyone else we encountered on that day at St. Peters Hospital. Top notch people who made a rough day much better and got me safely home that same day. My hip immediately felt better than before surgery. It feels like I got hit with a slapshot in the upper thigh (something I am all too familiar with having played defense for 25 years), but other than the first night, nowhere near as painful as before surgery. As of this writing I am walking without even a cane, only taking it when I go outside in case my leg gets tired. It’s been an amazing experience, making me wish I hadn’t waited so long. Any of you readers with bad hips, knees, etc., don’t wait, you’ll feel better right away and after a tough day or two you’ll be moving better than you are now.       

Looking back, it was another up and down year, thankfully with more ups than downs. I continue to work at feeding the ducks and starving the geese (12/6/2021 post). That is the key to remaining positive in this crazy time we live in. We each have to decide to focus on the positives and remember that we are all in this together as we begin a new year of hope and possibility.

I’ll leave you and 2023 with that thought and a wish for a happy, healthy, successful, and peaceful 2024 for all of us and our planet.

www.RetiredandInspiredat55.com  1-08-2024