Welcome, 2023!!

We just cranked up a new year, a few days back. Welcome and let’s get some stuff straight: We are looking for some good stuff this time around, 2023, so just play along and all will be well. I am not complaining too much about 2022, for myself at least, as I had a pretty good year. But a bunch of people I know did not, and I would like things to get better for them, if it’s not too much trouble. Thanks, I will check back frequently.

My year was more good than not. I got to travel to Mexico for the first time, I went on an Alaskan cruise, and my Mile of Music happened, the Brewers played all season, and even my Packers picked up a crummy season at the end of the year. I got to a few concerts and survived a major hail storm while working in the roofing industry. Things are A-OK for Coco at the moment.

As for the beginning of this year, things are starting well. In 4 days, not that I am counting, I am headed to St. Maarten with the Roofers, for our company trip. The pasty white Wisconsinites are on their way to another January adventure! This is one of those things that my company does that makes me so thankful to have found this place and these people. I am bringing my sister as my guest again this year. She works for the State of Wisconsin, and she has a good gig, she is an attorney and she has great benefits and stuff. But they don’t take her out of the country and give her champagne when she gets there. I am so happy we can do this together, we can be our silly sister selves, and my co-workers think we are a hoot! It’s only a few days, so we are out before they catch on to what nerds we are.

I am sure I have other good things on the horizon, but this trip early in the year blocks my ability to think too far ahead. I think we will try to hammer out a Spring Training trip to Arizona, but that is a discussion for the beaches of St. Maarten for me and the sister. See what we can come up with.

The other events of the year will come along. I won’t worry too much because fun stuff happens all year, I just have to find what appeals to me, and I will. I don’t worry too much about that, good things come to those who like good things. Or something like that.

With the new year, a new age came along for me late in December as well. I turned 53. I am noticing things changing, and some are good things, and some are definitely aging things. I still do my gym workouts, and still walk Zelda all over the ‘hood. But when something twinges, as they will, the recovery is not as quick. I need to make an eye appointment, things are fuzzy or the print is getting smaller, as people about my age will tell me. It’s funny, because my brain doesn’t acknowledge the aging too much, but the body is getting quick to remind me, just in case I wasn’t paying attention. I continue to welcome the years that pile up, it beats the alternative, as they say. I don’t want to turn into an old clunk, so I don’t entertain old people thoughts too much, but I am paying attention, I promise. I think my AARP card is still valid, after all.

To welcome the new year, I saw it arrive, and promptly crawled into bed. I sure don’t keep ‘er moving like I used to, and I don’t feel the need to anymore. That’s been an entertaining conversation at work this week. We have large age range there, and most of us in the middle of life admitted to pulling the plug early, while the younger bunch might just still be awake from New Year’s Eve. God bless them, they will get tired soon enough. I love hearing their stories though, it makes me wonder how I ever made it this far, and thankful I have! I thank those young adults for being in my world, they keep me laughing and that is the secret to aging. Laugh, and the world will keep giving you reasons to smile.

I hope for lots of wonderful things for this new year, for you and for me. We are still in a recovery from all the things we missed over the previous couple of years. It’s weird to think of all the things we could not do for a short stretch, and what I hope it that we all appreciate what we can do now as a result. I hate thinking about it in a negative way, so many people do, and I get it. But instead of focusing on what we didn’t get, or what was missed, look ahead of all that we are able to do now. We just found out we don’t need to Covid test for our trip- that’s a win. It’s a sign that we are coming out, even though we need to still be a little cautious, we can relax enough to enjoy our lives. I hope we do enjoy our lives, as they are short. It won’t be long before I have to write 2024 on stuff, so enjoy what you have today, and tomorrow, or in four days when I step off a plane. Life is for living, let’s go do it, 2023!!