Obligatory year-in-review post - 2020

It's been a hot minute. My last post was in 2019? I figured it's time for an update. It’s long, but I haven’t posted on here in so long that this is more for my personal memories than it is for general public commentary. Feel free to comment though – I encourage it!

Sure there were lows with this year … pandemic notwithstanding, 2020 goes down as being worse than 2017 in my book and that’s saying something for me. There were likely other lows, but these were the ones that stood out the most at the end of the year:

I sold the home that I thought we’d be raising a family in and possibly stay in forever with grandkids and extended family gatherings

My mom was put on hospice care and then passed away almost 8 years to the day that my dad passed – St. Patrick’s Day is no longer a favorite day for me

Well, you know, the world shut down

My shadow dog (Frannie) passed away

From March through December – nearly all the races I had registered for went virtual. Without a reason to run, I found I just didn’t want to anymore

Less than a week after getting her driver’s license, my daughter was in a wreck that ended up totaling my car. I wasn’t prepared for a car payment just yet.

One of my running buddies broke her arm in a fall quite literally right in front of me and during one of the few in-person races that happened this year, which then made me skittish about running on trails, which I had started to really enjoy as a way to get out in nature

We sold my parents’ house that they bought 2 ½ weeks after getting married in 1965 and had to clear it out rather quickly. 55 years’ worth of memories and clutter had to be cleared out in less than a month.

My reading slump took me by surprise. I just finished book number 6 for this year. Six. This is from someone who always had to read before bedtime. And who always ALWAYS carried a book around when out and about. I’m disgusted with myself.

 

But then there were highs as well … again, there were definitely other highs but these stood out:

I unloaded a far-too-big for me house (5 beds, 5 baths for me and two teenagers) and bought a Baby Bear house (just the right size) in a great area of town

My mom did not have to suffer with being quarantined. I was able to visit with her daily and was with her when she passed. With her dementia, she might not have missed not seeing us, but she might have withdrawn even more without the interaction. It was a blessing in disguise that she passed at the beginning of everything.

With the stay at home order at the end of March through mid-May, I was able to be home with the kids during their virtual schooling and got to be there for Frannie. As it was, she passed away in my arms on the way to the vet’s office. If I had been going to work, she would have died at home alone. Bittersweet, but I was thankful for that time.

I signed up for more virtual races and challenges, which forced me to get outside and run. With the smaller backyard at the new house, I’ve also gotten into the habit of walking the dogs each night. Belle’s walk takes about an hour (3-4 miles) and then I come back to exchange her for Spade – he can’t go for a mile yet, but it’s good for him to get out and at least try for ½ to ¾ of a mile. A purchase of a Lighthound vest from Noxgear was a fun addition – I can now walk the dogs in the evenings without having to rush back to the house when the sun goes down.

No one in my immediate family has come down with the virus. I fully expect it to happen at some point, but I will be getting the vaccine and will make sure my kids get it as well. We’re just a matter of months away from this and we can do this.

I joined a few book clubs, but one stood out more than the others in that they actually mail the book to me … which doesn’t help in the matter of having too many books, but it has encouraged me to actually read that book to join in the discussions in the FB group. Here’s hoping that this means I’ll at least double my completed reading in 2021 if I can read a book a month with this group. Sure would like to read more than that so I can get rid of some of the books stacked throughout the house.

With all the trips up to Indianapolis to help my sister and brother with clearing out the family home, there’s no way my other car would have made those trips – having a newer vehicle with great gas mileage was another blessing in disguise. And my daughter has already claimed it as her own when she goes off to college in another year. She has my sense of humor.

My son, who didn’t do well with the virtual schooling in the spring, went off to college. Most of his classes were virtual as well, and I feel like he was thrown into the deep end with the classes he was taking – but the fact that he registered for 2^nd semester and seems to be looking forward to returning (even if he has to repeat a class or two from 1^st semester), makes this mama happy to see him finding his path. And my daughter is thriving in her virtual schooling – I know I couldn’t have done it at their age.

Credit cards are PAID OFF! I never thought I would see that happen and sweet Baby Jesus, is it a wonderful feeling. I mean, now there’s a car payment and a kid in college and the new house has a higher mortgage payment than the previous one … but can we just appreciate no more freaking high interest rates on past purchases?

Even with the pandemic and not getting out to see friends and with my hearing, not being comfortable to participate in Zoom gatherings, I didn’t really feel alone this year. We had small group runs with others who had been very good at restricting who they were with or when they went out – I have so needed these runs and the endorphins and laughter they provided.

My job has been steady – we are considered essential, and my position is considered essential (payroll, I mean, of course!) so as long as there were people to be paid, I had job security. I’ve been with this place for 19 years. I probably could have looked elsewhere along the way, but I like what I do (even if I hate math) and I like the people I work with and the services we provide to the community. Sure do wish we could have worked from home a little longer so I could get the basement organized during my lunch breaks, etc. … but it’s all good.

I found me again. The Elizabeth I remembered being before 1998. And I like her quirkiness, her dorkiness, and her easy laugh. Don’t ever change, kid.