2015 Highlights – The Insert you didn’t get…

Proving my penchant for hypocrisy, here are some “insert worthy” highlights from 2015 from my personal and professional life.

The Arts

I’m nuts for the soundtrack to the play “Hamilton.” Hamilton is a serious work of genius and the most buzzed about musical since Les Miserables. The play’s author, Lin-Manuel Miranda, has a MacArthur “genius” grant to prove it. The Stalkers will be seeing the play on Broadway in March. Until then, repeated spins of the soundtrack clearly show why there is such a fuss about a musical based on the life of founding father, Alexander Hamilton.

I am also ecstatic for the Bluetooth Audio System I bought for my wife’s birthday. The Peachtree Audio DeepBlue 2 delivers audiophile sound in a relatively small package.  Forget about headphones, and listen to music the way it was meant to be heard – through big sounding speakers!

Finally, I love the domesticity of watching TV with Annette and Riley.  This year we converted Riley’s “game room” to a “home theater” room. Great idea as we are watching some of the best shows ever made in this continued TV/cable renaissance. This year we loved The Jinx (HBO), Making a Murderer (Netflix), Peaky Blinders (Netflix), Bosch (Amazon), and Strike Back (Cinemax) to name a few.  Also, we cannot overstate the greatness of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO).

Professional

I am so happy for my wife’s business! After seven years working for one of the best forensic accounting firms in the area, Annette ditched the 10 hours of weekly commuting and hung out her shingle two years ago. Starting out slow, Annette has become through word-of-mouth quite busy. So proud of this woman as a business person and mother. I get to call her my wife!

After bouncing around a bit the past couple years, I think I found a home with my employer CEB. Great product, great customers, and awesome, whip-smart coworkers.  Looking forward to a great year and more with CEB.

Grammarly and Lynda.com – Two “go to” tools that support my work life.

Personal

Excited about working out again with greater frequency and intensity than I have in the past decade. I have exercised my entire life but had allowed the demands of work and parenting offer an excuse for “letting myself go.” Shockingly, I had found myself in that most vicious circle that comes from a lack of regular vigorous exercise – poor diet, less energy, and no mojo.

Thanks to a friend I started walking every day this past summer. That was the first step – pause, rimshot – in getting back on track physically eventually adding weight training.

Along these lines, I am also excited about sleeping 7+ hours every night. All that exercise is making me tired, so it’s easier to fall asleep every night getting the sleep my body needs. It turns out the right amount of sleep makes one more attentive, creative, while getting fewer colds. Sleep (recovery) and exercise are two sides of the same coin.

I can’t say enough about our beautiful son Riley. Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and 5 minutes of open mic action at the Comedy Spot in Sacramento. That is some range! What a joy!

Finally, I am completely thrilled with the life I get to lead.   I am so fortunate to be still going and remaining curious and enthusiastic about each and every day.  As one of my friends likes to say to me, “your cup, truly, runneth over!”

He is right, and that is all because of YOU! So, thank you, to all that I’ve been able to connect with this past year. My life couldn’t have happened without you.

Here is to most joyous 2016 for all of you!